A dog's life...

dog's life
n. Slang
A miserably unhappy existence.

yeah.....

riiiight

Confit Pork - Day 2&3

OK, I got on with the confit pork Wednesday and Thursday.... and today, tonight is the dinner. Decided to invite over some people to share it with ;-). Timewise I was unable to cut the time of the rendering, however, I was able to use less electricity and render a larger quantity, as well as making some rillettes...

Rillettes :
Originally made with pork, is a meat cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked
slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded and then cooled
with enough fat to form a paste. The term rillette, perhaps refers to the final
product and its appearance when spread on sliced bread. Rillettes were
traditionally made with fatty pork belly or pork shoulder. The meat was cubed,
heavily salted, and cured for twelve hours. The meat was then cooked slowly over
low flames until very tender. That being done, the flesh was raked into small
shreds and blended with the warm cooking fat to form a rustic paste. Rillettes
could be stored in crocks for several days.

Fanks Wikipedia :-)

Anyway, that was just a by product. What happens is that when you ask the butcher for fat, there are still bits of meat on it. Don't cut that off, it actually adds to the flavout of the lard. But with my different way of rendering the lard (I'll explain in full detail when I do the whole recipe) in which I boiled the fat first, you basically end up making confit with those bits of meat. You then scoop out those bits, shred it with a fork, at some salt, pepper and fresh thyme, a little bit of the fat, et vóila, rillettes. Very yum. If you're really health conscious, forget about it, it's an artery clogger, deal with it...

So Thursday morning I brined the pork shoulder, it's in the fridge now until 1pm.

Again I add a few random pics, and a bonus one of Fudge....took it when we went for a walk at the sports fields today...

Pea Pickle @ Pick 'n Pay

.....Nationally.

I don't know who of you have noticed, but for the last few weeks there have been no frozen peas in the Pick 'n Pay freezers.

This for me... is very bleak. And yesterday I did some investigating. My local branch couldn't say anything but that there is a supply problem.

So I phoned the Toll Free Number (on the slip! never knew there was one...) and after 7 minutes of holding and a chick saying "PLEASE hold the line" ....yup, PLEASE, with emphasis. Shame, it's nice to know they care.

Anyway, after 6 minutes and 47 seconds someone pics up, there is a problem with supply nationally and I should phone my local Pick 'n Pay branch to put my name on a list so that they can call me when they get stock .

Nah..... i fink i'll jus' keep checking hey

Glass Butchery

So folks, I mentioned this butchery.

Glass Butchery to be more specific, corner of Piet Retief and Market Street to be more exact. Parow.

Dinky and tiny, but so clean, so helpful, so friendly, great meat and the boerewors is really really good. Which says alot, 'coz I'm not a boerewors fan, at all, even though I do live this side of The Curtain.

They have this lovely old fashioned cash register - till - and a swarm of people behind the counter helping you. I absolutely love going there, and it's close...

Confit Pork - Day 1

So this week is the week for trying out that Confit Pork I was telling you about. And before you get put off, it doesn't take a week, I just feel like playing around with it a bit.


I started on Saturday already actually...


Went to butcher and got a bag of pork fat, I need to render some fat to cook the deboned shoulder in. It took frikken 4 1/2 hours to get a decent amount of lard (recipes online said 30 mins to an hour, but they LIE). After an hour there was not even 60ml, and even after over 4 hours I only got 300ml, but there was no possible way I was going to get more.


So today I am going to good ol' Glass Butchery (seperate entry another time) and getting 5 more bags of fat (I need 2 litres of lard), and I am going to try some other methods, to get to the one that's quickest and yileds the most.


I would tell you how to do this 4 1/2 hour one, but come on, be honest, you're never going to do it, not to produce just the cooking "liquid" for this amazing dish... no matter how amazing it is


Here are a few arb pics I took of the "process"

4 1/2 hours later

Purely for my own amusement really. I would have thought the fat would start setting from the outside, but it seemed to start from the centre, and made these cool formations...

Try Before You Die - Napoli Bolognese

OK, so I decided to give this the honour of it's own post, but before I started I thought I'll do a bit surfing on the world wide web and see what else is out there...

But then I remembered this little gem. Saved in my favourites list, I made this once, and it's worth the effort, trust me on this one, the step by step pictures are great, and... an added bonus, an awesome Gnocci recipe. I'm making this this week end, the Confit Pork can wait.

