So long blogger.com - it's been real

This is my last post. *pauses for dramatic effect

Okay, it's not my last post. But it's my last post on this site. Yip, I'm moving on. (And up hopefully.) I've been working with some super-talented and creative people for the last few months on a concept which I can finally tell you guys about. It's a lifestyle website which aims to showcase the finer things in life. So things like fashion, travel, food, art, wine, cocktails, design, architecture etc. are all there for you to enjoy. Sort of like the online equivalent of standing in front of a magazine rack. I'll be handling the food&wine side of things, with other talented contributors talking about what they know best. 

I am pre-empting the cynics out there, who no doubt will point out the fact that the new site has advertising. Indeed, it does. I have previously been pretty outspoken about the fact that I didn't allow advertising so let me explain:

• This is a step towards writing about food full-time. The last year and a half has seen a tiny blog grow to the point where I can genuinely make a career out of doing what I love. At the moment I spend a lot of time and money investing in a passion and I now feel it is fair enough to start generating some income from it. The ads WILL IN NO WAY IMPACT EDITORIAL CONTENT. This remains paramount and as long as we don't lose sight of this, we'll be okay. 

The new site will have awesome improvements for readers. As well as the fresh posts coming through daily (2 a day), I will be re-shooting old recipes. Some of my old photography makes me cringe and this allows me to re-introduce recipes that I'm proud of, this time with the images that they deserve.  Also, the new site makes searching for recipes/reviews etc. a lot easier. You'll see a drop-down menu on my site which you can use to navigate your way around the categories. Bear with me, at the moment all my old categories are there along with the new ones. I'm busy sorting through them so everything should be fixed up pretty soon. (I've been working flat-out on organising these - it is a slow process but the end result will be very skooch. Trust me). The new site is also a chance to get to meet me. My name is Andy. Not Jamie. I'm looking forward to this too, as we move into an area where the Jamie Who pseudonym becomes part of a brand, not the entire brand itself. 

The new site is going live from about 14h00 tomorrow. Check it out at www.aficionado.co.za - I am extremely excited about this but nervous at the same time. I have poured a lot of energy into building the blog and I know I will lose a few readers who see this as "selling-out". I just hope the majority realise that the new site is something I would not be part of if I didn't honestly believe credibility can be maintained. 

Cheers,

Andy Fenner  

Neighbourgoods Market - open tonight (15.06.10)

A quick one here my lovelies. A quick one to let you know that the Neighbourgoods Market will be open tonight. What? You knew that already? Well, that's nice. Off you go. Go buy yourself a samoosa. 

For those of you (like me) who didn't actually know the good news until recently, let me break it down:

The usual suspects like Kitchen Cowboys and Piroschka will be there, as will the stand selling ridiculously good seared tuna burgers. Curries and paella will be piping hot to battle the cold and the fashion wing will be there too, sporting a distinctly winter offering. So think scarves, beanies, hats, gloves, coats etc. Get something yourself, get something for the missus. Get both...

I have it on good authority that the Von Geusau hot chocolate is the stuff of legends so grab a cup of that if you're trying to be responsible. If not, I'm sure the Jack Black team and other local micro-breweries will be there. Maybe a glass of red from one of the wineries? Yes? No? Come on, I know you want to. Tomorrow is tomorrow's problem. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Food blogging - it's real

I attented a brunch yesterday where I was named as one of Mail&Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans you should take to lunch. Now, this article is not just to brag and blow my own vuvuzela (although let's face it, that's part of it) - it's to hopefully settle something that has been irritating me for a while now. A few weeks ago there was huge drama in the food writing/blogging world, as JP Rossouw was attacked on his site for allegedly not conducting all his own reviews. The outcry was long, tedious, malicious and strayed from what is the main point: credibilty.

Credibilty is the cornerstone of any food writer/blogger when they take it upon themselves to review a restaurant. With the internet and the more recent emergence of social media it has meant basically anyone can be a food critic. Anybody can have a voice. This is a double-edged sword though, as people with absolutely no clue are now free to write disparaging things about restaurateurs and their establishments. Now, I am the first to admit that I don't have any professional training. I set up a blog to write about food, which I love. The tone throughout the past year has deliberately been informal as I want to try and talk to normal people. Normal foodies. And I want to do it with a normal voice.

The response has been staggering, as I now find myself part of 'the media'. Invited to launches, events, functions, chef's tables etc. and being commissioned to write for other publications. Initially this seemed strange to me. Only yesterday did it sink in that food bloggers are now considered real media. The events I attend inevitably include fellow bloggers. Like Dax from Relax-with-Dax. And Chris from Whale Cottage. These people sit alongside representatives from the bigger sites like Eat Out and Food24. Indeed, Neil Pendock's mention of Clare Mack (fellow food blogger) and Harry Reginald (wine blogger) in the Sunday Times again confirmed the need to pay attention to food bloggers. The Foodie (yet another food blogger) remains one of my favourite food reads, above some more prestigious publications. Michael Olivier is soon to launch his online magazine, Crush, which shows huge faith in the online food writing industry. It really is an exciting time to be a food blogger. Let's not forget the wine guys over at Spit or Swallow, who are climbing up the highest-ranked sites.

But back to credibilty, and perhaps the more importnat question: what makes a good food/wine blog. To me you get blogs where the writer has great knowledge. There are others where the actual writing is brilliant. A good blog is a combination of both. Get that right and the credibilty will come.

