THE FABULOUS TO THE AMAZING: FOOD TRENDS FOR 2022

From Hibiscus flowers topping the flavour hit parade, the surge of fake and lab-grown meat and gin-flavoured food, to more robot servers, CBD wine and doggy menus becoming the norm, it’s all happening in 2022. Hopefully. Ingrid Shevlin reports.

WE SURVIVED the covid pandemic with the help of home cooking, home delivery services, takeaways, baking our own bread and not forgetting the initial obsession with baking banana bread. We’ve gorged on comfort food, made a commitent to healthier eating, started and prematurally ended diets, shared recipes online, joined the Ottolenghi-inspired housewives cooking page on Facebook – and now we are totally over it. We long for a return to the lifestyle we used to have. But that’s gone forever, dear friends. We live in a new world now. A new norm. One that is still seeing many, many restaurants closing down but also new and innovative ways of operating from those that survived. We’ve seen the point of local is lekker when it comes to produce (low carbon footprint and all that) the point of growing our own vegetables and herbs where possible and never, ever taking anything for granted again. But humans are resiliant and so is the food industry. This year we can look forward to ……
NB: Copy sourced from international publications. My comments are in italics

Ingredient of the year : Mushroooms
Flavour of the year: Hibiscus
Vibe of the year: Kind and patient.
Drink of the year: cocktails –

Mushrooms: Out of all the trendy products mushrooms are likely to gain the most popularity with consumers. From oyster mushrooms masquerading as scallops to looking beyond button mushrooms, foodies are looking for a meaty umami flavor without the calorie load. Also more people are looking for healthy meat replacements that taste delicious. In 2022, we can expect to see an increase in recipes that call on mushrooms to replace meats.

Flavour of the year: Yuzu has its fans, but the even money is on hibiscus, which is adding its crimson hue and tart, earthy flavor to everything from cocktails and sodas to crudos and yogurt.
(I didn’t even know hibiscus flowers were edible, but read this ….. “Although mostly grown for ornamental purposes, hibiscus is also well known for its culinary and medicinal applications. You can eat the flower straight from the plant, but it is usually used for tea, relishes, jam or salads.)

The Rise of Robusta. (According to the New York Times, robusta is a bitter, heavily caffeinated bean that is less expensive and easier to cultivate than arabica, thee world’s most popular coffee (arabica is also more senstive to climate-change). Robusta is the predominant bean grown in Vietnam.

Candy: 2022 will see the rise of nostalgic childhood favorites from China (White Rabbit candy and haw flakes) and South Korea (the honeycomb-like treat ppopgi, aka dalgona candy and Apollo straws) will find their way into shopping carts and recipes for desserts and drinks.
(Sun Sun Asian Market at 63 Adelaide Thambo Drive, Durban North, has a huge selection of Asian foods. Check them out)

Sugar and Swice: Mash-ups like “swicy” and “swalty” will join the linguistic mania that brought us nicknames like char coot and Cae sal (charcuterie and Caesar salad, that is). The new phraseology reflects an even wider embrace of flavour fusions that marry savoury spices and heat with sweetness. Nene, a South Korean-based fried chicken chain has just starting to move into the international food arena. It has even named a sauce swicy. Its flavour profile mirrors what would happen if gochujang and ketchup had a baby.
(Check out the Crazy Korean at 7 Swapo Road, Durban North, opposite 17 Ennisdale Drive, for their swicy flavours)

Plant-based vs lab-grown meat: Meat grown in laboratories from animal cells is on its way to winning federal approval in America sometime in 2022. And chickens will be one of the first products to become available. But plant-based chicken from companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have already hit the market, so the challenge will be which version, substitute or laboratory-grown, will become more popular

And other plant-based substitutes: Recently, some brands have made serious strides in creating seafood made of plants, too. Zeastar, a Dutch brand that makes realistic meat, fish, and cheese substitutes, came out with a “salmon” and “tuna” sashimi, MyEats (world’s first whole-cut, “meatless” protein food brand) released a mushroom bacon that looks too real, and Good Foods launched a plant-based buffalo dip. We even saw Gordon Ramsey make vegan bacon on TikTok. 2022 should bring even more plant-based “meat” and “seafood” products to life (so to speak!).
(Although local plant-based food producers, Fry’s, have been producing battered prawn-style pieces and golden crispy fish-style fillets for years).

Meal kits: After nearly two years of dealing with a global pandemic, consumers are tired of making food, meal planning, cleaning up messes. Enter the resurgence of meal kits, more sophisticated and better-tasting ready-made meals from a variety of outlets, food subscription boxes, and enhanced and easier-to-navigate online grocery shopping. Retailers are partnering with recipe sites, meal kit companies are partnering with chefs and and food brands are producing needs-specific meals, as in for performance eaters (sportsmen).
(During lockdown the family experimented successfully with UCook, a Cape Town-based company which offers meal kits using ethically-sourced ingredients and recipes. They also offer Craft Meals, which are ready made and flash frozen.. The quality and flavours of their meal kits were excellent and their side vegetable dishes were especially innovative and delicious. Not all the meals were quick to prepare though, but a small quibble. Click onto ucook.co.za).

