Spatula Magazine

Easter riddle hunt 2012: #1

Marina — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:00:23 +0000

And we’re off, good luck with the first riddle people (catch up on how our Easter riddle hunt works). The solution and our first three winners will be posted tomorrow, so keep a look out.

You have until midnight tonight to track down egg numbero uno. Start searching.

The new Eat In Magazine… with a little mystery

Lisa — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:35:26 +0000

The brand new edition of Eat In magazine is hot off the press and with it comes the new batch of Eat In DStv Food Network Produce Award winners (quite a mouthful, isn’t it?). Who are the producers to look out for this year? We spent a sunny Saturday morning finding out.

The Eat In launch and awards ceremony was held at the Stellenbosch Slow Market which you must get to if you haven’t yet paid this little gem a visit. Goodie bags, vouchers, sample treats and stalls from the many nominees kept everyone entertained before Jenny Morris and Eat In’s Editor, Anelde Greeff took to the leafy amphitheater stage to announce this year’s winning bunch. Find out who won the awards here. Hearty back pats to one and all.

A mad purchasing flurry rounded off the morning as everyone tried to take home the winning produce and, of course, a brand spanking new copy of Eat In 2012.

For all South African foodies out there, grab yourself a copy of Eat In magazine and who knows, you could stand the chance to win R5,000 to spend on the world’s best kitchen tools at Yuppiechef.co.za. Each copy comes with a Yuppiechef Mystery Voucher, nice hey?

Easter riddle hunt 2012: prepare ye

Marina — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:46:29 +0000

Our annual Easter riddle hunt is here again, folks. So brush up your clue cracking, flex your fingers and get ready to hunt down five Yuppiechef kitchen tools to stand a chance to win daily prizes and a grand prize of R2,500 to spend on Yuppiechef.

To get an idea of what you’re in for check out last year’s riddles and get your brain into the rhythm and into the rhyme. This year’s hunt will run from from Thursday 29 March until Wednesday 4 April and the daily clues (five in total) will be posted here and on our Facebook page. If you’re new to the game, here’s how it works:

- we post a riddle each day at 6am
- you hunt down the kitchen tool it describes (by searching on Yuppiechef)
- you click on the egg you’ll find when you arrive at the right product page
- remember, like magicians, true riddlers don’t spill the beans

You’ll need to crack the clue and find the eggs before midnight each day, after which the eggs disappear and go to digital egg heaven.

The rewards

As well as the satisfaction of knowing you cracked some of the world’s sneakiest riddles, there are three R500 Yuppiechef vouchers to be won each day by three randomly selected riddlers who successfully crack the clues. If you find and click on all five eggs during the course of the competition you”ll stand a chance of winning the grand prize of R2,500 to spend on Yuppiechef kitchen tools. Nice, hey?

The clues will be posted at 6am each day, folks. We hope to see you bright and early when we kick off on Thursday 29 March.

May the best riddlers reign.

Vintage baking: Upside-down pineapple and almond cake

Lisa — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:00:20 +0000

Like a Wimpy breakfast on a road trip, there’s a time and place for canned pineapple and this upside-down cake is it. As with all the recipes in our Vintage Baking series, we hope this classic brings back memories and warm, fuzzy ones at that.

Ingredients

For the base

600g canned pineapple slices in juice
85g butter
85g toasted almonds
85g treacle sugar

For the cake batter

250g butter
250g brown sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
200g flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder, sifted
50g almonds
2 Tbsp pineapple juice
Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a round cake tin (we used a 22cm). Line the base with grease-proof paper.
2. Drain the pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice.
3. Smear the butter and sprinkle treacle sugar and almond shavings over the base of the greased cake tin. Arrange the pineapple, just touching, over your sprinkled sugar.
4. For the cake batter, use a Magimix or stand mixer and beat the butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition.
6. Add the flour, baking powder, almonds and reserved pineapple juice. Blitz to combine.
7. Spread the mixture over the pineapple. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Leave to stand in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.
Remind you of good times gone by? We hope so.

Download print-friendly recipe.
Browse all recipes in our Vintage Baking series.

