Flowers & Goodies

A delightful selection of seasonal flowers and 

gourmet treats are now available from LekkerBek.

Prices start from R300.00*

*Let us know who the gift is for and what the occasion is 

and we'll adapt the selection as well as the price accordingly.

Contact

andante@lekkerbek.co.za

for more info

Rad Radishes

We just couldn't resist this beautiful bunch at the supermarket. 

We just love these little pink root veggies! Super healthy and easy to grow yourself, here are some radish tips:

• Slice or dice fresh radishes into salads for a peppery crunchy flavour.
• Marinate sliced radishes in vinegar and sugar for at least 20 minutes to make a delicious burger topping.
• Store radishes (trimmed of their greens) in a plastic bag in the fridge. Only eat them when they are firm and hard to the touch.
• Bake par boiled sliced radishes in the oven for radish chips.
• Serve radish quarters as crudités with a creamy herb dip.

For some more info on radishes, click here.

Spring and Secretary’s Day Gifts

There is plenty to celebrate in September! The 1^st is Spring Day *yay*, finally some warmer weather and blossoms abound J and 5 September is the day to thank all the special Secretaries that make life so much easier for so many bosses out there.

Click here for our Spring and Secretary’s Day selections.  

Arabian themed 21st

Last weekend we catered for Shani’s Arabian themed 21^st. The room was decorated with colourful paper starts, candle filled lanterns, palm trees, floor cushions, low tables and hookahs – absolutely stunning! This warm atmosphere set the scene perfectly for the menu: spiced aubergine dip, chickpea curry, lemony meatball tagine, couscous, chilli hot chocolate, fresh dates and Turkish delight.

It was a fabulous evening of fires, belly dancing and celebration – happy 21^st Shani!

PS LekkerBek does décor too J, click here for more info.

Guest Post: Wirie’s Tastes from Turkey

Istanbul… City of sultans, mosques and palaces surrounded by The Bosphorus, Golden Horn and Marmara Sea, with one foot in Europe and one in Asia.

Real foodies always rent apartments with kitchens so that they can really experience the cuisine of a country. Within an hour after settling into our new home I go hunting for the “Carrefour” (supermarket) and it’s definitely not a foodie paradise, but good enough to stock up on the basics. We find the local food quite bland, the basic ingredients being mince, tomato, onion, garlic, peppers, lemon and parsley with a dash of cumin and cinnamon.

The best produce is to be found at their veggie shops. Gorgeous blood red tomatoes, sweet onions, peppers of every shape and variety, figs and peaches the size of tennis balls. The juice shops have juicy oranges and pomegranates to die for. Nuts are in abundance; walnuts the size of apricots and every type of dried fruit in full colour. A must is their pistachio baklava, and a variety of Turkish Delight – locally called “Lokum”.

Oh by the way…..contrary to popular belief, they are a nation of sweet tea drinkers, not Turkish coffee drinkers!

Delicious fat olives, sweet tomatoes, onions & bread.

Colourful little restaurants in noisy alleys.  

Olives in every colour, shape and flavour. 

Amazing fresh produce.

Saucy meat dish covered in grilled cheese. 

Fresh mussels on the street.

Beautiful Pomegranates. 

Cooking in the apartment.

Juice bar.

Marinated Olives Recipe

We did find one gorgeous deli/restaurant with a display of olives and cheeses that was mouth-watering. That inspired me to make this olive mix, gorgeous with your sundowners or as pre-meal snack.

Take handfuls of olives. Any kind; black, green, calamta, stuffed with pimento,  whatever you have available.

Mix the olives with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil, season with a touch of black pepper.

Add walnuts (or pecan nuts), sun dried tomato, haloumi cubes, chopped red chilli and sprigs of fresh rosemary.

For an South African twist add Peppadew Sweet Piquant Peppers.

Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauces.

Woman's Day, 9 August

R180.00

Fabulous spoils for special ladies:

Click here for more info.

The Good Luck Club

I may be a little obsessed with South East Asian food (read previous posts here, here and here). The simplicity, the punchy flavours, the interesting ingredients and lightness of the dishes all get my mouth watering!