Seaweed makes a statement The prediction? Farmed kelp will move beyond dashi and the menus at high-end restaurants and will be found in everyday foods like pasta and salsa. And we can expect that other sea crops like zostera marina, dulse, mankai duckweed, and kelp will be “hailed for their nutritional credentials”.

Sunflower butter: We all know butter alternatives like cashew butter and almond butter, but one substitute growing in popularity, particularly in the world of ice cream, is sunflower seed butter. Ben & Jerry’s released four non-dairy ice-cream flavours this year made with sunflower seed butter: Creme Brulée Cookie, Change The Whirled, “Milk” & Cookies, and Mint Chocolate Cookie. And we know they have more non-dairy options with the sunflower stuff on the way. Whole Foods is also on the sunflower butter train, with a Fix & Fogg Oaty Nut butter that is predicted to become all the 2022 rage.
(Faithful to Nature, a South African-based online heath store is already selling Nanuki Sunflower Seed Butter, which can aid your digestion and boost your immune system. A locally-producted product it contains no palm oil or any artificial additives and preservatives.)

Potato and blended milk: The first thing that comes to mind when hearing about a milk made from potatoes might be “yuck” But this new nondairy milk, made from boiled potatoes and the water they’re cooked in, has already gained some traction in 2021, and the food company DUG now sells a potato-based milk in some parts of Europe and China. Expect it to be the new kid on block in coffee shops. Blended milks will continue rising in popularity as products are created to taste more like regular cow’s milk. Oat as an ingredient is definitely here to stay – think Pea & Oat milk as well as other alternatives.

Umami: Umami paste: Pronounced “oo-maa-mee”, the ingredient is known as the fifth taste after sweet, bitter, salty and sour, adding extra depth to broths, soups, stir-fries and any other everyday meal – plus it’s vegan. Waitrose UK predicts umami to be one of the biggest food trends in 2022, reporting a 17 per cent increase in sales of their signature umami paste in comparison to 2019. But umami incorporates the moreish, savoury flavours found in soy sauce, parmesan and stocks.
( Difficult to find umami paste on shop sheleves locally, but I note that Faithful to Nature sells a Japanese umami paste with ginger – buy online only).

Island Food: Caribbean and island food is set to be a big trend for 2022. A recent survey by Mintel found that Caribbean food now comes just under the four super popular world foods (Chinese, Indian, Mexican and Thai food). Caribbean culture, in general, is having a moment right now and set to continue with Jamaica celebrating 60 years of independence this year .

Cakes, glorious cakes: Home baking is likely to make a triumphant return as consumers turn to homemade bread, Victoria sponge cakes and homemade lemonade – thanks largely to shows like The Great Big British Bake Off, and local versions. This trend will be all about nostalgia with a 2022 edge. Pinterest is also expecting baking to take centre stage this year, but in a much louder way, as keen bakers look to challenge themselves with statement bakes. Searches for “gravity-defying cake ideas” surged by more than 70 per cent in 2021, “bubble cake ideas” by 55 per cent, and “3D cake ideas” by 60 per cent
(3603 Restaurant in Gillitts and the Glenwood Bakery both serve their own homemade lemon cordial which can be mixed with water, soda water or lemonade. In the case of the bakery they sell bottles of it. Delicious and cooling in summer).

Gin-infused food: Yum, this sounds like our kind of foodie movement. It’s gin, but in your supper. Hijingo, the multi-sensory bingo experience in London, have just added gin-infused food to their menu. Think Drunken Mushrooms, GinCured Duck Breast, Crab croquettes with a G&T blood orange gel. What’s not to like.

Oat milk chocolate: As more and more shoppers search for plant-based products, this chocolate alternative arrives on the scene. Ocado’s Confectionary Buying Manager, Keith Clydesdale commented: “We’re already seeing a rise in demand for oat milk chocolate, which combines an oat milk base with single-origin cocoa. “Earlier this summer, we introduced HiP vegan-friendly oat milk chocolate to our plant-powered line up on Ocado.com, an online supermarket. The Salted Caramel, Cookies No Cream and Salty Pretzel flavours have been a real hit with shoppers, and we expect this will be a growing trend moving into 2022.”

Salad dressings are back: Classic salad dressings are officially fancy again. Chef Fredo Nogueira, Executive Chef of acclaimed bars and restaurants Cane & Table and Cure (UK), says we should all be looking out for Caesar variations, green goddess, ranch, and more old favourites in 2022. Bye-bye virgin olive oil, hello yummy old-school dressings
A Buffet of other bites: Beyond the big trends are a long menu of smaller ones: the growing popularity of Koji bacon, the Chinese spirit baijiu and the noodle soup laksa. Jollof rice (a West African dish) will appear on menus and in the frozen-foods section. Seeds will muscle in on nuts as an alternative protein source, in products like butters and ice creams. And look for a burst of new interest in animal-free cheese, potato milk, moringa, high tea and olives.

