Riebeek Valley Olive Festival

Enjoy a weekend of olive and wine tasting, art and live entertainment

Tickle your taste buds and prepare your palate for a gourmet affair at the 13^th annual Riebeek Valley Olive Festival set to take place in the picturesque town of Riebeek Kasteel from Friday, 3 to Sunday, 5 May 2013.

Merely an hour’s drive (approximately 80 km) from Cape Town, this otherwise sleepy hollow comes alive each year when friends and family come together to enjoy the fruits of this lush region. Established as Mzansi’s primary olive and olive oil producing locale, the Riebeek Valley boasts four of the country’s top olive producers and is also home to two Italian-trained olive oil graders devoted to ensuring only the highest quality of olive oil.

Blended with the pastoral scenery, a dash of Shiraz (it’s also known as Shiraz valley), a healthy dose of dirty martinis and an abundance of olives, the festival makes for  a feast you may or may not remember (depending on the Shiraz bit, of course).

Though the noble pitted morsel is the main attraction, the event has a lot more to boast about. Aside from honorary olive sampling sessions, wine, cheese, pickle, jam and bread tastings, family- and kid-friendly activities and live music will on be on offer throughout the festival weekend for visitors to enjoy.

Participating venues include Mont Abora, Kloovenburg, The Olive Boutique, Riebeek Cellars, Het Vlok Kasteel, Pulpit Rock, Allesverloren and the Olive Emporium at the Square in Riebeek Kasteel.

Need Tickets?

Weekend passes for the food and wine festival are available via Webtickets.co.za and cost R100p/p, R80p/p for locals and pensioners only pay R50p/p; the weekend pass allows guests access to all eight venues and includes a complimentary wine tasting glass, wine and olive tastings and live entertainment at each venue as well as a FREE shuttle service.

Date:	03 May 2013 - 05 May 2013
Time:	10:00 - 18:00
Venue:	Riebeek Valley
Location:	Cape Winelands
Price:	R50p/p - R100p/p
Phone:	+27(0) 22 448 1545
Email	tourism@riebeekvalley.info
Website:	www.riebeekvalley.info

20 strange facts about food we eat every day!

-The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929; "7" was selected because the original containers were 7 ounces. "UP" indicated the direction of the bubbles.

-Ketchup was created for use as a drug, not as a condiment.

-The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma.

-Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

-The 57 on the Heinz ketchup bottle represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had.

-The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

-The average American/Canadian will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year!

-Eskimo ice cream is neither icy, or creamy!

-A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate!

-You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in a lifetime! Wow!

-The average American/Canadian drinks about 600 sodas a year!

-Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung!

-Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!

-Smelling bananas and/or green apples (smelling, not eating) can help you lose weight!

-Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.

-Almonds are a member of the peach family.

-Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.

-During an average person's life, they will consume about 60,000 pounds of food.

-The world's oldest piece of chewing gums is 9000 years old.

-Coca-cola was originally green.

For a tourist in Cape Town, a few tips of where to go!

I came across a couple of Kenyans also on holiday and it struck me that December is probably a popular time for Kenyans to holiday in South Africa — and in particular Cape Town — so here are some pointers on where to eat.

For a good brunch head to the V&A Waterfront at Café Vovo Telo where you can sit outside and watch the activities over the waterfront. The make very good coffee and have a great selection of freshly baked breads.

I recommend pancakes with a dollop of mascarpone and fresh blue berries. If the V&A is too touristy for you then head out to Kloof Street, which has the best concentration of restaurants, cafes and bars in Cape Town.

Melissa’s Food Shop has a breakfast table heaving with seasonal fruit salads, granola and homemade muesli with generous proportions of raw honey, dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

If you prefer lunch then you must try The Grand in Granger Bay. It is a large, old fishing warehouse that’s been converted to a restaurant with oversized chandeliers, antique Indian rugs and Parisian café chairs.

It is set on the beach with excellent food and wine. On Sunday afternoons they have a DJ play really good dance music, so you can kick off your sandals and dance on the sand.

Cape Town as you know is a region with excellent wines, but have you considered afternoon tea? Mount Nelson Hotel on Orange Street does an outstanding afternoon tea service.

Delicate finger sandwiches filled with rare roast beef and rocket, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise or cucumber, followed by delectable dark chocolate cake, lemon meringue and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and preserves – tempting enough?

Dinner choices can be mind-boggling but do bear in mind that South Africans eat early. Reservations at popular restaurants at this time of the year are a must and turning up after 9pm without reservations will result in disappointment.

There is a lot of South East Asian influence in Cape Town, especially Malay cuisine. However Cape Town has one of the finest selections of Thai restaurants in all of Africa.

This last visit, I chanced upon Yindee’s on Kloof Street which is surprising because they have been around for 14 years. A feast of Sweet potato strips in sesame seed batter (crispy fried and served with a tamarind and palm sugar sauce) followed by baked prawns in red curry paste makes for a very satisfying meal indeed

Photos of The Grand too follow!

Say What?

WHAT'S better than walking out of a restaurant feeling full and satisfied after a delicious meal?

Trick question, nothing is better.

But if there was it would be walking INTO a restaurant and having a good old-fashioned LOL in appreciation at the name of the joint.

Thanks to the genius and extensive culinary dining of Ben Brusey, author of Pu Pu Hot Pot: The World’s Best Restaurant Names, here is list of the cream of the crop of funniest eatery names.

-Frying Nemo: A fish and chip store in Goole, UK.
-Pho Shizzle: A Vietnamese restaurant in Cambridge, Canada.

-Has Beans: A vintage coffee house in Edinburgh, UK.