Review: Rubbermaid High Heat Scraper

Lisa — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:35:29 +0000

Are you looking for a spatula that won’t melt and one that has super-scraping powers? You’ve come to the right place. Enter the Rubbermaid High Heat Scraper.
Used by top chefs worldwide, the Rubbermaid High Heat Scraper is a serious contender for the ultimate spatula crown so we sent it to Chef Sam, the lovely lady who won first place in our 2011 festive cake icing challenge, for a test drive. Here’s what she had to say…

Heat resistant

I’ve tested this product on some of the highest heat-producing ingredients that I could think of and it has shown no signs of melting even at 230˚C. The Rubbermaid High Heat Scraper means there’s no danger of a melting plastic encounter.
Built-in resting foot

This nifty kitchen tool not only withstands incredibly high heat but it has smart features such as a built-in resting foot to keep it raised off your work surface – less clean-up time and more time for eating your foodie creations.

Great for scraping

The upper edge point of the Rubbermaid and it’s flexibility make it great for scraping out food from those hard-to-reach places and, being silicone, it’s perfect to use with your precious non-stick pots and pans. Use it to make awesome scrambled eggs!

No more falling into the bowl

There is also a tiny little resting point on the end of the handle to catch on to the top edge of your mixing bowl so you won’t have any more frustrating moments where you lose your utensil deep inside the cake batter.

Although a little pricier than other spatulas, this one should last you many, many years even in the most testing of kitchens. So, if you’re after a Spatula that won’t meet a gruesome end, the Rubbermaid is worth taking for a spin.

A big thanks to Chef Sam and photographer Jessica Commaille.

Browse Rubbermaid tools on Yuppiechef.co.za

Vintage baking: Vanilla cake with granadilla cream cheese topping

Marina — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 07:00:31 +0000

Some smells and tastes can transport you back at lightning speed to when you were knee-height (try closing your eyes and sniffing a lucky packet). This South African household favourite might just take you on a nostalgic journey.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

Cake

4 eggs
250g castor sugar
280g flour
15ml baking powder
250ml milk
100g butter
5ml vanilla essence

Topping

250g smooth cream cheese
100g butter, softened
500ml icing sugar
50ml granadilla pulp to serve

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Beat the eggs and castor sugar together until thick and creamy.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the egg and sugar mixture.
4. Heat the milk and butter, but do not boil. Add vanilla essence.
5. Stir the milk and butter mixture into the batter.
6. Spoon into a large greased ring cake pan or two greased cake pans.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool on cooling rack (cute cake tester, right?)

Topping

1. Mix the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the cream cheese and mix well until smooth.
3. Pour topping over your cooled cake or use as icing in between cake layers.
4. Finish off with a generous scoop of granadilla pulp.
Some say a classic never dies. Is it true of this beauty? We reckon so. Download print-friendly version of this recipe

Minichefs: Rainbow lamingtons

Marina — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:57:59 +0000

Do you need a party activity or just some weekend fun with a few children? We might have just the thing.

Yuppiechef hosted four very busy boys who created these delicious multi-coloured treats and served them, very proudly, for afternoon tea.

They used a ready-made cake from this Lamington recipe for big people. Don’t be worried by the thick consistency of the cake batter, it produces a perfectly firm cake which can be cut into pieces and handled by small fingers without crumbling apart.

Time taken – 40 minutes
Number of children – 4
Ages involved – 4 and 6 year olds

Ingredients

Ready-made vanilla cake cut into 3 x 3cm blocks (recipe here). If you whip out a knife of machete proportions, make sure you supervise. Kids’ fingers are friends, not food.

Icing

50g butter
1/3 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Rainbow sprinkles

Desiccated coconut
Assorted food colouring

Tools used

Measuring cups and spoons
Small pot
Whisk
Zip-lock bags
Plates
Cake rack

Method:

1. Measure all icing ingredients into a pot and mix together on the stove until combined. Let children stand on a step when working at the stove and supervise closely.