RESTAURANTS
Restaurant Evolution: Restaurants have been hit hard over the past two years. First with shutdowns and fewer diners, supply chain issues and higher food costs. These challenging conditions are pushing forward initiatives like robotic kitchens, ghost kitchens, smaller menus, more focused menus, outdoor seating, and even unmanned vending machines. Expect fewer days open and reservations to be more common – and not just for fine dining. This has also brought new life to a trend from several years ago: food truck parks. Everyone gets to choose their favorite style of food and restaurant operators are able to specialize with less labor and less overhead.

More robots servers: 2021 brought the dawn of robot servers, bus bots, delvivery drivers and butchers, but we think soon enough, robots could be cooking your eggs and waffles at the hotel breakfast bar. Robots bring automation to the dining experience, which could result in a faster and more consistent product… so it’s not all spooky and sci-fi!

Ghost kitchens: A ghost kitchen is a restaurant kitchen set up to cook and prepare food only for delivery, meaning you can’t just walk in and take a seat, and you can’t pick up either. Euromoniter, a market research company, suggests the industry could reach a whopping trillion dollar value (yes, that’s with a t) in the next decade. .

Smaller menus: Because of supply chain issues and just general pandemic madness, we’ve seen restaurants really pare down their menus, and we think the trend this is here to stay for a while longer. Honestly, it makes sense when a restaurant’s menu has fewer options that are done really well. Less choices equates to better food!

DRINKS:
Bottled cocktails: 2020 led people to take time to recreate their fave happy sundowner at home. Now, people are looking for the work to be done
for them. We think an increase in canned or bottled cocktails will bring 2022 a buzz.
People are looking for a cocktail that’s already made, actually tastes good, and can be brought to a friend’s house or the park without lugging an orange peeler, too..

Non-alcoholic beverages: We aren’t just talking about an uninspired mocktail (we are looking at you vodka soda, minus the vodka), but delicious drinks that were fully designed to have no ABV. Loads of people are abstaining from alcohol permanently or just trying it on for weekdays, and 2022 is the year for them. We’ve already seen companies like Betty Buzz market towards this very crowd, and with the pandemic happy hour finding its end, people are spending less time drinking and more time searching for an alternative.
CBD Wine: Yep, it’s a thing! According to Ocado’s Trends of the Year report, wine infused with CBD (cannabis) is set to be one of 2022’s biggest food trends. Researchers have predicted that the market for CBD could almost double over the next two years, as benefits for CBD infused foods and drinks ride the wave of popularity. COVID-19 influenced the specific uses that are currently trending – like stress relief and immunity-boosting, according to market research firm Mintel.

FINALLY ….. A doggy welcome
Ever heard of a pandemic puppy? It seems like everyone has one, and they all have separation anxiety after nearly two years of constant contact. Dogs are trailing their owners anywhere they go, restaurants included, and many establishments have responded by allowing dogs to accompany owners specifically at outdoor dining spots. Yep, 2022 is looking like a year of waggy tails. .
** Thanks to the Independent on Saturday which published last week a list of dog-friendly eateries, I can reveal that …….
Galley Beach Bar in Ballito has a full-on doggy menu that includes Pawsome Snacks (chopped up banger) and Hound Dog Haven (rump steak).
Surf Riders Café in South Beach has a selection of doggy snacks that include a frothy milk-like drink topped with a chicken and bacon biscuit called Poochino.
The Bike and Bean on North Beach says their doggy cappuccino is a firm favourite, Circus Circus, also on North Beach, is another that offers dog friendly facilities.
The popular Rox Cafè by the Lifesaving club on uMhlanga’s promenade, offers dog bowls and free biscuits. A popular doggie treat is a puppaccino
Mary and Jo’s coffee shop in the village offers a range of dog friendly-treats, while at the other end of the scale, the five-star Oyster Box Hotel is happy to entertain your pooch on the Terrace, with a menu that even includes Woof Waffles.
Foam coffee shop in eMdloti is another canine haven, while the village’s famed Sandbar will happily allow Fido to join you for cocktails.
Durban’s vegan restaurants, too, are pet friendly. Oh My Soul Cafè, in Durban North welcomes pets as does Conscious Café in Gillitts
**** Sources: Blue Book, delish.com, New York Times, Hello magazine, Independent UK, Pinterest, Independent on Saturday

Food News

FOOD TRENDS 2021

FEW industries are as shell-shocked by the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as that of the hospitality industry. The pandemic resulted in hundreds of thousands of eateries worldwide forced into temporary closure – many of which never re-opened – then allowed to operate with restrictions on in-house dining, and then welcome the lifting of even more restrictions – only to find themselves back in the dwang when the second wave hit. Perhaps it’s for this reason that food producers and restaurateurs are subdued when it comes to predicting exciting new trends for 2021. Still, there are some interesting new developments. The future may not be blindingly bright, but the pandemic has forced the industry to think differently and be more creative. So there is hope.
To discover these new trends I trawled the internet to establish what they are – and quote them below. I’ve credited each section with my source. – Ingrid Shevlin

Destination Dining at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant at Hurawalhi, Maldives, which is 5.8 metres below the lagoon.

