Cooking around the world

Angela Day will be hosting a Theatre of Food at the World Holiday & Travel Fair being held next month. Guest chefs and cooks will be demonstrating their specialities. In a taste of things to come, we've asked them to share a recipe from a country to which they have a connection.

PORTUGAL

Mimi Jardim

This Portuguese-born cookbook author came to South Africa many years ago where she decided to follow her passion for cooking.

Her two cookbooks, Cooking the Portuguese way in South Africa and People's Food, Portuguese Regional Cooking have become the benchmark for authentic Portuguese food. It is also from her cookery school in Edenvale that Mimi generously shares her extensive knowledge of Portuguese cooking.

"I want people to know there is much more to Portuguese food than chicken peri peri and prego rolls," says Mimi.

I asked Mimi to share her favourite bread recipe with me.

Contact Mimi on 011 609 7758 or e-mail mimij@netactive.co.za


At the show

1.30- 2.15pm, Sunday, April 18

BROA DE MILHO (Cornbread) AND SARDINES

Makes 2 loaves

10ml coarse salt

500ml hot water

500g mielie meal

10g instant yeast

5ml sugar

500g cake flour

500g bread flour

500ml lukewarm water

900g frozen sardines, defrosted

Dissolve salt in hot water and pour over the mielie meal. Mix and leave to cool.

Combine yeast, sugar and flours and add to the mielie meal with enough lukewarm water to make a stiff dough.

Knead until smooth. Divide the dough in half and shape into two round loaves. Place on a floured baking tray, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for about an hour until double in size.

Sprinkle loaves with flour and bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to '°C and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes until the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove and cool.

Serve with grilled sardines.

To prepare sardines: Wash sardines, sprinkle with coarse salt and leave for 20 minutes.

Place in a hinged grill and close the latch. Cook over a braai or under a hot grill for 5 minutes per side.


JAPAN

Katsuhiko Miyamoto

Affectionately known as Miya, he has been a chef for more than 30 years. Before moving to South Africa, Miya trained in Japan and studied French as well as Japanese cuisine.

He was also trained in the art of sushi making for which he has become famous in South Africa. After working in many popular restaurants, Miya and his wife Terry started their own catering company and they also give sushi-making classes.

Miya is charming and his sense of humour keeps students entertained while learning the art of sushi- making.

Miya shared his favourite soup recipe with me.

To contact Miya's Cuisine, call 011 760 3634 or e-mail miyamotos@hixnet.co.za

At the show

3.15-4pm, Saturday, April 17


MISO SOUP

Serves 4

1 litre water

15ml Hon Dashi

5cm kombu

50g miso paste

15ml soy sauce

30ml sake

half a bunch of spring onions, finely sliced

80g enoki mushrooms

100g tofu, cut into small cubes

Put the water in a saucepan and add the Hon Dashi and kombu and bring to the boil. Just as the mixture comes to the boil, immediately remove the kombu from the water.

Remove the saucepan from the stove. Add the miso paste, soy sauce and sake and mix well.

Add the spring onions, mushrooms and tofu and heat through without boiling. Serve immediately.

Hon Dashi (fish soup stock), kombu (seaweed) and miso paste (thick fermented soy-based paste) are Japanese ingredients which are available at most Chinese supermarkets.

If enoki mushrooms are not available, you can use thinly-sliced button mushrooms.



THAILAND

Micky Liu

Owner of Sai Thai restaurant in Cyrildene, she cooks every dish herself, not trusting anyone to get the flavour just right.

Micky and her husband Dennis moved to South Africa from Thailand nine years ago. Although Micky's parents had run a restaurant on the Thai-Cambodian border, the last thing she wanted to do was cook for a living. However, after a few unsuccessful business ventures, five years ago she decided to open a small restaurant and hasn't looked back. Patrons flock to it to enjoy some of the best Thai food in Joburg.

I was lucky enough to taste her Thai green chicken curry and she shared the recipe with me.

To contact Micky, call Sai Thai on 011 615 1339 or e-mail saithaisa@yahoo.com


At the show

12.15-1pm, Saturday, April 17


THAI GREEN CURRY

Serves 2

Chicken

625ml water

125ml coconut milk

5ml salt

3ml chicken stock powder

300g chicken breast fillets, cubed

Sauce

30ml vegetable oil

20-30ml green curry paste

500ml coconut milk

2 lime leaves

300g cooked chicken cubes

120g chopped mixed vegetables such as patty pan, carrots and baby marrows

30ml grated palm sugar

10-15ml Thai fish sauce

handful of fresh basil leaves

1 red chilli, chopped

Combine water, coconut milk, salt and stock powder in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Drain chicken and discard cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a wok and add the curry paste. Cook until fragrant.

Add 200ml of coconut milk and the lime leaves and stir until smooth.

Add the chicken pieces and vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, remaining coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Add basil leaves and serve immediately sprinkled with chilli.

• This article was originally published on page 13 of The Star on April 01, 2010

Source : Babynet