Interview with Marthinus Ferreira - The dude behind DW Eleven-13

I was up in the smoke (Jozi) recently for work and was asked by the Eat Out team to interview the talented Marthinus Ferreira. Instead of the usual Q&A session we opened a bottle of wine and just started talking food. He's a cool guy with big plans and big goals. The interview went out with the Eat Out newsletter recently. For those of you that missed it, check it out here. 

I ate at at his spot, DW Eleven-13, the night before and loved it. Simple produce, where the main ingredient is the hero. As it should be. You should check it out. Call them on (011) 341-0663 or visit their site: 

www.dw11-13.co.za 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Justine Drake Interview

She's gorgeous and funny and her enthusiasm for food is infectious. I recently had the chance to fire a few questions at Justine Drake, the woman behind the Taste of Cape Town Festival which kicks off in about 9 hours. Check it out:

JW: Justine, we've gotten to know you through your work at various magazines and probably most obviously through the awesome Just In Africa show on BBC. You always seem to be busy with something, albeit food styling, recipe development, consulting etc. What I want to know is how - and why - you were crazy enough to take on such a big project?

JD: It involved food and wine which is all the encouragement I needed! Seriously though, it's an incredibly successful festival internationally and the chance to be involved in the LOCAL version was very appealing. I have always flown the 'local is lekker' flag and this is a chance to celebrate our own chefs, restaurants and producers rather than looking overseas for inspiration. It is insulting to me that media showcase international talent when we have fabulous, equally gifted folk right here at home.

JW: I have been to the event the last two years and the growth has been pretty obvious. Tell me a bit about that.

JD: Obviously we aim to improve the event every year. We try and involve new restaurants so people can look forward to it and start planning early as part of their annual social calendar. It is important to us that we always introduce new and exciting things to keep people interested.  

JW: The event is obviously a huge strain on the chefs involved. What considerations are there to keep in mind when you choose chefs and restaurants to approach? 

JD: We want diversity. We want to represent the different tastes of the city so we try and get a wide range of different styles. 

JW: Well, you look like you've nailed it this year. The lineup is ridiculous. Be honest now, are there any personal favourites that you are looking forward to trying?

JD: Honestly, there's something about each and every one of them that I love. 

JW: Other than enjoying some of the best food in Cape Town, what can people expect?

JD: Great wine, wonderful booze, the Pick 'n Pay Fresh Living Theatre where you can attend informal cooking demos, the Grolsch Beer Academy, the Johnnie Walker Whiskey Theatre and the Checkers Wine Route, all of which you can enjoy simultaneously! There is also a small Producers' Market where you're bound to make some foodie discoveries. 

JW: Aaah, so booze will play it's part - good to know! With that in mind, are the evening sessions a bit more of a party than the daytime ones? Or do Capetonians drink regardless of the time of day?!!

JD: I suppose there are less kids during the evening and things are probably a bit sexier at night but, as you say, people let their hair down during the day too!

JW: So are you going to find some time to actually enjoy the event yourself or will you be running around making sure we have a good time? 

JD: No no, I will be enjoying myself. I always do! 

JW: Cool. Well, I know you are hectic at the moment so I won't keep you any longer. Hopefully I'll see you later to buy you a drink?

JD: Thanks hon. See you there. And I'll buy the drink...

So there it is guys and girls. The Taste of Cape Town Festival starting tonight and running through to Sunday. I'm not going to say you're a loser if you don't go but...well...you kind-of are. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Massimo's Pizza Club Interview

It's no secret where I think you get the best pizza in Cape Town. Made with passion and delivered by an Italian with a reassuringly strong accent, Massimo's Pizza Club in Hout Bay is king of the pizza world for me. Massimo's wife Tracy is brilliant as front-of-house and when you arrive you feel like part of the family. I recently sat down and asked them a few questions on what makes their pizza so special. As with most Italians, getting him to talk wasn't a problem at all. Getting him to stop? Well...

JW: Let’s start with the boring stuff. What part of France are you from? 

M: haaa monsieur, je suis Italiano! But we lived in beautiful Dordogne,  France, for 7 years before moving to SA. That’s where the Pizza Club was born, in the garden of our 400 years old farmhouse. 

JW: Okay, relax. Bloody hell. Italy then. Now…Italian cooking is very regional, with each area claiming to have their own version of some pretty famous dishes. What were the meals you can remember eating growing up, and did they differ from the way they would’ve been prepared in other parts of Italy? 