1 Immune-enhancing everything: Food producers are starting to include vitamins, especially C, as well as mushrooms and adaptogens in a variety of foods to help boost our immune systems. So, expect products like a super-duper mushroom broth (and even a mushroom-enhanced coffee) and more bottled water options, which will include anti-stress ingredients. Adaptogens are compounds in some plants and herbs and include ginseng, ashwagandha, astragalus, cordycep mushrooms, coji berry, licorice root, tulsi (holy basil) and tumeric. They help combat short and longterm physical or mental stress and promote immunity.

2 Plant-based food that is less processed: Plant based foods are often highly processed and contain ingredients like flour, sugar and fats which, obviously, defeats the point of trying to eat better. But, in 2021, you will be seeing these foods include healthier ingredients like millet, kale, sweet poato, flaxseed and apple cider viengar and almonds. Also look out for a plant-based fish alternatives.

3 Heroing breakfast: Breakfast will become the most popular meal of the day, with the sales of breakfast cereals increasing significantly as well as consumers seeing the likes of microwaveable vegan sausage patties. But when they say cereal, don’t look to the highly-sugared varieties of your childhood. Think instead of high-protein, sugar-free cereal. More and more varied breakfast items will also be produced to meet the new demand.

4 Fermented Food. While the interest in probiotic-enhancing food – such as kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, miso and tempeh (fermented soybean) – will continue, here comes something new; a Mexican fermented pineapple cider called tepachito, which can embrace flavours such as cinnamon, tamarind, herbs and spices. Foods rich in prebiotics (as opposed to probitoics) are also showing up more and more in the snack food isles. Like plantain chips.

5 Chickpeas. Don’t think hummus is the only way to eat chickpeas, an all vegan food that is high in fibre. In 2021 you will also find it in different guises, such as a pasta, in pizzas and as a rice substitute. There will be chickpea tortillas and chickpea puffs (like cheese puffs). And there’s more. Combining chickpeas with water gives you aquafaba which makes a vegan mayo. (And, something I learned from chef friend, chickpea juice can also be whipped into a vegan version of meringue, which tastes pretty passable, he said – IMS).

6 Coffee rules. Coffee will be finding its way into granola, youghurt, candy and even whiskey.

Beautified outdoor spaces Restaurants will have to work harder to set the right atmosphere so diners don’t feel they are having a meal on the sidewalk or parking lot. The key is an outdoor area that looks and feels like the inside. Some restaurants have converted parking spaces into tented seating that feels trendy and hip.

Source: Huffington Post

1 Individualised menues. Restaurants will be offering their customers special menues designed to meet their unique needs, all in an effort to ensure dining out is a special event.

2 Private dining: Small group private dining rooms will become trendy in 2021.

3 Heritage cooking. There will be an increased focus on the traditional food of immigrants. Although this relates more to America, we South Africans will be able to expand our culinary horizons, thanks to platforms like YouTube or TikTok. You, too, can cook the Mongolian way. But, more seriously, the trend is also about realising that non-Eurocentric food has a place at the global table and, in Africa, we should be exploring other African cuisines as a matter of course. In other words, the food of immigrants.

4 At home restaurants: Continuing the trend created during the covid pandemic, more and more restaurants will expand on the takeout and delivery of upscale food (not chicken wings, dear). It’s predicted that some chefs will get very creative with to-go food and how it is presented.

5 Online cooking: On-line, chef-driven virtual cooking classes – with accompanying chef food boxes for the recipes – will continue to expand in 2021. Something to do with the family or friends, perhaps?

6 Cooking with condiments: Obviously the need or desire for homecooked meals will endure, but in 2021 homecooks will use condiments like chimichurri, sauerkraut, sweet chilli sauce, relish/pickles or gochujang (the savory and spicy hot pepper paste that gives many Korean dishes their unique taste), to add spice, heat and flavour to simple dishes.

7 Tofu: People will look at tofu in a whole new light apparently. Again!

Comfort food: mac & cheese like mom used to make

8 Comfort food. But the real deal, food that is both comforting and nostalgic. Classic pizzas (no pineapple, please), burgers (without mounds of crazy toppings), authentic tacos, mac & cheese like mom used to make, bangers and mash and curries will become hugely popular.

9 Preserve & Pickle. Perserving, pickling and fermenting your own food will trend in 2021. Especially the food you might be growing in your gardens. No wastage and planet friendly

10 Destination restaurants. 2021 will see the rise of destination restaurants located out the cities where you can enjoy a high quality experience (food and scenery)

11 Mushrooms. More about mushrooms. 2021 will see a rise in using mushrooms to make snack products such as a biltong alternative. You will also find pumpkin mushroom chips, plain mushroom chips, mushroom granola bars, umami mushroom chips, a paelo-friendly snack bar with mushrooms and even mushroom ice-cream (which may be a mushroom too far for me). This trend will flourish in 2021.

Supporting local. if you have good local eateries in your neighbourhood the 2021 trend will be to support them instead of driving to other neighbourhoods. Help them survive and thrive.

Source Food & Wine

According to Delish.com sourdough is so 2020. People will be turning to making their own pasta. After all MasterChef made it look really easy. So, haul out that pasta-maker gathering dust at the back of your cupboard and get kneading and rolling.

