Calling all avid cooking show watchers! DSTV and LANCEWOOD have teamed up to bring you Celeb Feasts with Zola Nene, a new and exciting cooking show featuring some of SA’s hottest celebrities, with quality meals and recipes.

By Taryn Wilson

The show takes place every Tuesday night at 21:30 on Mzansi Magic where local celebrity chef Zola Nene wines and dines with SA’s finest. Sponsored by LANCEWOOD, the show features their range of quality products for delicious meals. ‘We are so excited to be a sponsor of what is sure to become one of SA’s favourite cooking shows,’ says LANCEWOOD Marketing Manager Shereen Anderhold. ‘Packed with celebs sharing stories about their journey to success over mouth-watering meals and loads of laughter, it has all the right ingredients to be a firm favourite.’

Being South Africa’s number 1 cheese brand, LANCEWOOD has loads in store for the show and a range of products to suit any occasion. ‘We look forward to seeing what Zola and her celeb guests serve up using our wide range of products, so tune in for your dose of delicious!’ says Anderhold. From cottage cheese to yoghurt, and cream to dairy sauces and spreads, there is no shortage of variety for everyday cooking, especially when it comes to a sit-down feast for two. With Zola’s expertise and LANCEWOOD’s range, there’s no doubt that they’ll be cooking up a storm!

Image: facebook.com/zolanenechef

The post Get ready for Celeb Feasts with Zola Nene and LANCEWOOD appeared first on MyKitchen.

The Dessert Expo is excited to announce that three of South Africa’s top food and baking bloggers will be sharing their recipes, tricks & tips over the expo weekend. In no particular order, we would like to introduce to you:

KATELYN ALLEGRA – TheKateTin.com

Katelyn Allegra is a food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer with over 10 years of experience in television and magazines.

Her baking and dessert blog, TheKateTin.com, has won Best Food Blog in South Africa for the last 3 years and has been featured on BuzzFeed, Fine Dining Lovers and in a host of local South African print and online publications. After studying to be a professional pastry chef at the Institute of Culinary Arts in Stellenbosch, Katelyn worked in restaurants and hotels before becoming Top Billing’s food editor.

Her journey in print and television continued on the Expresso Breakfast Show where she became well-known for her insatiable sweet tooth and creating recipes that are accessible to all who her share her obsession with baking. Katelyn lives in Cape Town with her chocolate-maker husband.

CLAIRE WINSTANELY – Good Looking & Cooking

After training at the SA Chefs Academy, Claire worked as a pastry chef in Hong Kong for 5 years before returning to SA to work as a food stylist at The Expresso Show and then moved on to host the cooking segments on the Afternoon Express show. She then left the TV world for the digital one and started the first YouTube cooking show in South Africa called ‘Good Looking and Cooking’. She now works as a full-time freelance food stylist and recipe developer with the sole mission of making food look utterly delectable.

ASTRID FIELD – The Sweet Rebellion

Astrid is a food scientist, food stylist and recipe developer living in Cape Town. Her blog, The Sweet Rebellion, has been nominated for the Saveur Best Baking and Sweets Blog 2018 and is the only South African blog to make it to the finals.

After completing a degree in Food Science, Astrid worked in a flavour laboratory for several years.

In 2013 Astrid was diagnosed with MS. She left the commercial food industry but missed the creative aspect of developing products. This combined with her incurable dessert addiction led her to start a blog documenting her baking experiments. The Sweet Rebellion is all about unapologetically sweet, decadent treats. The recipes vary from simple to showstopper – there is something sweet for any baker.

To keep updated on the schedule of events, follow The Dessert Expo on Instagram (@dessertexposa) or click here to like their Facebook page.

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‘The people have once again spoken, placing their votes for where they most enjoy dining regularly,’ said Selvin Govender, Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz Cars. Don’t miss out and check out the full list of winners from this year’s Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries Awards!

WESTERN CAPE

Best Asian-inspired eatery

Winner – SHIO 
Highly commended – Active Sushi on Hudson Street

Best Bistro

Winner – Avontuur Estate
Highly commended – Skotnes

Best Burger Eatery

Highly commended – Jerry’s Burger Bar in Blouberg

Best Coffee Shop

Winner – Pajamas & Jam Eatery
Highly commended – Boston Coffee

Best Country-Style Eatery

Winner – Ons Huisie
Highly commended – Karoo Art Hotel

Best Indian-Inspired Eatery

Winner – Indian Chapter with Prim Reddy 
Highly commended – Marigold

Best Italian-Inspired Eatery

Winner – Giulio’s
Highly commended – A Tavola

 Best Seafood Eatery

Winner – Kyoto Garden Sushi

 Eat Out Tramontina Best Steakhouse                                                    

Winner – Rare Grill

KWAZULU-NATAL

Best Bistro

Winner – 9th Ave Bistro 

Best Coffee Shop

Highly commended – Terbodore Coffee Roasters in KZN Midlands

GAUTENG

Best Bistro

Winner – Farro
Highly commended – The Green Peppercorn

Best Coffee Shop

Winner – Afro-Boer
Highly commended – La Coco C

Best Italian-Inspired

Winner – Saint Restaurant
Highly commended – Gemelli

Best Asian-Inspired

Winner – Momo Soko
Highly commended – The Great Eastern Food Bar

Eat Out Tramontina Best Steakhouse                                                    

Winner – Wood & Fire 
Highly commended – The Local Grill in Parktown North

Best Tapas
Winner – Urbanologi

The post The full winner’s list from The 2018 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries Awards appeared first on MyKitchen.