-A Salt & Battery: A fish and chip shop in New York, USA.

-Lettuce Souprise You: A vegetarian restaurant in Atlanta, USA.
-Jason Donervan: A neighbourly kebab van in the Roaming, UK. 

-Phat Phuc Noodle Bar: A Vietnamese restaurant in London, UK.
-Amy’s Winehouse: A winery in Sunderland, UK.

-Nin Com Soup: A Vietnamese eatery in London, UK.

-The Meat’In Place: A butchery in Kent, UK.
-The Rock & Sole Plaice: A fish and chip shop in London, UK.

-SyrianDipity: A Middle Eastern take-out shop in Toronto, Canada.
-Saloon Wanker’s Corner Cafe: An eatery in Wilsonville, USA.

-Pita Pan: A sandwich bar in New York, USA.
-Booty’s House of Crabs: A seafood restaurant in Ocean City, USA.
-Award Weiners in a Supporting Roll: A hot dog joint in LA, USA.
-Misohapi: A sushi restaurant in Portland, USA.
-Tequila Mockingbird: A cocktail bar in Ocean City, USA.
-EN Thai Sing: A Thai restaurant in Terrigal, Australia.
-L’Idiot: A restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan.

The One & Only Restaurant, Cape Town

Cuisine Dining at One&Only Cape Town is a pure delight with two of the city's most acclaimed restaurants. Legendary Michelin-starred chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa brings his culinary wizardry to Nobu – his first-ever restaurant in Africa. Local celebrity chef Reuben Riffel recently opened Reuben's, thrilling Capetonians and resort guests alike. Both dynamic restaurants are connected by Vista Bar in the very heart of the resort with commanding views of Table Mountain. A spectacular tri-level Wine Loft, adjacent to Reuben's, features a mezzanine tasting room, too. Executive Chef Jason Millar, who oversees all of the resort's culinary operations, commented: “We are very excited about the calibre of chefs and abundance of wonderful, local produce that we have brought together at One&Only Cape Town to create what we hope will be an exceptional culinary experience for our guests. We are showcasing South African flavours that give guests a sense of place, but with the added magic touch of celebrated chefs such as Nobu , for an experience currently not available anywhere else on the continent. What's more, our innovative wine library will offer our guests the opportunity to sample rare South African vintages to complete the dining experience.” All outlets within One&Only Cape Town are wheelchair accessible through the use of lifts or ramps. The dress code for dinner at Reuben's and Nobu is Smart Casual. Restaurant Reservations Tel: +27 21 431 4511 or +27 21 431 5888 Email: restaurant.reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com

Top Restaurant in Cape Town 2013.

And the winner of the number one restaurant for 2013 in Cape Town, South Africa goes to...........

The Test Kitchen in Woodstock!

"Luke Dale-Roberts's new venture follows a four-year long venture as the executive chef of La Colombe restaurant at the Constantia Uitsig wine estate in Constantia. During this time, Dale-Roberts took the celebrated fine dining establishment to new heights, culminating most recently in its winning 12th place in the San Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants of the World Awards 2010 and gaining the title of Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Africa and Middle East.

Having honed his considerable skills in some of the most renowned kitchens in the world, since coming to Cape Town, Luke has consistently proven his mettle with a string of awards and accolades, the most recent being Chef of the Year at the prestigious 2011 Eat Out Dstv Food Network Restaurant Awards.

The Test Kitchen, located in the trendy Biscuit Mill complex in Woodstock, was
also named number two restaurant in South Africa at the awards, which seeks to honour the best restaurants and chefs in the country. The Test Kitchen, which opened in November 2010, sees the chef cooking his distinctive style of cuisine in an intimate space that also delights design aficionados.

Time magazine pin pointed the date November 24, 2010, as the day “Woodstock
officially became Cape Town’s hottest district…when Luke Dale-Roberts opened The Test Kitchen there.” Worthy praise indeed.

As its name implies, The Test Kitchen, though primarily a restaurant, affords Luke the opportunity for maximum innovation as a chef, as well as being a space to use as “the creative hub” for a variety of different projects, including regular cooking.

The Test Kitchen is located at Shop 105a, The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. To book your table call (27) (21) 447 2337, email reservations@thetestkitchen.co.za or book online via www.thetestkitchen.co.za. Opening hours: Lunch
Tuesday to Saturday: 12.30pm to 2pm and Dinner from
Tuesday to Saturday: 7pm to 9.30pm."

For more information visit http://www.thetestkitchen.co.za/  - I'll be visiting the Test Kitchen soon!

SA Cheese Festival 2013

If you love food, you have to love CHEESE right?

An event all about cheese. Food theatres, fun and games for kids, live music, a moonlight picnic and more.

Visitors will be able to feast their senses on the widest selection of cheese currently available in South Africa. Whether you have a well-trained palate, simply enjoy savouring new tastes, or are looking for the perfect cheese match among the delicacies galore – wine, nuts and olives to name but a few - you will again be spoiled for choice at the 2013 SA Cheese Festival.

A new late night programme for Friday is set to provide visitors with an extended cheese experience.
Tickets for this mouth-watering event will be available from Computicket outlets countrywide.
R15-00 for a wine tasting glass.

If you live in Cape Town- DO NOT miss this!

Venue: Sandringham Estate

Date: 26 April 2013 to 28 April 2013

Price: R115-00pp and R90-00pp for Pensioners

Time: 10:00

Duration: 3 days

Website: Website

Email: cheese@agriexpo.co.za

Telephone: 021 975 4440

Address:

R304 Raod to N1

Stellenbosch

South Africa