Delish.com

1 Reduce: Reduce rather than eliminate. If you don’t want to give up all meat products, instead reduce your intake rather than eliminating totally. And that applies to products like sugar, flour-based foods, etc.

2 Mindful Eating: 2021 will bring an increased focus on ditching fad diets and embracing mindful eating. It’s important to start listening to your body. Whole grain carbohydrates, like brown rice and quinoa, provide essential nutrients and a slow-burning form of energy. Instead of shunning carbs, mindfuleating can help you enjoy them. Fad diets are alluring because they promise fast results, but the truth is they’re often tough to follow. Ditching this diet mentality is gaining momentum. Instead of eliminating your favorite foods, it’s more helpful and sustainable to learn how to include them healthfully.

3 Sweet and Unami: Food enthusiasts are always on the lookout for “the next flavour combination”. There are strong indications that the big new flavour destined to rock the culinary world will be umami and sweet. In small measures, here and there, it may not be entirely new. But now think of crisp rice infused with fish sauce caramel, nori and pork floss or the equally marine-inspired palm sugar and fish sauce caramel?
What is umami? Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

4 The return of carob. Remember when carob was all the rage and used as a substitute for chocolate? Well, expect that to be big news again pretty soon. Not only is it high in HYP (hydroxproline), it is also rich in protein, antioxidants, iron, calcium and fibre. It is also an important amino acid required for the production of collagen. It is also low-carb, naturally sweet in flavour and both caffeine and gluten-free.

Source: Greenseedgroup.com.

1 Allulose: The future of sweet? Sugar continues to be cast as the villain by health experts and there is a continued effort to encourage consumers to choose products with less or no sugar. As a result, companies responsible for manufacturing consumer packaged goods are looking to find the next new “non-sugar” sweetener. Thanks to advancements in food technology and new requirements by industry regulatory bodies, two approaches are being taken with regards to all things sweet. One is the use of the little-known sugar replacement allulose. In America at the very least, the FDA excluded allulose from the added and total sugar declarations on food nutritional labels, which has made it all the more attractive to food manufacturers. It is a natural sweetener taken from specific fruits and wheat and contains 1/10th the calories of regular table sugar. Expect to see a lot more of allulose in 2021.

2 Ghost kitchens: Expect to see more ghost kitchens or ghost food halls operated out of commissaries (dining halls or canteens) in 2021. These include multiple brands, each selling their own products (and some new) all under one check. So, for example, you could order pizza while your partner orders a burger, and then you both get ice cream, all from three different venues, on the same tab, delivered together, using your own delivery mechanism or logistics.

3 Hemp: A great soy alternative, vegan alternative, and plant-based alternative. More people are wanting to eat plant-based days during the week and now they easily can. Hemp is a healthy plant-protein that is great for people who are Keto, Paleo, and vegan. From CBD to Hempeh super protein to hemp hearts in your smoothie, it’s going to be the year of hemp.

Source: Real Simple

Restaurants

There’s a new face at the (chefs) table

A CLEAN SWEEP

The focus of food should be about flavour, says Mathew Armbruster, (pictured below), the new Executive Head Chef at The Chefs’ Table in Umhlanga

THERE’S an ad flighted regularly on TV, which ends with someone saying earnestly, “They’re not just changing some things, they’re changing everything.
Which is exactly what The Chef’s Table’s new Excutive Head Chef ,Mathew (one-t) Armbruster, did when he took over their kitchen. He changed the entire menu. Not just some things.
And he did it in a handful of days when the lockdown level changed to three and The Chefs’ Table’s owners decided to open its doors a few days later.
I’m pleased. That he changed the menu that is. Although I’m just as delighted that the Umhlanga restaurant reopened its doors. These are challenging times for restaurants and all too many have been forced to shut their doors. So, that the Chefs’ Table and others which have reopened their doors, is not only exhibiting a fighting spirit, but showing confidence that the industry will recover.
Mathew was born in Santa Monica, USA, of a South African mother of Italian extraction and an American father. The family moved to South Africa when Mathew was two. He considers himself fully South African, having spent most of his life in Durban and at school at Crawford College, La Lucia.
When he was 19 and contemplating a career in the kitchen, he first approached Marcelle Roberts of Café 1999/Unity Bar, asking if he could do a stint in her kitchen. She agreed. He was instantly hooked.
I can’t rightly say “and the rest is history”, because Mathew is only 27 and still in the process of making history. But it’s a good start.
He studied cooking at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado.
“It was a very hands-on training”, says Mathew, “with an hour a day of lectures and seven hours of cooking. The most important thing we did each day was sit down at the table, eat and critique.”
The style of cooking, obviously, was basic French traditional, which is pretty much the foundation of all cooking, he says.
During his time at the school he thoroughly enjoyed a stint working on a farm, doing basic farm work, “We also had to catch a chicken, kill it on our own, pluck and gut it.
” It was eye-opening. I didn’t enjoy killing it, though” he says.
He enjoys eating game meat, he adds, admitting that he has hunted. “But I’m no hunter”, he insists.
After graduating from Escoffier he worked in several restaurants in America, going from salad station to grill, from a mom and pop Irish tavern serving pizzas to the best steak house in Denver, Colorado, which also offered a wide selection of seafood.
“But then I felt I needed to come home,” says Mathew, whose mother lives in Durban. I’m a bit of a mummy’s boy he admits. His father has since returned to America and lives in Colorado.
His first job back home was Executive Sous Chef at The Chefs’ Table. Then it was off to work as Executive Head Chef at Hartford House in the Midlands, where the “novelty of the position”, attracted him. He enjoyed it and put in serious effort to make it work.
But he missed city life and when the incumbent EHC, Kayla-Ann Osborn, who set up The Chefs’ Table’s kitchen when the restaurant opened, headed for other pastures, he took up her position in August.
Hers were halcyon days. A kitchen that numbered 15 staffers, a popular fine-dining eatery with a reputation for cutting-edge food and diners with money to indulge their palates. It was The Place to be seen – and eat.
Now there are nine staffers. Like all those which closed during the first part of lockdown, Chefs’ Table is having to rebuild it’s client base. Not only is there less money around, but customers are still nervy about dining out. At least now that lockdown level one has been introduced, late night eating is possible.
He enjoys the intimacy of Chef’s Table’s open kitchen concept, where the kitchen is the visual heart of the eatery. And he’s also excited about the idea of producing food that is different and exciting.
But it must also be delicious too, he insists.
I tell him what I think about the previous regime’s menu. It didn’t change often enough, could be both brilliant and disappointing, and offered too few alternatives for those who didn’t eat red meat – or any meat, for that matter.
“I like to change menus as much as possible but not continuously. If you chop and change too much there is lots of wastage,” he responds.
He describes himself as averagely happy with the the new menu, seeing it as a work in progress. He’s also less concerned about creating cutting-edge food and more focused on achieving delicious flavours.

