{"id":65230,"date":"2015-01-12T00:01:40","date_gmt":"2015-01-11T22:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=65230"},"modified":"2015-01-12T00:01:40","modified_gmt":"2015-01-11T22:01:40","slug":"chef-benny-masekwameng-has-a-feast-with-friends-on-m-net","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/restaurant-news\/chef-benny-masekwameng-has-a-feast-with-friends-on-m-net\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef Benny Masekwameng has a ‘Feast’ with friends on M-Net!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Feast<\/a><\/p>\n

Chef Benny Masekwameng was the fourth Chef to have an episode in the <\/span>M-Net<\/strong> mini-series <\/span>‘Feast’<\/em> \u00a0dedicated to him last Thursday. The mini-series has already featured Chefs <\/span>Pete Goffe-Wood<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Marco Pierre White<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Reuben Riffel<\/a>.<\/strong> <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The episode started with Chef Benny sitting at the coffee shop Croft & Co in Parkview, to plan the ‘Feast’<\/em> he was preparing for his \"Feast<\/a>eleven friends, who he grew up with. Chef Benny visited Tyrone Fruiterers in Parkview, buying berries for his dessert, and spinach, peppers, asparagus, and aubergine for his main course. \u00a0 He planned making a lamb rack, and went to Braeside Meat Market in Parkhurst, where owner Caroline offered him lamb from Namaqua, praising its ‘good sweet fat<\/em>‘. \u00a0Then Chef Benny visited a well-stocked La Marina Foods in Modderfontein, where he bought Scottish salmon, Brie from the Western Cape, and green fig and sundried apricot preserves.<\/p>\n

On his way home he went to visit his mother Margaret, from whose property he \"Feast<\/a>wanted some avocadoes, and to discuss her special spinach dish, which he wanted to make for his ‘Feast<\/em>‘. \u00a0One could see that mother and son are very close, and Chef Benny heard\u00a0that she started her career as a cleaner, but she wanted to be independent, and started a vetkoek business, and thereafter a business making lunches for factory workers in Wynberg. \u00a0The family grew up in ‘Alex’<\/em> (Alexandria), and Chef Benny said that he did not realise his parents’ financial pressure when he grew up, having fun with his friends. \u00a0 Chef Benny’s mom taught him how to cook, and he made baby hake for the family on Fridays.<\/p>\n

Chef Benny’s menu for his ‘Feast’ was as follows, recipes for his dishes being available here<\/strong><\/span><\/a>:<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 \"Feast<\/a>Poached Scottish Salmon, served with labneh, watermelon, and avocado. \u00a0 This was served with a green sauce, made from chopped herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, basil, chives, parsley, a bayleaf, toasted almond flakes, and thyme.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 Rack of lamb, for which Chef Benny did \u00a0the French trim himself. \u00a0Chef Benny said that lamb is not\"Feast<\/a> cheap, and that they ate stewing lamb or made soup from lamb bones when he was a child. \u00a0This was served with his mother’s spinach dish, which she would have made with morogo, but Chef Benny used red chili, garlic, pine nuts, onion, peanut butter, and chopped ground nuts. \u00a0 This was served with lamb jus. \u00a0On his fancy-looking barbeque Chef Benny grilled slices of aubergine, and red, green and yellow peppers, giving them a striped effect. \u00a0His mom asked about pap, but Chef Benny said that his friends eat it at home all the time.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 \"Feast<\/a>The Trifle was made in individual glasses, starting with a red velvet sponge, which was topped with green jelly, a mixed berry compote, and Amarula custard, sprinkled with fresh chopped basil.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 A cheese board, with the Brie, green fig preserve, walnuts, and candied spiced orange slices.<\/p>\n

Chef Benny’s mom came to his house on the day of the lunch, chatting and guiding him. \u00a0She said that she wanted him to complete his Engineering studies, but he switched to a culinary course, after his second year of studying, mainly with his dad’s blessing. \u00a0But his mom said that she is very proud of her son now, having become a household name now, \u00a0in having participated in three seasons of MasterChef SA!<\/p>\n

Speaking to Chef Reuben Riffel<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>about\u00a0\u2018Feast<\/em>\u2018, it appears that none of the four chefs had seen the episodes to be broadcast, not even their own.<\/p>\n

\u2018Feast\u2019<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>M-Net.<\/strong>\u00a0Thursdays 19h30. \u00a0The mini-series finished on 8 January.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio:\u00a0www.whalecottage.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 Tel (021) 433-2100, Twitter:@WhaleCottage Facebook: \u00a0<\/strong>click here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chef Benny Masekwameng was the fourth Chef to have an episode in the M-Net mini-series ‘Feast’ \u00a0dedicated to him last Thursday. The mini-series has already featured Chefs Pete Goffe-Wood, Marco Pierre White, and Reuben Riffel. \u00a0 The episode started with Chef Benny sitting at the coffee shop Croft & Co in Parkview, to plan the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[124,587,266,14539,20,21],"tags":[29433,1155,10584,10640,29426,32378,29427,14501,29431,1406,20152,29432,32404,29430,29429,1458,1347,29428,32387,32373,8694],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t