It’s that time of the year again, where we get to don our berets and channel our inner French for the food and wine phenomenon that is the Franschhoek Bastille Festival, and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever this year.

By Ulisha Moodley

Set against the gorgeous Huguenot backdrop, celebrate under the warm marquee, guaranteed to keep the cold out while still offering a spectacular view of the mountain. Renowned Franschhoek wines will be on offer as well as a wide selection of gourmet fare from the region’s best eateries.

There will also be a caricature artist, a barrel rolling competition and a dedicated children’s area to keep the entire family busy and entertained throughout the festival. The town itself will also be decorated to match the red white and blue theme (and so will you, we hope!) and you can enjoy boules and a flourishing market to boot.

Your ticket includes a complimentary tasting glass and a booklet of 5 tasting coupons, with additional coupons on offer during the festival.

THE DETAILS

Where: Huguenot Monument
When: 15–16 July 2017
Price: R280; tickets are limited
Tickets: webtickets.co.za
Website: franschhoekbastille.co.za

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Michelle’s philosophy of regional, sustainable cooking sprang from a traditional South African home, where a luscious garden offered loads of homegrown produce and mealtimes were taken seriously. She studied culinary arts and then worked at several restaurants in and around Cape Town, before joining the team at Pierneef à La Motte in 2010. She helped them make the top 10 in the 2013 Eat Out DStv Food Network Awards, becoming the executive chef in 2014.

To celebrate her talent and the month of love (or the month of chocolate in our case), we asked her to create a savoury chocolate-inspired dish. She definitely did not disappoint when she presented us with something we have never seen before. Fish and white chocolate. She chose kingklip, newly back on WWF SASSI’s Green List and served it up with a white-chocolate and rooibos Béarnaise, smoked-potato, caper and onion salad and a drizzling of white chocolate and rooibos oil.

Take a look at what we got up to on shoot day and get Chef Michelle’s recipe in the February issue of MyKitchen, on sale now at Spar, Clicks, Exclusive Books, Van Schaik Bookstore, Engen, BP, Caltex and Total.

The post Behind the scenes at La Motte with Chef Michelle Theron appeared first on MyKitchen.

Located on the blissful Vrede en Lust Wine Estate in Franschhoek, Lust Bistro & Bakery welcomes patrons into a worldly atmosphere filled with warmth and contentment. The enticing aromas of freshly baked artisan bread (which we still can’t get enough of, by the way) is enough to make you want to stay there forever. But that is just the beginning.

By Mikaela Kagan

Patron chef and exceptionally renowned baker, Jean-Pierre Smith, creates an abundance of beautifully presented and delightfully tasteful dishes: crisp salads, freshly baked cakes, cheese and charcuterie platters, succulent chicken and beef dishes, whatever your fancy, there’s something for you!

But instead of just talking about it, let us show you some of our favourite delectables from their new summer menu:

Salt roasted beetroot and barley salad

Gluten-free gnocchi with burnt sage butter

Free-range chicken prego on a sweet potato Portuguese roll with tomato salad and cucumber raita

Lightly smoked salmon and roast potato salad with creamy dill and mustard dressing

Kingklip served with saffron Beurre Blanc sauce, crayfish tail and seasonal vegetables

Lamb burger served on roasted butternut disc with red onion marmalade and brinjal chutney

Lusty ice cream sundae

THE DETAILS

When: Monday to Saturday, 7:30 AM – 5 PM; Sundays and public holidays, 8 AM – 4 PM
Where: Vrede en Lust Estate, Intersection of the Klapmuts Road and the R45, Simondium Franschhoek
Contact: 021 874 1456; info@lustbistro.com
Website: lustbistro.com 

Photography: Silas Miami

The post There’s a new summer menu at one of our favourite hangouts, Lust Bistro & Bakery appeared first on MyKitchen.

Compared to most chefs, Johan may have had a bit of a late start, only entering the industry when he was 28. He started out as a chef at a chateau in France, where he fondly remembers the time spent wandering through the kitchen garden, a basket of vegetables and herbs on his forearm, carefully picking fresh produce for the day. These days, Johan heads up the kitchen at Vrede en Lust Estate’s Lust Bistro & Bakery, cooking and baking (make sure that you taste the sourdough!) fresh and fuss-free fare at one of the most renowned eateries in the foodie centre of Franschhoek.

To celebrate the month of love, and our true love of chocolate, we challenged chef Johan to create a savoury choccy dish just for us. And my-oh-my were we happy when he laid this Mexican favourite in front of us. He made a bold (and genius!) move by adding rich dark chocolate to his chicken mole and serving them on a bed of nachos, topped with cheese and baked in the wood-burning pizza oven. Need we say anymore?

Take a look at what we got up to on shoot day and get Chef Westley’s heavenly rich recipe in the February issue of MyKitchen, on sale now at Spar, Clicks, Exclusive Books, Van Schaik Bookstore, Engen, BP, Caltex and Total.

The post Behind the scenes at Vrede en Lust Estate with Chef Johan van Schalkwyk appeared first on MyKitchen.

Over at Haute Cabrière, it is all about celebrating seasonal, locally sourced and organically farmed food through their menu of classic dishes – with a modern twist, of course. For Chef Westley, it’s a no-brainer, having grown up on his grandparents’ farm. From there, he followed his dream of studying to become a chef. Now, he finds himself cooking alongside Nic van Wyk at the iconic Haute Cabrière Restaurant & Terrace.

By Jana du Plessis & Roxy Greeff

To celebrate the month of love and our one true love, chocolate, we challenged Chef Westley to create a choccy-inspired savoury dish just for us, but in true Haute Cabrière style, of course. We were definitely not disappointed as we scooped up every bite of his grilled springbok leg and dark chocolate sauce, served with grilled peaches and crispy kale. This dish pairs surprisingly well with the vineyard’s Pierre Jourdan Bell Rose, and we enjoyed a glass or two with our meal as cellar master Takuan explained to us that you can serve sparkling wine with almost anything, should you be worried as to what to give your guests to sip at dinner.

But for now, take a look at what we got up to on shoot day and get Chef Westley’s heavenly rich recipe in the February issue of MyKitchen, on sale now at Spar, Clicks, Exclusive Books, Van Schaik Bookstore, Engen, BP, Caltex and Total.

Videography: Imaad Griffiths/HSMimages
Photography: Juliette Bisset

The post Behind the scenes at Haute Cabrière with chef Westley Muller appeared first on MyKitchen.