Mathew has also introduced a separate vegan menu with four starters and three mains, and a vegetarian menu with five starters and three mains.
He also enjoys producing tasting menus which, he says, “it’s a great way to showcase the food and the philosophy behind it.”
He’s also introduced a ladies lunch menu, which is two courses (off the main menu) plus either a glass of wine or gin, for R189.
Mathew is a self-contained young man, socially and physically. And there’s a seriousness and determination about him that makes me believe he will succeed in anything he turns his hand to. As for his food, it’s fabulous. Adventurous and delicious. Who could ask for more!

Mathew’s requirements for good food
Seasonal
Favour-focused
Respecting the integrity of the ingredients
Multi-Seasonal
Well-presented
Inspired by local produce
French-influenced.

recipe books

THE LANGUAGE OF FOOD

Food Stories: Our Favourite Recipes, With Love From The Twins, by Tebo and Lebo Ndala (Human & Rousseau) is a new cookbook on the market – and it’s something very different. By Ingrid Shevlin

Food Stories is probably the most wildly diverse cookbook you’ll ever read. And its authors are probably unlike any female chefs you’ve met before. Firstly, they are young, shapely, stylish, gorgeous enough to turn heads, a little giggly and charming to boot. Secondly, they are identical twins who share a twin passion for food and cooking and decided to follow a dual dream to make it their profession.
As for their book, its recipes include traditional Sotho and South African food with a twist, jollof (one pot food of West African origin), homestyle American food, Thai/Asian food, flatbreads and pizzas, culinary ways with (rooibos) tea, decadent treats for the candy buffet and recipes from their favourite pop-up restaurants.
My word!
When I tell them their collection of recipes is certainly eclectic, their faces light up. They like that. That it’s not your typical cookbook.
But as the Pretoria-born and bred twins tell me over an interview at Savior Café in Glenwood, Durban, and as the title of the book suggests, the food reflects the roads less travelled; the diverse food journeys taken.
Food is not only a language of love, but it’s their language of communication.
Like one would imagine in identical twins, they have an intense and palpable bond. They glance constantly at each other as they talk, and whisper soft asides to one another. I read somewhere it’s like having a built-in best friend for life. While they don’t dress identically, they dress similarly. In truth, I would never be able to tell them apart and as I couldn’t keep up with who said what, I sometimes attribute quotes to both of them.
The twin’s passion for cooking was inspired by their grandmother, Koko, who shared their lives, and a section in the book entitled “Koko’s Kitchen” is their homage to her. Their childhood was rich in family life and all family gatherings were celebrated over food, whether they were Sunday lunches, birthdays, weddings or Christmas lunches. During their childhood their food was, generally, traditional South African and Sotho. It was a trip to Thailand when they were in high school that first opened their eyes to other culinary possibilities.
Unsurprisingly then, they decided to explore the world of food professionally and spent three years at the Hurst Culinary Academy in Franschhoek which, they say, was excellent groundwork for a career in the hospitality industry.
But first they wanted to spread their wings and after graduating they jetted off to America and studied American literature at UCLA Extension – a continuing education institution in Westwood, Los Angeles, on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. During their stay they stayed with two different host families
One twin went to New Jersey, the other to Massachusetts. It was their first separation.
The Massachusetts family was sport and health conscious. Mum kept a tight rein on the household, the kitchen and her kids. “Mum used a crock pot (slow cooker) a lot and focused on homely and hearty food,” said Tebo.
She remembers with delight her first meal there, chicken Parmigiana, and her first Thanksgiving and American-style Christmas.
Lebo was hosted by a West African family, whose culinary heritage was Nigerian food. Not that they ate traditionally often. “Everything we ate was takeways and everything had ketchup on. We only ate West African food on special occasions and that was amazing. It was very inspiring, ” she said.
Back home they set up a catering business, presiding over pop-up restaurants and cooking celebratory meals on request. Then they were headhunted by Human and Rousseau, who had been following their online presence with interest, and asked to compile a recipe book. It took them two years to complete – and it’s all nearly history.
