Isabella Niehaus of Langtafel op die Duin in Langebaan is one of our 2022 Top 10 Women Chefs, and has received this accolade for the third year in a row.
Congratulations Bella.
The Top 10 Women Chefs in Cape Town and the Winelands were announced on Women’s Day. Each winner receives a 1 litre tube of Rio Large Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
It is interesting to see Woolworths’ reaction to Banting and the (LCHF) low carb high fat eating plan advocated by Professor Tim Noakes, in how long it has taken the retailer to react to the Banting diet craze, and how it has reacted, in misleading health-conscious consumers with its new CarbClever range.
In essence Professor Tim Noakes, in his book ‘Real Meal Revolution‘, advocates a diet of no carbohydrates, such as South African starch staples rice and potatoes, as well as any wheat products such as bread, pasta, and pizza. He advocates high fat too, suggesting lamb or other high fat meat types, butter, full cream dairy products, and more. Sugar is completely off the Banting list.
While two Banting-focused restaurants have opened in Cape Town already (65 on Main Banting Café and the not-1oo%-Banting The Banting Kitchen), no Banting product range is known to have been launched in the six months since Banting caught the attention of South Africans. Now Woolworths has launched the CarbClever range for ‘Carb Conscious Customers‘, odd in its choice Continue reading →
Recently I have read about a European campaign whereby the ‘Best Before’ dates of foods are being more critically evaluated, seen to having been a ploy by manufacturers to get more of their products sold. Now the European Union is getting involved in standardising ‘Best Before’ dates for food types, to reduce the 89 million tons of food thrown away in Europe annually, of which at least 10% is still edible. A third of all food produced in Europe is thrown away.
Most food products have two dates, the one being the sell-by date, being the date which the manufacturer feels is the ideal to give the product perfect consistency, taste, and nutritional value; and the other being the ‘Best Before’ date until when it is safe to eat the product. The longer the time period between date of manufacture and sell-by date, the longer the product is edible after the ‘Best Before’ date.
The European Union has decreed that pasta, rice,coffee, jams, pickles, and hard Continue reading →
Col’Cacchio has scanned international food trends, which enhance the focus on healthy ingredients and unusual combinations, and shared these in a recent newsletter:
1. No Grain, no Gain: grain products will make a comeback, especially traditional types such as quinoa, chia, and spelt.
2. Home Grown Goodness: locally grown food sourced from environmentally-conscious suppliers from close by is the focus
3. Fresh, fresh, fresh: fresh foods in preference to pre-packaged supermarket foods are the focus. with more made-to-order purchases.
4. Exotic meats: new cuts and artisanal meats in general will be the focus
5. Unusual Combos: creative combinations of ingredients will add fun to food, e.g. dessert pizzas and ice cream sandwiches, which Col’Cacchio plans to introduce.
6. Ethnic Inspirations: food favorites from different cultures will be combined to make meals more interesting, e.g. chorizo scrambled eggs and coconut milk pancakes.
7. Oodles of noodles: the wheat trend will influence pasta too, now made from quinoa, Continue reading →