2. Cut the cake into 3cm x 3cm squares.

3. Place 1/2 cup coconut into a ziplock bag, add a few drops of food colouring, seal the bag and shake. Repeat with any colours that take your fancy. Decant the newly coloured coconut into bowls.

4. Place a small amount of icing into a bowl for each child and place toppings into bowls.
5. Dip one side of cake into the icing and then into the topping.

6. Repeat until all sides are covered and then place on a cake rack for the icing to set.

And there we have it, rainbow lamingtons that Lord Lamington himself would be proud of.

Download print-friendly recipe.

Vintage baking: Lamingtons

Marina — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:57:32 +0000

The popularity of all things vintage is evident in the rising popularity of enamel kitchenware, wooden utensils and old school baked goods. To celebrate, we are going to be featuring a couple of vintage baking recipes, kicking off with Lamingtons (aka ystervarkies).

This traditionally Australian treat consisting of sponge cake dipped in chocolate before being rolled in desiccated coconut is believed to have been created through a (wonderful) accident.

A servant to Lord Lamington, the very British Governor of Queensland in 1896, accidentally dropped the Governor’s favourite sponge cake into some melted chocolate. Being a person opposed to wasteful habits, Lord Lamington suggested that the chocolate-covered cake is dipped in coconut to avoid messy fingers and, as they say, the rest is history.

This recipe makes approximately 50 and is wonderfully easy to make. All you need is a mixer (or strong arms), bowls,a sieve and some cake tins. Easy as dropping cake into melted chocolate, right? Download print-friendly recipe.

Cake

350g self-raising flour
7ml baking powder
1ml salt
125g butter
250g sugar
4 eggs

1. Heat the oven to 200°C and grease two baking pans approximately 19cm x 19cm x 4cm in size.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Add the dry ingredients bit by bit, stirring in until just mixed.
5. Place the mixture in the baking pans, even out and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden and firm to the touch.

6. Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool. Once cooled, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for two hours (or overnight if possible) – this ensures that the cake is easier to handle and less likely to fall apart when dipping in the icing.
7. Trim the edges of the cooled cake to neaten it up and cut into blocks of approximately 3cm x 3cm. A cake cutting wire can be a helpful tool for this, otherwise a sharp knife will do you fine. Set aside and prepare the icing.
Icing

2 ½ cups icing sugar
⅓ cup good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder
50g butter
5ml vanilla extract
½ cup milk
4 cups desiccated coconut

1. Place some of the coconut on a plate and set aside.
2. Combine all the icing ingredients in a large saucepan and stir over low to medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and runny.
3. Dip the cake blocks in the chocolate icing, making sure that each side is completely covered and allowing the excess icing to drip back into the saucepan.

4. Immediately press each side of the block in coconut and place on a wire rack to allow the icing to set. Add more coconut to the plate as you need it.

With thanks Karen Grandcourt for the beautiful images.

Review: Weber Smokey Joe Gold Portable Braai

Jules Durrant — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 07:00:53 +0000

As a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, I decided to buy my boyfriend a Smokey Joe. He had been bemoaning the fact that we never braai in the week even though we both love a bit of char-grilled goodness, and we both agreed it was because a normal braai is so time consuming to use.

Since the menu for the evening included some of Frankie Fenner‘s sirloin, I thought it would be the perfect present to complement our carnivorous feast (read a bit more about Frankie Fenner Fresh Meat Merchants and the man behind it).

He was absolutely thrilled when he opened the box and immediately set about putting it together. These are my favourite things about the Smokey Joe.

Speedy to set up

The assembly is speedy and simple, and once complete it can be stored comfortably and conveniently, inside or out. Getting your fire started and your coals to optimum temperature is much faster than a normal braai. In fact, I doubt your oven would heat up as quickly as the Smokey Joe.

Cute and compact

It’s undeniably cute and comes in two gorgeous summery colours: turquoise and sage. It’s compact but not so small that you can’t cook a family meal on it. Especially handy for those living in flats where a big braai just isn’t going to fit.

Efficient heating

It requires far less fuel (about 1/4 the amount of charcoal you would use in a full size Weber) and is therefore much more efficient for couples or small groups. The grid is close to the coals which makes searing meat (like steak and chops) and quick cooking a breeze.