M: Not only every region, but every village! I come from Piemonte, north west region, near the mountains. My family grew their own vegetables, made wine and had chickens and rabbits running around.(I remember once a year buying a pig and making salami), so for me ‘free range’, ‘organic’ has always been the natural way to eat. In my family, like in most Italian families, every meal, lunch & dinner was cooked from scratch. Normally there’s a pasta or risotto or soup, followed by a main meat course with vegetables. I recall with affection my Mum’s coniglio alla cacciatora (rabbit casserole) and ‘illegally’ distilling grappa with my Dad. 

JW: So Italian cooking is just as romanticised as it appears on the BBC Food Network then? Tracy, maybe you should answer this one… 

T: Well yes. When Massimo talks about food everything sounds romantic! TV is becoming more true to life though and at least it’s not all designer kitchens. In my opinion Italians eat well but they’re not adventurous with new foods.  I have introduced Asian foods to my-in laws and as my father-in-law LOVES what I cookwhich has landed me in trouble with my Suocera (mother-in-law)!!! 

JW: Beautiful. Does it irritate you that most people interpret authentic Italian food as being red-and-white tablecloths and red pasta sauces? 

M: It does. But what irritates me more is the amount of salt and pepper people put on my pizzas before they’ve had the first bite! How do they know is not already salted to perfection?! There is an annoying habit here of people adding extra toppings to already perfectly balanced pizza recipes. I don’t get it; this never happens in Italy.

..another thing that irritates me (and I don’t want to take the place of another CT restaurateur famous for this...) is when small children waste my food… I’m used to Italian kids who learn to sit at the table and appreciate proper food!  

JW: Which brings us onto pizza. I’m not just saying this because you promised me free pizza forever after this appears on my blog but I have never tasted anything that even comes close to your creations. So…what is more important: the quality of the flour used for the dough, the quality of the tomato sauce or the toppings? Or is it everything?  

M: The quality of the flour is certainly important, and I use only the best Eureka mills (before I decided I went one morning at 5am to see what they were using at Ile de Pan in Knysna). We use only Fior di Latte Mozzarella and not the processed pre-grated stuff that is standard in most other places. But the most important thing is certainly the woodfired oven and the high temperature the pizzas are cooked at. On average a pizza is ready in 90 seconds and on some evenings it can take as little as one minute. This allows the toppings to remain fresh and maintain all the individual flavors.   

JW: Aaah, the wood-burning oven. I see you are now baking your own breads in there. What’s the vibe with that?  

M: My grandfather was a baker but unfortunately he retired before I was born and my biggest regret is to never have asked him his secrets. At an Italian table you can’t start eating if the bread basket is not full... and you never leave a plate with some sauce left on it! You use the bread to do a ‘scarpetta’ (mop it up). I try to bake bread one morning a week, when the temperature of the oven is perfect (it would be too hot in the evening after the pizzas) and I love every moment of it. I’m still experimenting with lots of different recipes, it’s not as easy as you would think, but the result is unique, like nothing you could buy.

JW: I see you are now doing a mezze platter using this bread...

M: I serve my bread with the Piatto di Legno, which is a selection of simple, fresh ingredients and recipes from my mamma. Like the giardiniera (summer vegetables cooked in a tomato sauce) and the zucchini in carpione (slices of fried courgettes in agrodolce).

JW: And Tracy, you handle the salads? 

T: Yip. Even we get tired of pizza and can appreciate that customers will sometimes feel like something lighter. 

JW: I hear you. So guys, how often do you eat pizza then? 

M: We eat pizza at least 4 nights a week.

JW: Ha ha, living the dream. That's awesome. What are the favourites?

M: Every night we try a different combination (and when it works it becomes part of the menu), but we tend to prefer vegetarian combinations. Lately we love the one with goat's cheese and salsa verde, pear & pecorino cheese, or just a simple Margherita with home-made pesto. The secret for a great pizza is to have few, but tasty ingredients. 

JW: Okay, one more question. When I stop by for a pizza what should I wash it down with?   

M: In Italy we prefer to drink beer with pizza. We have recently started stocking some interesting beers like Birkenhead and the &Union range. 

JW: Glory. Can I have a menu please? 