The book, which was launched in September, has had a positive response so far, they say. “People felt they could connect with us”.
A charming chapter of their book is dedicated to Seven Colour Sunday. It’s a tradition in their household to serve food that reflects all the colours in the rainbow on Sundays and for celebratory meals. How totally cool is that. They write, “Rice was the Sunday staple; then there was gravy, fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, mashed potatoes, roasted butternut, sauteed cabbage, green bean salad, green salad, pasta and broccoli salad, betroot salad…. And oh, what was a Sunday lunch without jelly and custard. Or trifle..”
Today they serve their own, less starchy version of “seven colours” without forgetting their roots. So the version in Food Stories includes recipes for roasted butternut and granola, boerewors potjkies, seafood paella, couscous, feta and pomegranate salad, a cheeseboard and a grilled veggie platter with dips.
They developed all the recipes featured in the book with many given a “South African twist to blend cultures”. Some are also inspired by their food heroes. For Lebo it’s Dorah Sitole, food editor of True Love magazine  and author of From Cape to Cairo: A Taste of Africa, while Tebo goes weak-kneed (my words) over Gordon Ramsay, finding his disciplined and purist approach to food very appealing.
Lebo’s favourite dish is samp and spinach. Tebo’s favourite meal is oxtail. “It’s my go to dish”, she says.
But the twins are all too aware of the growing trend for plant-based food. Lebo says, “We try to go with it, go with the flow and plan for it when called for”. Tebo admits, though that veganism is tougher to respond to than vegetarianism, “You can’t even use eggs or any diary products”, she says grimacing.
They admit to being happy meat eaters themselves, although they try to include as many vegetables as possible in their meals. “Whether our customers are vegans, vegetarians, or gluten-intolerant we make a plan. Our recipes are easily adapted.”
Tebo and Lebo prefer their ingredients to be locally sourced and to know their provenance. “We are absolutely obssessed with how we cook our food and where our ingredients come from.
“We became more health conscious when we became chefs and it helped change the way we look at food. We want the whole cooking procees to be more careful, more ordered.”
Their dream for the future? To inspire young chefs, to run a small cooking studio, to encourage young people to travel more and learn about food from other countries. Like they did. As they proclaim on their website, We Came, We Cooked, We Conquered”. Who would argue with that.

***Melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness: butter biscuits***

HAZELNUT-BUTTER FINGER BISCUITS
Serves: 10–12 Prep time: 45–50 min

I couldn’t find hazelnut flour anywhere so used almond flour instead, along with almond essence – the real stuff, from Col’Tempo deli at 2, 8th Avenue, off Florida Road. Because the dough is very soft, you must refrigerate it or it will be very difficult to roll out. Next time I make these biscuits, and I will, I will make little balls of the dough and flatten them out with a fork on the baking tray, because the rolling out process is fiddly work and I’m not into fiddly. These biscuits are melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness. Once you start on them, you can’t stop. – Ingrid Shevlin

Ingredients:
500 g butter, softened
1¼ cups icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract if you are using almond flour)
3 cups cake flour
1 cup hazelnut meal (I used almond flour)
¾ cup cornflour
½ cup custard powder (Woolies makes a delicious vanilla-flavoured custard powder)
Castor sugar, for dusting

Method
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2 Line baking sheets with baking paper.
3 With an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together for 5 min until pale and fluffy.
4 Stir in the flour, hazelnut meal, cornflour and custard powder to form a dough.
5 Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in cling wrap. Refrigerate for 35 min
6 Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 1-cm thickness. 7 Cut the dough into the desired shapes.
8 Bake for 8–12 min or until golden-brown around the edges. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Cool for 5 min.
9 Dust the biscuits liberally with castor sugar once cool.

Food News

A PIECE OF MY HEART

Serial entrepreneur Judd Campbell is at it again. Opening another restaurant. This time he’s back on familiar ground, Glenwood.

