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Crazy First POP UP!!
Posted on October 5th, 2010 7 comments
Hello everyone, it is great to be back and I must apologise for being away for so long!
Since my last entry a lot has happened. I am back in South Africa living in JHB and trying to get used to the African way. I have done a few things that only tourists would do and in the process I have learnt something new about my own country.
Enough of that lets talk about Saturday night. I held my first POP UP. Now if you don’t know what that is let me tell you! I find a venue that I like; I then email as many lovely, funny (fun loving) people I know, and the first 20 people to get back to me will be coming to the POP UP. You don’t know what the menu is until the night of the function. All that I ask is for you to think out of the box and be willing to try something new.
So the 2nd of October I held the First Crazy POP UP in the Morning Glen shopping centre. Everybody arrived on time to a lovely glass of good sparkling wine, and as soon everyone got to know each other they sat down to dinner. I would rewrite this sentence to say – Once everyone arrived punctually, on time, they got to know each other over a glass of chilled sparkling wine. As soon as everyone was settled, we sat down for dinner.
On the menu for the evening was Caramelised Onion Tart Tatin with Goats Cheese and a Spring Salad, main course was classic Coq au Vin and dessert was a Cappuccino Crème Brulee with a Kahlua Sabayon. The evening went off really well, with, some of the ladies joining me in the kitchen to help make the Sabayon. For an evening like this to be a success, people need to be prepared to have fun, as this is a unique experience where you can make great new friends..
The rest of the evening was a blast, as wines were served to compliment every course. Before everyone knew it, it was time to exchange phone numbers, with their new friends, and say their goodbyes.
That is all I am going to say about the first ever Pop Up for now, why not come along to the next one and experience it for yourself I am off to buy the ingredients to make Charl Apple Tart Tatin for his birthday. He has ordered 4 that he would like me to take to work for him to celebrate his birthday. Have a look at the photos below, who knows, you may be in the next edition of Pop Up!
Once again thanks to everybody who came for making the evening such fun and I look forward to seeing you all at the next POP UP.
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The Perfect Wedding Gift!!
Posted on March 19th, 2010 No comments
I was approached by Rachel Lawrie who wanted to buy a wedding gift for her close friends who were getting married. She wanted them to have an enjoyable cooking experience after they had managed to catch their breath from all the organization involved in the planning of the wedding.The date was set and the menu was selected.
I always try and start off with a little alcohol just to get everybody relaxed. For this evening we started off with a glass of champagne. Not too much as we still needed to get everybody cooking, which we did.
We started off making the puff pastry, as we needed it for the Beef Wellington and Apple Tarte Tatin and as you all know pastry needs to rest. The rest of the menu included Tuna Carpaccio for the starter followed by Beef wellington with seasonal vegetables.
For dessert we first had to make the crème anglaise so it would be cool before serving it, we then got started on the Chocolate Fondant and I think everybody would agree that the Apple Tarte Tatin was perfect.
Once dessert was done we still had some Crème anglaise, so I thought what we could do with the remanded crème anglaise. I thought it would be nice just to show them one more thing you can use with the crème anglaise, which is a Dom Pedro, which is like an adults version of a milk shake. Although everybody was very full they all tried it and gave it the thumbs up.
Once again thanks to everybody for making the night a great success.
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Dom’s Hens Party!!!!!
Posted on January 29th, 2010 2 comments
I did this hens party at the end of 2009 but only recently got the photos sent to me, so that is why the blog is only going up now.
I was called by Leanne Steward to help her out as she was organising Dom’s hens Party and she was told about Spencer Barlow from a close friend of hers and mine Rudy Sargo.
The day was set, the menu approved and everybody looking forward to the party.
I arrived just before the hen did so I could set up without her knowing what was going on. Leanne did very well in keeping the surprise, but one by one the ladies started to arrive. All made their way to the roof terrace for some snacks and a glass of champagne.
Dinner was served shortly afterwards, where they were going to have a starter, mains and dessert (which I was going to teach them how to make)
Starters went off very smoothly and the ladies were well behaved. And another surprise was in store for the ladies as just before the main coarse went out, their Butler (in the buff) arrived to help. I got him into the kitchen without Dom seeing him, plated the mains and sent him out to the wolves…er I mean ladies.
When he walked into the room I am sure I heard silence for about 5 seconds until the room erupted with excitement. Needless to say I could not put most of the photos up on the blog.
Like always I am going to let the photos do the talking. I did eventually get the ladies into the kitchen to make dessert. It was not easy, as I think some of the ladies attention was elsewhere for most of the night