Overture - Straight out of the top drawer

On Saturday I was lucky enough to join Bertus Basson, of Overture fame, for lunch. Now look, I have been quite outspoken in the past about the fact that I don't do comped meals for the simple reason that I want to maintain credibility but this was different. If a chef calls me up and has the decency to put aside some time to talk about food philosophies and plans for the future of course I will listen. And let's be honest...it's Overture people. Come now. I still turn down invitations by restaurateurs, brand managers and PR companies offering free meals in exchange for good reviews but here was an opportunity to conduct an informal interview with someone I admire and respect while at the same time enjoying some of the best food in the country. The moral debate was an extremely short one. 

The first thing I noticed about Bertus (other than the fairly hectic mohawk) was the obvious love for food. When someone talks that passionately about something you listen and what followed for the next three hours was nothing short of fascinating. I didn't have a pen and paper (that's not the vibe I like to kick out on a Saturday) but let me try summarise what came out of our chat: 

Bertus changes his menu the morning of service, according to what arrives at his door. He spends a lot of his time driving around with his wine guy (affectionately referred to as Stretch throughout lunch) tasting wines and figuring out how he can work them into his menu design. He loves Cape Town and believes food will always taste better in areas "where there are vineyards and an ocean." He has a huge amount of respect for other South African chefs and admits that they draw inspiration from each other. He is hugely ambitious and was gutted to finish in 10th place at the Eat Out Awards Dinner (a position most would celebrate). He believes taste is paramount to creating a good dish, "what's the point if something looks pretty but tastes shit?" He loves old-school cooking techniques like braising. He puts a huge emphasis on sourcing ingredients to the point that he actually got excited talking about a particular supplier of shallots. He loves fish, specifically the less common species and thinks it is important for people to be more aware of the green/orange/red grading system. He's not just bound to the restaurant and in fact has a catering company and several other exciting projects (secret unfortunately) in the pipeline. He says there is a time and a place for fancy food and simple food and people need to know that. "I actually dig the Spur hey...". He spends time deliberately breaking down new recruits at the restaurant to see if they have what it takes but has only ever met one member of staff who was untrainable. "I like getting these guys in from the catering schools who think they're hot stuff and making them peel potatoes. That tests them and makes them understand the hierarchy here." 

Look there's a lot more that was said but we did have quite a bit to drink and besides I really should be talking about the venue and the food...

The restaurant itself is on Hidden Valley Wine Estate and is perched high up on a hill looking back over a beautiful valley towards Cape Town. The interior is modern - a combination of earthy stone and wood mixed in with a lot of glass. (Understandable given the ridiculous views.) 

As mentioned, the menu changes daily but will always consist of 10 options for guests to choose from. The dishes range from light starters to heavier options and you have the choice of 3, 4, or 5 course options priced at R250, R300 and R360 respectively. How you put your meal together (in what order I mean) is up to you. With wine pairings the meal jumps out to R300, R380 and R460. An 8-course tasting menu is available for R455 (R755 with wine). 

I was lucky enough to enjoy 8 courses. I could honestly go on for pages and pages about them but I don't want to get into the technicalities of each dish. You'll see by the style of food the level of cooking that is on offer but when I say each dish was at least 8/10 (Most were 9, some were 10) you should understand I don't really need to wank on and on about them. Let's break it down for you:

• Raw salmon, salmon-stuffed courgette flower, cauliflower puree
• Foie gras poached in port with fresh figs, fig sorbet and brioche
• Geelbek and green beans (served in a bouillabaisse sauce made from the bones)
• Crisp pork belly with roasted apple, glazed onions, pomme puree and confit garlic
• Gnocchi with tomato, fried mozzarella and olive tapenade 
• Parmesan spoom with tomato sorbet and balsamic onion 
• Gingered watermelon soup with yoghurt sorbet 
• Chocolate sorbet served with a shot of white and dark chocolate Bottega grappa  

And then the wine. Bloody hell, the wine. What a joke how unbelievable the wine was. We had (in order, matched to the courses) a 2009 Hidden Valley Sauvignon Blanc, a Pierre Jordan Ratfia (Google Ratfia - it's quite interesting), a 2009 Land's end Sauvignon Blanc, the 2006 Hidden Valley red blend (sorry, not too sure about this one but I think it was mainly Cab Sav with a bit of Malbec?), a 2009 Jordan Unoaked Chardonnay, a 2009 Paul Cluver Gewurztraminer, a 2009 Bon Courage Red Muscadel.      