Gnocci (pronounced singular gnocco) is the Italian name for a variety of thick, soft noodle or dumpling. They may be made from potato, semolina, ordinary wheat flour, bread crumbs, or other ingredients. Outside Italy, "gnocci" generally refers specifically to the kind made from potato, and with uniform shape. The word gnocco means "lump", and comes from nocchio, a knot in wood.

OK, the recipe, I have added the link to the actual recipe online to the right, I could type it all out for you, but I really don't feel like it. You'll see, clicking the link is much easier.

I love the little history it gives:

These gnocchis are so good that a priest choked to death eating them in the
18th century. Since then, Napolitans call them strangolapreti or strozzapreti -
litterally 'priests-stranglers'.

Bolognese

Bolognese Sauce (ragù alla bolognese in Italian, sauce bolognaise in French), is a meat based sauce for pasta, originating in Bologna, Italy. The people of Bologna traditionally serve their famous ragù with freshly made tagliatelle (tagliatelle alla bolognese).

OK, so there you have it.

Oh wait, let me tell you what a ragù is...

Ragù is an Italian term for a meat based sauce, traditionally served
with pasta. Etymologically the word derives from the French word ragoût, a noun derived from ragoûter (to revive the taste). A ragù is usually made by adding meat to a soffritto (partially-fried mixture of chopped onions, celery, carrots, seasonings, etc.) and then simmering for a long time with a bit of tomato sauce.

So, in essence, a stew. This is the very important factor and "secret" I am letting you in on right here, right now. You need to be patient to make a decent Bolognese. Don't to the Jamie Oliver thing and "whack" the onions into the pot and "bang" in the mince and tinned tomatoes and vóila, bolognese.

Blech. Then I recommend rather just buying Ina Paarman's Meat Sauce in a jar.

The Easy Recipe: (please don't ever mistake me saying something is "easy" for being quick, if it's quick I'll say so...)

Ingredients:

125g Pork Mince

375g Beef Mince

125g Ham

2 Medium Onions, Chopped

4 Tbsp Chopped Carrots

125ml Chopped Celery

4 Tbsp Butter

2Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Chopped Garlic

125ml Red or White Wine

500ml Beef Stock

800g (2 tins) Chopped Tomatoes

2 tbsp Tomato Paste

3 Tbsp Cream

Salt & Pepper

3 Bay Leaves

Method:

1. Sauté the chopped, onion, celery and carrot over low heat in the oil and butter, until they colour slightly.
2. Add the garlic, stirring well with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the minced meat and cook over low heat, breaking the meat up, season with salt and pepper.
4. When cooked through, add the wine, increase the heat and cook until the wine has evaporated.
5. Add the tinned tomatoes and the tomato paste and also the stock.
6. Add the bay leaves.
7. Turn to a medium heat so that the sauce simmers gently, cover the pot and let it simmer for 2 to 3 hours*, adding more stock if necessary.
8. Add the cream an hour before the end of the cooking time and remove the bay leaves before serving.

* I say 2 to 3 hours, but if you have the time, simmer it slowly for 4 to 6 hours. It's a simple principle: the longer the sauce simmers, the better the flavour and consistency become... just like a good stew. Another important tip, don't just forget about it on the stove, it tends to stick to the bottom of the pot, so just remember to go give it a stir every once in a while. You really really don't want this to burn.

But seriously, be honest with yourself, other than it taking a long time to cook, it really cannot get much simpler than that, it's not like there's a whole lot of work.

Now, since we're on the subject, let's just properly cover this topic of Bolognese, then it's done. If you want to treat yourself and whomever you might deem important enough to make it for... there is THE recipe, the "cultish" Napolitan Ragù. Please make this, at least once in your life...

La Colombe IS open

I finally got hold of someone, and they're not closed. The madame that answered the phone could only appologise, but had no explanation. They are open, and the Winter Special is on until the end of September....

OK, now let me tell you this. If you're going to go to the trouble of going there, then do it properly and get the 5 course deal. Just have lunch really early, or skip it altogether. That's for you to decide, what's not up to you, and what I am TELLING you to do is to take the 5 course menu, and between 2 of you, don't order the same things. Oh, it's R360 for the 5 course, including wine....

The one and only thing I can tell you not to have is the calve's liver, but I'm sure most of you would not have ordered that anyway. The Cheese Platter was fine, but you could give it a miss, it's just cheese, and alot of it at that.

The starters were all nice, but the Mushroom Cappucino soup was fantastic.

Of the mains I would say the Butterfish was amazing, the Beef very nice, and you've all heard me rave about the Confit Pork (if you don't fancy anything else on the menu, just order 5 of that, seriously - but there will be plenty on the menu that will get your mouth watering).

