From Source to Sauce..... the first 5 months!

So far it has been a journey packed with activity. We have had six fabulous cooking courses, launched our restaurant for fine Karoo dining, trained new staff, developed and extended our showpiece flower and vegetable garden, and renovated and decorated our own luxury cottages for guests.

Our website was launched with details of summer courses and themed retreats with guest chefs and personalities. So many thank you’s are due, to name but a few: Kitchen & Deurdrift Cottages design: Jacques Erasmus chef & designer from Koncept Design, Hendrik de Villiers and his team from de Villers Bouers, design student Olivia Louise Train who tackled the redecorating of Akkedis, Ann Kerr, gardener extraordinaire, who has created a showpiece of flowers and vegetables and various local supporters including Bokkie Botha.

1. Chocolate sauce or what!?

Chocolatier, Nontwenhle Mchunu from Ezulwini Chocolat treated our guests to a three-day master class in chocolate making. They were told about the origins of this mysterious and decadent substance and taught the basics of tempering, flavouring, moulding and filling. Whatever they say about chocolate making you smile and improving your mood...... it’s true! The guests prepared and paired chocolate with virtually everything that they ate.... Chocolate sauce on lamb cutlets, chocolate sauce on chicken casserole, chocolate ‘vinaigrette’ for exotic salads, chocolate soufflés, chilli chocolate dipped strawberries....the list was endless. It was a weekend filled with much hilarity, good food plus seemingly weird and wonderful combinations and some chocolate wine and coffee pairing with visiting chef Gino Adriaensen.

2. Karoo Fusion

African Relish went Indian in October with resident chef, Vanie Padayachee, taking our guests on a journey through the seductive aromas and evocative tastes of the East. Guests took part in a hands on experience in mastering the art of blending and tempering spices, making naan, roti and chapatti breads, creating comforting dhal and slowly building the crowning glory... rich and complex venison and lamb curries with such immense depth of flavour and fragrance that nobody could resist. Some comments from guests who attended the course...

“The contrast between simplicity and complexity in Indian cuisine is such a revelation and serves as an inspiration to experiment, and at last now I can go home and play with my food”.... “My perception of what curry actually is, has been changed forever. In future I will taste Indian food with a new mindset and a new respect for the art that is required in creating such wonderful dishes”....

3. Moonlighting

Moonlighting Commercials lit up Prince Albert as they celebrated their 20th anniversary as the country’s leading film production services company. African Relish hosted them for their annual ‘Teambuilding Bosberaad’. After the intense workshop sessions in the technically well appointed conference rooms, two teams battled it out in the kitchen,. They prepared identical dishes while being judged on good old team criteria – leadership, communication, time management and so on.... they were then marked for the quality of the dishes they prepared and scored points for taste and presentation and general creativity. The knives were out, but this time for the correct reasons..... some stiff competition created some great teamwork and a great deal of fun and camaraderie.

4. St Cyprian’s School

As part of the school’s cultural and Afrikaans language curriculum, Prince Albert was chosen as the venue for a 4-day visit to experience some good old ‘platteland’ culture and cuisine. A group of 22 learners and teachers visited African Relish for a hands-on cooking lesson and True Karoo Brunch. Chef Vanie put them to work... and gave them a master class in preparing authentic poached eggs, tangy hollandaise sauce and then the class made a batch of the delicate and very delicious genuine Petite Madeleine de Commercy. A sumptuous brunch followed and judging by the reaction from the young ladies, there are bound to be a few recruits for the culinary world amongst them.

Spring was glorious in the African Relish gardens. All the early spring veggies such as peas, broad beans, artichokes, fennel bulbs, salad and mustard greens sprouted with such abundance that we battled to keep up. Many creative dishes were conceived to ensure that all this spring bounty was not wasted. Our team has worked tirelessly to complete gardens, building work and renovation of our gorgeous accommodation and we are all set for the influx of culinary guests who are planning to visit us in Prince Albert.

Chef Vanie Padayachee has been busy running our restaurant and cooking classes in Prince Albert. She was selected as one of five chefs in the whole country, amongst others, Rueben Riffel, Peter Veldtsman, Arnold Tanzer and Nicky Gibbs, to prepare a six-course dinner for a gala dinner held by the South African Ballet Theatre in Johannesburg. Vanie was also recently named as one of the Top Ten Young Chefs by SA Tourism.