This year the world’s most prestigious food awards, Great Taste, announced that local South African chocolate brand AFRIKOA won the Great Taste Award for its 55% Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate.

By Taryn Wilson

AFRIKOA is a locally produced bean-to-bar chocolate brand that sources its cocoa straight from local African farmers. With a direct trade-line to Tanzanian farmers, AFRIKOA ensures the finest quality cocoa beans while also supporting sustainability and local African business.

Four different kinds of chocolate are sent to over 200 stockists across South Africa. Their range includes:

– 80% Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate, with a smooth and bitter finish that is suitable for diabetics and those on a banting diet

– 70% Dark Chocolate with tropical fruit flavours

– 27% Milk Chocolate with tastes of fudge and caramel for the perfect amount of sweetness

– The award-winning 55% Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate, which carries a velvety smooth texture and maintains a perfect balance of sweet and bitter.

All of AFRIKOA’s chocolate is both Halaal and Kosher-certified with no artificial colourings, flavourings or soy. They are also lactose-free, making them a vegan-friendly option too.

This year was AFRIKOA’s first time entering the Great Taste Awards, and with exceptional results. ‘We are incredibly honoured to win in a category with so many fantastic chocolates from around the world,’ says AFRIKOA head chocolate-maker Antonino Allegra. ‘For us, this is recognition that chocolate made in South Africa from African cocoa beans can compete with the best in the world.’

The chocolate was judged by over 500 experts, from chefs, food critics, producers, restauranteurs, food journalists and more. AFRIKOA’s 55% Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate was described by the judges as ‘A milk chocolate mouthfeel with a dark chocolate taste. The tart fruit notes balanced by the slight nuttiness and creaminess travel on and on. An eyes-closed moment to savour.’ It is truly an amazing feat for the South African company.

AFRIKOA’s team will continue to strive for excellence and absolute quality of their product. While not all of their cocoa farmers can afford Organic-certified stamps, the farms are free from the use of chemicals and pesticides. Antonio and AFRIKOA are committed to help better the conditions of African farmers and simplify the system by removing any middlemen, opting to work one-on-one with their suppliers instead.

To learn more about this brand, their products and the work they do and to find out where to buy it, visit www.afrikoa.com.

The post Local AFRIKOA Chocolate wins International Great Taste Award appeared first on MyKitchen.

Celebrate South Africa’s finest restaurants with the Mercedes-Benz Eat Out Restaurant Awards. Foodies from around the country will vote for their favourites to honour the best and most prestigious restaurants in an elaborate awards ceremony in Cape Town.

By Taryn Wilson

This year’s event takes place on 18 November at GrandWest Grand Arena in Cape Town where the winners will be announced. ‘Honouring the extraordinary talent in South Africa is what Eat Out is all about,’ says New Media MD Aileen Lamb. ‘This awards ceremony is where we get to celebrate our world-class chefs and the magnificent work being done in the food industry as a whole. Our partnership with Mercedes-Benz, which is also dedicated to recognising excellence and innovation, makes our journey together even more inspiring.’

This year attendees can expect to be welcomed into the Grand Arena with Graham Beck MCC and canapés, and later will be treated to a multiple-course lunch prepared by the country’s top chefs. Afterwards, guests will be able to mingle and enjoy a celebratory party.

The event will kick off with 30 nominees of the best restaurants in South Africa, which will then be counted down until the final top 10 are revealed. Winners will be chosen by a panel of anonymous judges, along with judging convenor Margot Janse.

Aside from 10 top restaurants in South Africa, the Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards will also be recognising the Eat Out Retail Capital New Restaurant of the Year, the Eat Out S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna Chef of the Year, the Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star, Eat Out Graham Beck Chefs’ Chef Award, the Eat Out Diners Club Service Excellence Award, the Eat Out Wine Service Award, the Eat Out John Psillos Award for Outstanding Contribution to Service, the Eat Out Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award, the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award, and the Eat Out Style Award.

For the fifth year, Mercedes-Benz South Africa is sponsoring the awards event, with the head chef of the Restaurant of the Year Award being honoured with a luxury Mercedes-Benz for the time of their title. ‘As a brand, we’re always striving to find the very best, and we’re thrilled to recognise local chefs and restaurants around South Africa whose culinary delights exceed expectations year after year,’ says Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz Cars Selvin Govender.

Tickets are limited and can be purchased for R1 595 per person online here at Quicket.

For more information, visit eatout.co.za.

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Following eight successful years of growth, one of our favourite cake bakeries The Velvet Cake Co. is opening another new store in Tyger Valley Shopping Centre today!

By Taryn Wilson

Their popularity grew from the gorgeous cakes and slices featuring rainbow and ombre layers, as well as their creative cupcake flavours that look too good to eat! You can expect to find all the favourites at the new store, including chocolate, vanilla, carrot, red velvet and more!

The store will still capture the soft and sweet atmosphere that is the Velvet Cake Co. with modern colours, including their well-known pink creative design perfect for getting your cake on the go. And be sure to take a selfie with your baked goodie by their Insta-worthy rainbow cake wall!

The new store also comes with a special new flavour, but the only way to find out is to head down and see for yourself! Find the new Tyger Valley store through Entrance 10 on the Upper Level at Shop 10a.

Visit thevelvetcakeco.com for more information.

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