Sho, that's quite a bit of reading to get through. It certainly was not a mission to eat our way through it and we had an awesome time and some good laughs. During the lunch no less than three guests came over to thank him personally with comments like "That was the best lunch I've had" and "Congrats on having the best restaurant in the country." Pretty high praise that was not lost on Bertus who explained that that is what makes all the hard work worthwhile. When walking us out he casually pointed to the beautiful pond at the entrance and explained the plan to introduce trout and tilapia. That's a pretty awesome vibe. Just like everything else at Overture. 

You can give them a call on (021) 880-2721. They are open for lunch from Tuesday through to Sunday and do dinners on Thursdays and Fridays. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

 

Jack Black Interview

You should know by now how much we enjoy the little guy at Jamie Who. The true artisan. Well, I was lucky enough get some time with Ross McCulloch and Meghan MacCallum - the team behind Jack Black Beer - and I asked them a few questions about their awesome brand. Check it out.

Jamie Who: Let's get the boring stuff out of the way. Please introduce yourselves and let us know a bit about your backgrounds.

Jack Black: We are an entrepreneurial couple with a serious passion for beer, wine and food. We've spent significant time in Canada but came back to Cape Town with both business and lifestyle goals in mind. We couldn't imagine a more beautiful place to live.

JW: And you saw the chance to bring Capetonians a locally produced beer?

JB: Yeah, there's that too!

JW: Lovely. We seem to be experiencing a definite shift from pre-made convenience goods back to artisanal fare. Traditional, "old-school" beliefs seem to be gaining popularity. Did you guys identify this trend when you started and set out specifically with it in mind?

JB: Not really. We definitely considered the shift but our real goal was simple: to bring quality microbrewed beer to Cape Town. We have both travelled extensively and have seen the proliferation of small breweries in other parts of the world. We wanted to bring that experience to Cape Town.

JW: Tell us how you came up with the Jack Black brand. The name, design, packaging etc.

JB: The style of beer we make is known as pre-prohibition lager. John Jack Black was an actual brewer making beer in North America during the prohibition days. We were inspired by his maverick attitude towards beer and thought it was a cool name. The logo and design came from there.

JW: How important is that in the success of the brand?

JB: It helps, but to us it's really all about the beer.

JW: All about the beer. Nice. So can you tell us in layman's terms what makes yours different?

JB: Our beer is a bit more flavourful than regular beer. It is crisp and refreshing. What makes us special is the microbrewing process involved.

JW: Tell us more about microbrewing.

JB: Basically, microbrewing is brewing on a smaller scale. It involves brewers who hand craft their beers in small batches for five weeks at a time. This results in extremely high standards being set.

JW: And this then leaves you with a product that has less additives?

JB: Yip. Jack Black Beer has no additives or preserves and no adjuncts like rice or corn.

JW: So with a purer beer, I can drink more and hang less?

JB: We don't really make claims in this regard but we do believe any product without additives or preserves is benefiting the consumer.

JW: So...I can drink more and hang less?

JB: Umm...

JW:Moving on. What are the differences between creating a perfect bottled beer and a perfect pint?

JB: The beer in both is exactly the same. However, the benefits of draught include drinking from a better vessel (the beer glass) therefore improving the experience. Also, draught is often fresher than bottled beer owing to regular replacement of kegs. Having said this, we do still pride ourselves on our bottled beer always being fresh and adopt a just-in-time philosophy.

JW: What makes a good beer. Without getting too poetic. Let's keep it to three words.

JB: Fresh, balanced, head-retaining.

JW: Technically four words but I'll give it to you. Where can people get Jack Black?

JB: There is a list on our website http://www.jackblackbeer.com/. It's a good time to bring up your acronym J-BOT (Jack Black On Tap). You thought you were pretty clever with this one hey?

JW: I did but let's stick to me asking the questions. I have plenty of jealous friends up in Jozi asking me what all the fuss is about? Any plans to get up there?

JB: For now we just want to be Cape Town's local beer. Get your friends down here! Summer is going to be amazing!

JW: I will see what I can do. Thanks so much for your time. One last question: what wuld you do if you caught someone slipping a shot of lime into a Jack Black pint?

JB: Knock their socks off! No, seriously, if that's what you want then go for it. Just don't tell our brewers about it!

So there it is gang. The very first Jamie Who interview. You liked that hey? I think you did. I think you liked it very much. If there are any other areas of interest or specific people you think would be cool to talk to drop me a line and I will see if they are as accommodating as the peeps from Jack Black were. Nice one.

Cheers,

Jamie Who