Desserts, Well we had the Choc Fondant with Poached Pear and Caramel Ice Cream, I wasn't too excited about it, I'm over the whole Choc fondant thing (that chocolate "cake" that always says 'please allow 20 minutes' on the menu and it comes to the table and everyone goes oooh aaah when you break it open and the chocolate comes oozing out? yeah? got it?). It's been done way too often, but my oh my, was I pleasantly surprised, this man must have a very different recipe, because this little thing was awesome, and the plate looked great, and the pear and ice cream... couldn't fault a thing. Someone at the next table had the Parfait, it looked really good too, I wish I had that instead of the cheese...

Hmmmm, is it too soon to go again?

We have Contact

I was completely amazed when the nicest person named Suzy gave me a call yesterday afternoon. She's from Clearer Conscience, that link I posted? If you dunno what I'm talking about, check out the post "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"... and keep up.

Anyway, as I was saying, lovely girl, and even gave a possible explanation as to why none of these Recycling Pick Up Companies don't cover the Northern Suburbs: They don't know the Northern Suburbs.... OOOOH, Spooky.
But seriously, isn't that just so Cape Town. I totally got what she said though, because I pretty much feel like that about anything that takes longer than 25 minutes to get to. Just last week Clem and I had to drive through to Fish Hoek (FISH HOEK?!?!? Isn't that like 2 HOURS away or something *note the sarcasm please*) to go and watch his nephew play rugby. *SIGH* man that's far, like the other end of the world...

Now let me tell you something, all people on THIS side:
It's not so far, (it took us all of 40 minutes......seriously, it's not so bad)
and it's really pretty,
and so quaint,
when we got back that night it felt like we had been on an overseas trip... and the best part (well for me at least), Fudge could come along. They're way more pet friendly out that way. Even with bowls of water outside the little shops...just like Europe.
And Kalk Bay, and the little theatre, loved it
I will definately be venturing out that way more ... but that's another Cape Tonian thing... Planning on getting out more...planning, not doing. It's become a cliche, but really, we just don't realise how lucky we are, this place is unbelievably beautiful.

Anyway, back to Suzy, Clearer Conscience and recyclying. So, very nice very friendly but gives me the same damn news any other place has given me, only Southern Suburbs. But where normally I get a "Sorry, but thanks for your interest. Good Bye", Suzy, dear sweet Suzy, she said: "But if you can maybe get at least 10 households together, we can make a plan"

*Cue the Halleluja music*

We're getting somewhere. At last. I can almost not believe it. So now, finally, onto the next step:
10 Households willing to recycle

Can't be that difficult...

Can it?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...

Many of you may or may not know that I have been on a small mission (emphasis on small) to do my bit for the environment. So far the "mission" has mostly been a gathering of information, less of actual DOING. We do however go drop off all our glass behind the Friendly Grocer Seven Eleven Whatever Its Called Now place, I guess that's something at least.

The Worm farm will be on it's way soon...

And Clem sent me this link today about recycling. It was interesting, but I found what I think might be a little gold nugget to my recycling future. A little website called Clearer Conscience.

Awesome little site, explains everything so simply. I tried to phone them, but no answer, so I sent an email, and I'm eagerly awaiting response. You see, doing some research, there are quite a few companies that come and pick up your recyclables, BUT, not this side of the Boerewors Curtain. Is it because we're not as concerned about the environment? I'm trying to find out why. There are some drop off depots in the area... Maybe we're just good at sorting out our trash and then be on our merry way to drop off our trash. Somehow I very much doubt that.

Most people, when one starts this "green living" and recycling topic, 1. know very little about it, other than the earth worm farms they saw on "that Carte Blanche" episode, and 2. say they "would do it, but it just seems like such a schlep, if only someone would come pick it up".

Well there are people,

and I will get them to the Northern Suburbs,

and we will recycle...

This & That

I found a recipe! Hopefully THE recipe to make that Confit Pork I was telling you about....

It looks like possibly a bit of a schlep, but if it tastes anything like what LDR (Luke Dale-Roberts) served last Thursday... Trust me, it's well worth it.

In my search I found this awesome "little" website, http://www.howtocookeverything.tv/

Some good recipes on there, don't get overwhelmed...

I think before i go to the trouble of typing out this WHOLE recipe, I'll try it out first. Hold thumbs, hopefully this is going to be good...



Anyway, enough about food for now.