Virna Gouws, our ever effervescent general manager, has been appointed as a director of African Relish and we look forward to her contribution at an executive level as we head into the next growth phase of our business.

Jeremy Freemantle, managing director, has been appointed to the board of the International Culinary Tourism Association based in Portland, Oregon in the USA. This global organisation was established to promote and develop culinary tourism around the world. It has representation in the UK, New Zealand, Greece, Italy and now South Africa.

Upcoming Courses & Tours

Summer veggies and fruits are ripening. November sees the first Summer Harvest Festival. Our gardens and produce are ready for our Summer Harvest course and Vanie is madly bottling apricots and preparing onion marmalade.

Seasonal and local produce abound. Summer courses include a Summer Fiesta with vegetarian and bottling opportunities. Figs & cheese are also proving popular as course themes along with ripe figs & grappa in January and the Wine Harvest set for early February.

December brings ‘Christmas in the Karoo’ 11 – 13 Dec. with our very own culinary crusader, Bokkie Botha. We discard plum puddings, turkey and misseltoe and bring on makataan, mosbolletjies and potjiekos. We create REAL Karoo Christmas fare. Fun for the whole family and lots of great things planned for the kids.

January is spicy time in Prince Albert with the Grande Dame of Cape Malay cuisine – Cass Abrahams. 22 – 24 Jan - Brace yourself for a journey along the spice route and back, trace the origins of this very special and unique cuisine and learn from the wise and wonderful Cass for an unforgettable experience.

See our website for other courses, bearing in mind you can tailor make courses to suit your culinary curiosity and travel dates. Remember the airfield, golf course and childcare when planning your stay.

Also ask are for more about the Escape Cycle Tour and our Food Lovers Week course.

Restaurant: Open: Wednesdays - Saturdays for dinner - Booking is essential

Christmas Eve Dinner - Booking essential

New Year - Karoo Kocktails & Kanapes!

Find out more about booking your Functions and Anniversaries at African Relish. Talk to us about designing your tailor made gift voucher - The perfect gift for Christmas.

1. African Relish Tops the Billing!

The famous Prince Albert magic has done its work again, and this time on national television with Top Billing and the sparkling Reza Mahammad. As he wafted through the village, charming everyone as he went, the cameras caught some magic moments of the African Relish cooking classes in action, our local personalities, cheese makers, winemakers, bakers and chefs, giving viewers an insight to our community. The hot news is that REZA WILL BE BACK in 2010

2. Romney Park. Reddam Lunch & French Champagne Festival

Together with our culinary ambassador Emanuel Ferreira, we exhibited at these Cape Town events and created a good deal of foodie interest. Especially popular at Wine Concepts French Champagne Festival was the our table groaning with Prince Albert goodies including Gay's Dairy award-winning cheese and Jason Lucas’ Spanish style 'Jamon'. One cured ham was raffled as the ultimate prize of the night!. A three day African Relish cooking course was auctioned at the Reddam School Christmas lunch to raise funds for the SA Childrens' Home in Cape Town.

3. Phillippa Cheifitz relishes Prince Albert

Well known South African food writer and author of numerous award winning cook books, Phillippa Cheifitz, spent the weekend with our Prince Albert team. Phillippa and husband Robert, spent time enjoying true Karoo hospitality with good food and wine. Commenting on our luxurious accommodation, she quipped, “I am not going to be able to see anything of Prince Albert because I can’t bear to leave this cottage... I would rather spend the weekend here and not go out”. She presented African Relish with a signed copy of her latest book South Africa Eats, a most beautiful publication and she describes it as, “ a personal journey, celebrating our rich culinary tradition”.

4. Educational Travel Weekend

A team of enthusiastic specialised interest tour operators spent the Harvest festival with us exploring the town, bottling and preserving, walking and enjoying themselves. These included Margie Biggs - Specialized Tours; Adele Wise - Mushinda Tours; Harriet Purser - African Ample Assistance; Sandy Slater - Wilderness Tours and Belgian journalist Debbie Pappyn. Thank you to Jenny Greef, Amanda & Greg for organising and taking great photos.

Watch out for features in Country Life, South magazine, House & Leisure, Travel Industry Review ezines, local & international tour sites, and various travel and food blogs.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVE SEASON. SEE YOU IN THE KITCHEN

• For more information, call +27 23 5411381 or email virna@africanrelish.com
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