I’ve known Judd Campbell a long time. So when he tells me in his usual, intense way that his new Glenwood restaurant, A Pizza My Heart, is going to serve pizzas like no other, I have a sense of déjà vu. I’ve heard it all before. But wait, this is Judd we’re talking about: Master charmer, irrepressible optimist, and a weaver of dreams and before long I can see his vision and I’m won over.
Maybe this will be the next Corner Cafe. Whatever, I’m confident it will be something different.
So what are the facts? A Pizza My Heart is going to be a pizza restaurant (I know, I know, but keep the faith), which will focus on families. So there will be two dining spaces, one for grownups and one for kids – not cast in iron, though, if (foolish) you want to dine with your kids. There will also be an outdoor play area set up like an obstacle course, and a private room for kids’s parties. There will also be Sweet Dreams, a waffle counter operated by an outside trader, a retail outlet selling cake and bakingware, and a barber shop.
The restaurant’s look is going to be rustic, casual, playful. Ewok (“Spoken Word flavored Hip Hop activism, with additional emphasis on aerosol art”…… to quote Ewok himself) is painting murals and graphics and cartoons. Whatever he wants, basically. He has carte blanche. He’s already completed the outside artwork of jigsaw puzzle pieces.

We’re standing in the adult’s dining room when Judd shows me an App on his phone and I gather he’s going to use it to play retro/classical Italian (and other) background music. He loves this App and enthusiastically demonstrates how he can tune into music from any era from any part of the world. This is so Judd.
So to the pizzas. Okay, so pizzas are not new to Judd – after all the Coffee Tree has a weekly pizza night. But now these are going to made all from scratch, using stoneground flour sourced from a local mill, with cheese from a local supplier, for instance. “It must be as green as possible”.
No carbon footprint I assume. This also means utilising the wood-fired pizza oven, which you know and love from Coffee Tree, which can fire five pizzas at a time. But there is also another oven should demand overwhelm.
But his dilemma is about what kind of base to use. To answer this question he spent several weekends in Joburg and Cape Town visiting pizza restaurants. “I visited 30 in Joburg, 17 let me into their kitchens to see how their bases were made” he says.
He wasn’t quite able to charm Cape Town’s pizza owners in the same way but he’s still working on them.
Then he bearded Adam Robinson of the Glenwood bakery in his own kitchen, where Adam generously demonstrated how they do it. Mix everything, let it rise, fold it up, let it rise and then repeat the process. Letting it rise three times is the general rule, says Judd, adding, so says Adam, so it’s gospel.
Judd has pretty much decided on what kind base he wants: “One that is thin in the centre, but puffs up on the edges, but is still a bit chewy. It’s difficult to do by machine”, he explains. “It has to be handrolled if you want a puffy crust. I want it artisanal-looking, like it’s (hand)crafted”, he adds.
“There will be no other pizzas like this”, he promises. “They won’t’ cost the earth, either, pizzas shouldn’t cost the earth.”
There will be seven topping options each week and each week the two least popular will be replaced by two others. And because this is Judd, each pizza will tell a story and share his food journey and that of the people who were or are still part of it. There is a vegan version, named after his sister, and another inspired by Lola, the first person he ever served (red onion, black olives, rocket and avocado).
He’s going to include some of the toppings popular with his Coffee Tree clientele. Deconstructed chicken sausages simmered with white wine and cream and thyme is one. Then there is a garlic focaccia with artichokes, avocado and capers. No tomato, no cheese. And the popular “031”
“This Beef Masala recipe comes from an old Indian lady friend of mine who’s number I’ll never divulge…save for the first three digits, 031.”
Adults and kids will generally be offered the same toppings, but the kids will be offered more leeway. Judd also wants to serve them pizzas in the shape of boats to make it more fun.
Also it’s BYO – and no corkage charge. He plans for it to open from 1pm to 8pm six days a week. Sundays he rests. He wants it to suit families.
Now you are probably asking about opening. Well, he’d hoped it would be Valentine’s Day, but looking around the premises as I did this week, that clearly isn’t going to happen. The floors still have to be sanded, the walls painted, the interior artwork completed, the outside play area is still a work in progress, the table and chairs (from Corner Cafe days) need to be sanded/fixed/painted or whatever, and there’s a herb garden to be set up in the front. So, realistically it will probably open at the end of February.
Oh and you will have to be buzzed in and out to ensure the space is totally safe for kids.
Finally, you don’t have to have a kid in tow to eat at Pizza My Heart, obviously. You could just be someone who just loves pizzas. Or a kid at heart.
A Pizza My Heart is in Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in the original location of EarthMother Organic (which is now closer to Woolies).

The Shanna Jones. Introducing “Shanna’s a Vegan” If you don’t really care about the planet, animals or global warming…it’s fine, my sister’s got your back. She’s vegan enough for all of us.

Introducing “Lola ‘94”. Picture it. It’s 1994 my first ever waitering shift in the first of 36 outlets I’ve worked in 26 years and my first customers were Lola & Jimmy Owen. I love this women more than pizza, but pizza is a very close second!

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A CLEAN SWEEP

The focus of food should be about flavour, says Mathew Armbruster, (pictured below), the new Executive Head Chef at The Chefs’ Table in Umhlanga

Mathew’s requirements for good food SeasonalFavour-focusedRespecting the integrity of the ingredientsMulti-SeasonalWell-presentedInspired by local produce French-influenced.

Mathew’s requirements for good food
Seasonal
Favour-focused
Respecting the integrity of the ingredients
Multi-Seasonal
Well-presented
Inspired by local produce
French-influenced.