....I got into this game over the week-end, very addictive, and you learn while you play, so no one can tell me its a waste of time :-P

The link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TIQGame

SO SO SO SOOOO much fun. OK, maybe its not really that exciting, but it's quite addictive to try and get it right, seriously, you'll see... You can choose from a whole lot of different ones, I'm stuck on Europe, World, and Flags of the World. And really, the reason it's addictive is because all of a sudden you realise you might not know as much about the world as you might think...

Well that's my opinion anyway,


I'm sticking to it.

Do I do Cakes?

I get many people that ask me if I do what I simply call Fancy Cakes: Cakes for special events like birthday parties, weddings, showers and so forth.

The answer is,

Yes.

Although cooking is my passion, I really enjoy baking and decorating. Even if those are things I do not really do other than for the odd wedding or tea party. Mostly I just bake for family and friends....

These are some examples. The flowers of the two above were sculpted with Plastic Icing.

To the right is a Death by Chocolate Wedding Cake, with Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Fudge Icing and Dark and Milk Chocolate Squares stuck to the sides of it. The Spun Sugar was put on by the Chef at the Venue. And no... I don't give out the recipe for this specific chocolate cake, I've got other good one's though...


The reason I put this one on here is because of all the questions I have received about if from people who have seen it on the website. I don't like quoting prices on here, so if you want one, please e-mail me at bitecate@yahoo.com, its not a one size for all kind of deal, I can make the cake according to your requirements, and also decorate it to fit your taste.

I have some more pics somewhere, have to go look for them. I'll post them some other time...

Bad News

OK, so, while raving on and on about how good the food was at La Colombe last night, my mom decided to immediately give them a call and try to get in for dinner after the rugby..... They're closed, very very bleak. Apparently until the end of September. I have tried to call, but no answer. So, we all have to wait until next year :-( so sad.
Oh well, we'll have to find out about other places in the meantime won't we, or try out some of our own delicious recipes, I am going to hunt down a recipe for that Confit Pork on the menu at La Colombe.

The search begins...

Just in case any of you are interested in seeing what they had going or what not here's the link to the Winter Specials at all of Constantia Uitsig's establishments:
http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pages/restaurants/secret-season-at-constantia-uitsig-amp-la-colombe.php

Ignore the dates, as they seem to have gotten it wrong.

And the link to Constantia Uitsig's site:
http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/

Sooooo pretty

Birthday Dinner

OK, so last night my dearest husband took me out to dinner for my birthday to La Colombe. May I just say.. A-MAY-ZING!

Wow.

The Winter Special they have on, I think until the end of September, I'll find out and let you know, is such good value for money, it's almost a joke.
Choose between 3, 4 or 5 courses. The 3 and 4 course meals include a caraffe of wine, and the five course... a bit more than a tasting glass of wine with EACH course, paired by them.

Amazingly fantasticly awesomely wonderfully delisciously beautiful. I recommend you go, like now, go make a booking. Considering their main courses average at around R 130 - R 140 each and the Starters at also almost at around an average of R 100, you NEED to do this if you are at all interested in good food...go....now

I'll tell you about what we had in a next post, right now I need to get ready. Going to Fairview (yes, the goat place) for dinner tonight. Oh the joys of birthdays, overeating to the extreme...

Let's get it going...

OK, so the site has been up for a while now. The idea of this blog and the priority of it went WAY down the list. In the meantime, the response to the site has been absolutely fantastic, a big thank you to Simone from Syncrony. You did the most amazing job! I cannot thank you and praise you enough. You did better than I even imagined it would be!

OK, so the next step, keeping up with what's popular, bite now also has a facebook account, if you do not know what facebook is, you need to wake up... I am in the process of linking this blog and the facebook account to the website, as well as making some changes to the site. The Home Cooked Meals part has completely snowballed and is taking up alot of my time, it looks like I will be taking off all the Private Cheffing and outside catering options. If you are interested to find out about the Home Cooked Meals, drop me an email: bitecate@yahoo.com, there's a waiting list though, so nothing on short notice please!

Oh, the other exciting thing, Tsela, the wine lable Clem and I have been working on... designed, registered, trademarked, blended, bottled ........and sold out! Ít was all incredibly interesting, exciting, hard work and so much fun. Thank you everybody that supported us, helped with ideas and that was involved in the process, so appreciated. And my folks that were involved in the blending of this wonderful wine....and Clemmy, all his blood sweat and tears that went into the whole thing, the whole idea... all worth it isn't it? We have had the most amazing responses from so many people, seems alot of people were more than pleasantly surprised. Also, for those who missed out on allocation this year, if you would like to be considered for future allocation (yes, we're almost ready to start work on next year's barrels!), you can email tselawines@gmail.com.