Needless to say, The Good Luck Club is a welcome addition to the Jozi restaurant scene. Small and quirky, it’s connected to the equally funky restaurant/live music venue/art space Wolves Café on Corlette Drive. The Good Luck Club serves up Asian dishes like Summer Rolls with peanut dipping sauce (a cold fresh spring roll, yum), Edamame Beans in a bamboo steamer (favourite) and a small selection of Dim Sum (of which the prawn and mushroom was the best). The wine list (by the glass) is limited but sufficient, and you can indulge in a variety of exotic teas or artisan beers.

We opted for a spread of starters, but if you prefer a solid meal you can try dishes like Spicy Pork with Lime Leaves, 5-Spice Tofu Stir Fry and Fried Prawns in Red Curry Sauce. Leave space for dessert though… The Banana and Nutella spring rolls with Chocolate Dipping Sauce are to die for!

Visit their website for opening hours and more details: http://www.thegoodluckclub.co.za

PS. I just love the Cats-with-Bowties wallpaper J

Food highlights from around the world

The new husband and I recently returned from an epic 6 week honeymoon around the world (read more about it here). We circumnavigated the globe, visiting 9 countries and 14 cities – what an awesome experience, and what a way to start our lives together! 

The thing that we get asked most often is what our favourite meal was, and it really is impossible to choose just one. The food was so varied that you can’t compare one dish to another – from meat and beer in Prague, to pickled fish in Helsinki, to donkey meat in China, to oversized everything in America… With some difficulty I’ve made a summary of some of our most memorable meals, dishes that stood out and epitomised the cuisine in that specific city:

Enormous platters of meat, cabbage and gravy with 

steamed dumplings to mop up the sauces.

Gourmet street food – grilled Salmon, crispy deep-fried 

Vendace, potato rounds and dill mayo.

After visiting the local market we had a picnic feast of dried fish, 

black bread, smoked cheese, pickled veggies and wild garlic.

Caviar on biscuits and 

ice cold Vodka – neat!

The BEST Peking Duck we’ve ever tasted! 

Carved at the table and served with all the trimmings.

A spread of Sichuan dishes, from Lotus Roots 

to Bull Frog  - spicy and flavoursome, the 

peppercorns have a numbing effect on your mouth!

Dumplings with every imaginable filling! 

We especially loved the xiaolong bao.

The Farmer’s Market serves up some of the freshest most 

inspired food in LA – these ribs were made by a ‘pit master’ 

using home-made bbq spices.

In true over-the-top Vegas style, this seafood buffet 

served up an endless supply of oysters, crab, sushi, prawns and much much more.

Fresh seared tuna and 

seaweed salad on the beach.

Super thin crust pizza on 

the side walk.

Padkos Bagels

Because true South Africans never go on holiday without padkos, here is an 

easy delicious recipe for your Easter travels.

Bagels with roasted veggies and peppered ham

Serves 4

You will need:

A selection of bagels at (brown, with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, plain or cheese)

2 Onions

5 Baby marrows

2 Eggplants

1 Red pepper (optional)

3 Sprigs of thyme

3 Sprigs of rosemary

Olive oil

Feta cheese (optional)

Peppered ham (if your family likes a meaty flavour)

Rocket leaves

How to:

Slice veggies diagonally.

Drizzle olive oil in a baking tray.

Spread out the veggies in the pan and top with sprigs of herbs.

Drizzle liberally with olive oil and bake for about ¾ of an hour at 160°C– tossing every now and then.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Allow to cool.

Cut bagels in half, spread with butter if you wish and top with roasted veggies.

Vegetarian option – veggies and rocket only.

Cheesy option – top veggies with feta cheese and rocket.

Meaty option – top veggies with slices of peppered ham.

Not only are bagels a healthier option, they are also easy to slice into bite sized pieces to eat in the car.

Happy Easter Holidays and travel safely!

Easter Rocky Road

Chocolaty Rocky Road topped with mini Easter Eggs – yum!

R70.00

(including packaging but excluding delivery)

http://www.lekkerbek.co.za/Eng_SPECIALS.html