Yuppiechef Simple Summer Cookathon 2013

Every year Yuppiechef encourages South Africans to take part in their 

annual cookathon - in celebration of eating together. 

We think this is a great excuse for a mid-week dinner party :)

Tonight I'll be cooking these 'Simple Summer' dishes for a few of our friends:

Melon and avocado salad with spicy seed brittle

Classic wild mushroom risotto

Chocolate pudding with strawberry ripple ice cream

Read more about the challenge here.

Dim Sum Yum - Best bites in Joburg

Dim Sum, Yum Cha, Dumplings. Whatever you choose to call these little bites 

of deliciousness, one thing is for sure - they are sure to delight.

The husband and I started our Dim Sum obsession on our first date at The Orient in 

Melrose Arch over 4 years ago. We've tried to make our own (not very successfully), 

we've dined in some of the most upmarket Dim Sum restaurants and feasted 

on very authentic Yum Cha in very questionable venues. 

One of the stops during our Honeymoon was in China - 

the Dim Sum were unbelievable! 

Read more about our experiences here. 

I especially fell in love with xiaolong bao,

some of the best we tasted were at Din Tai Fung.

In Joburg, the best xiaolong bao is served up by Gwefey in Sandton.

(go there for lunch over weekends for their buy 2 get 1 free special)

Some of the most authentic and un-fussy Yum Cha 

can be had at Shun Deck in Cyrildene. 

(go on a Sunday over brunch/lunch)

The Good Luck Club

(delicious Edamame Beans)

The Orient, at Melrose Arch

The best Hong Kong Pears are made by

So Yum in Hyde Park.

Strawberry Snow Recipe

Summer is upon us and we are craving fresh and cool desserts, and with strawberries 

being in season, this makes the perfect light dinner-party finale.

Strawberry Snow

Serves 6

You will need

500g strawberries

2 egg whites

½ cup castor sugar

125ml cream

2.5ml vanilla extract

Mint and fresh strawberries for garnish

How to make it

Wash and hull strawberries and purée in a blender.

Combine the strawberry purée, egg whites and castor sugar and beat with an electric 

mixer until stiff and glossy.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks and add vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula gently fold the cream through the strawberry mixture until combined.

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

To serve, spoon mixture into pretty glasses and garnish with fresh mint and strawberries.

Serve immediately.

TIP: You can chill the strawberry snow in your serving glasses from the beginning,

so that all you need to do before serving is garnish.

Peel a head of garlic in 10 seconds!

Love garlic? We cook with it all the time! But face it, peeling it can be a hassle... 

With this trick, you not only get to peel an entire head of garlic in a few seconds, 

it's brilliant as a stress reliever too :) 

We ♥ Krispy Kreme

The copy for this Krispy Kreme ad is so funny - 

and so true!

 The husband and I fell in love with Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Las Vegas

during our honeymoon, read the blog entry here.