Easy to clean & transport

Cleaning it is quick and easy – since the grid fits in the sink, it can be soaked with the rest of the dishes. It’s light and portable so perfect for picnics and beach braais (or a lovely mid-week dinner-braai for two).

In short, this is a very nifty little addition to our outdoor kitchen. So far we’ve braaied steak, chicken kebabs, fish and mielies on it and I look forward to many more mid-week meals on the Smokey Joe.

Find out more about the Smokey Joe, available in sage and turquoise from Yuppiechef with free delivery throughout South Africa.

Review: Mellerware Biltong Maker

Renée Nesbitt — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:45:58 +0000

I recently had a conversation I thought I’d never have which went something like this…

Me: “I made biltong”
Friend: “What do you mean you made biltong?”
Me: “I mean that I literally made biltong, from scratch.”
Friend: “Where?”
Me: “In my kitchen!”
Friend: “… you did what?”

Making biltong is definitely not something I thought I’d be doing in my small kitchen in the middle of the city. I was very skeptical at first, but the experience from the moment I opened the Mellerware Biltong King’s box until I enjoyed the first piece of my homemade biltong was so ridiculously easy that it was almost hard to believe.

Assembling the Biltong King

For some or other reason I never immediately follow assembly instructions when putting something together, eventually having to give up and reach for the manual but this maker was assembled and ready for use within 10 minutes. The only thing that required a little legwork was going out to buy a 40-watt light bulb, which isn’t included. The machine is also really lightweight, so it’s easy to put together and move around.

Construction, quality & finish

The machine’s construction is really simple and it’s made up of quality components which should last very long with the correct care.

Instructions

The manual covers everything you’ll need to know about making biltong or droëwors. The clearly outlined sections include set up instructions, cleaning and safety guidelines, recipes and tips for success. Clear, concise and easy to follow – I didn’t feel the need to Google once (which is strange).

Making the biltong

Making the biltong was a breeze. Any good butcher will be able to help in selecting the best cut of meat and slicing it into the correct shape and size (the instruction manual gives good direction on this) and once your meat is ready it is as simple as placing the meat in a bowl or tray with 1 cup of vinegar (making sure to cover all the meat), draining off the excess vinegar and sprinkling the meat with biltong spice, leaving to refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, hanging the meat from the hooks provided and switching on. Get a step by step recipe for making biltong.

The best part is that you’ll be munching on the end product within 2 or 3 days. The Biltong King can also be used to make droëwors and dried fruit or herbs. Everyone loves a multi-tasker.

Using the machine

Sound | The machine is really quiet! I was expecting a constant drone, but it’s barely noticeable.

Appearance | The Biltong King is neat and more compact than you’d expect a biltong maker to be, so it isn’t an eyesore in the kitchen or wherever else you plan to place it. The clear Perspex panel also allows you to keep an eye on your biltong’s progress without having to lift the lid.

Cleaning | The first word that comes to mind when you think of making biltong is probably ‘mess’. This really isn’t the case and the cleaning process is similar to that of sorting the kitchen out after making a quick weeknight meal.

Compact | If space is as much of a luxury for you as it is for me, you’ll love the fact that the Biltong King can be taken apart when you’re not using it and stored flat in a box that will easily fit into a kitchen cupboard.

Spice | The folks at Mellerware are kind of enough to include a packet of complimentary biltong spice in the box, so if you don’t feel confident enough to experiment with spice mixes on your first attempt, this is great and makes the end result really taste authentic. Here is a recipe for biltong spice, if you’d prefer to make your own.

The end result really is super pro – after handing out a few tasters, ordering more has been mentioned by some. I’m not so sure how I feel about a career in selling biltong, but the value for money factor can’t be overlooked if you compare the price of the machine versus what you pay for a kilogram of biltong nowadays.

All in all, this machine is a keeper and it’s changed my view on the biltong-making process for good.

Find out more about the Mellerware Biltong King
Get a step by step recipe for making biltong