And what gives me or the other bloggers out there the right to slag off establishments? Some say we are wrecking careers. I understand that. I understand the sensibilty that those people might be doing their best. But that's called freedom of speech. Food bloggers are here to stay I'm afraid. If you don't like us, don't read us.

Cheers,
Jamie Who

Jamie Who favourites

I've deliberately stayed away from two types of stories over the last few weeks/months. One is the "winter specials" story. I swear when I have to read about some of the ridiculous things certain places are offering it makes me wonder how desperate they actually are. Come visit us on the first Monday of the month between 1 and 2 pm, wearing a Bafana Bafana jersey and if you order your pizza in Afrikaans you get your second caraffe of wine free if you pay for your first with a R20 note. Okay, it's not that bad but I have read and heard enough of winter specials. Enough. Every single day the list grows and grows and I personally am completely over it. Fellow food blogger Dax wrote a great piece on specials and their shortfalls and followed it up with a piece on the worthwhile ones. Nicely done. 

The second story I have steered clear of is anything World Cup related. These stories often tied in with restaurant specials and I refused to get sucked in. Until recently. The fever has got me and it's got me bad. The socks are on the Fire Truck mirrors (yes, I just told you the name of my car), the flag is hanging out my office window, I've bought a ridiculously-expensive Bafana jersey, I own a Puma Unity jersey and when I finish this post I'm off to get myself an Ivory Coast top. I am totally over-excited for The World Cup. So...I thought instead of listing specials that different places are offering I would provide a list of my own. A list of Jamie Who favourites for visitors lucky enough to be part of this historic event. These will no doubt spark debate (which I would love by the way) but please guys, let's keep it civilised. Below is a list of my favourites. Things I enjoy. I'm not saying they are the best. I'm saying they are MY best. Please understand the difference. By all means, comment and leave your suggestions. Here we go:

1. Best steak: HQ and Carne. (Go for the hanger cut here. Rare.)

2. Best place to have an artisanal beer: Brewers & Union. (I'm a fan of the Berne.) 

3. Best place to have a glass (or more) of wine: Caveau. (Their Heritage Square branch.) 

4. Best pizza: Carlyle's on Derry Street. (It must be made very clear that this is only because visitors won't have the opportunity to enjoy a pizza from Massimo. We should all agree by now that he is king of the pizza)

5. Best beer on tap: Jack Black

6. Best place to enjoy Jack Black on tap: Harvey's Bar at Winchester Mansions and Twankey Bar at the Taj Hotel. 

7. Best bakery: Ile de Pain in Knysna and Jardine Bakery in Bree Street

8. Best restaurant on a wine farm (if you're looking for fine-dining): Overture on Hidden Valley

9. Best restaurant on a wine farm (if you're looking for something rustic): Bread and Wine on Moreson

10. Best place to have a cocktail (if you want a view): Salt at the Ambassador hotel. 

11. Best place to have a cocktail (if you just want a bloody good cocktail): Martini bar at the Cellars Hohenoort and Asoka. 

12. Best food market (for a vibe): The Neigbourgoods market in Woodstock

13. Best food market (for the produce): The Wild Oats Farmers' market in Sedgefield or The Slow Food Market in Stellenbosch. 

14. Best burger: Loading Bay (when they have burger nights). Otherwise Caprice. 

15. Best breakfast spot: Bistro Sixteen82

16. Best sandwich: The Kitchen in Woodstock

17. Best overall lunchtime restaurant: Superette in Woodstock

18. Best healthy food: Osumo (chicken fajita wrap is what you want here. Trust me)

19. Best coffee: (...............) I can't drink coffee so it's up to you to judge by the comments. 

20. Best food memorabilia shop: The Chef's Warehouse 

21. Best curry: Firefly in Knysna 

22. Best value-for-money restaurant: La Boheme 

And now, the big dogs. Let's get a slow clap going....

23. Best restaurant in Cape Town: Bizerca Bistro

24. Best restaurant in South Africa: Zachary's in Knysna

A special mention must go out to Cheyne's in Bree Street. He does private functions in the evenings and the feast he cooked for The Queen's surprise dinner still rates as one of the best I have had.  

There you have it. My favourites. A guide to places I would recommend to anyone visiting Cape Town and/or the Garden Route. If you think of any categories I may have forgotten let me know. We'll chat. Also, I didn't include links to the places I've mentioned.  If you want contact details for any of them please drop me a mail at jamiewhoblog@gmail.com 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

We Love Real Beer - welcome

Just a quick one peeps - it seems life is getting in the way of food and drink today...

You'll notice a new logo somewhere on this page. I've spoken before about my hesitancy to just throw any logo up, but here's one I believe in. My love affair with Jack Black started way back when I did this post about them. I explained how much I love the product, the brand, but more importantly the philosophy behind it. Micro-brewed by people with passion. The response I got from them was amazing and I took on a self-nominated "ambassador" approach, drinking it wherever I could and telling anyone who would listen that they should do the same. 

My love for &Union is also pretty well documented. As a restaurant, the concept is brilliant in its simplicity. They stock phenomenal beer and highly underrated food. Everything in that place is a celebration of all things artisan.

The evening I went to to launch of the We Love Real Beer campaign was when I got the idea of teaming up with these two awesome brands. And that's what we've done. Jack Black Beer. Brewers&Union. Jamie Who. I mean, come now. It makes sense. I'll be sharing any new products that hit &Union, any specials that they run, new pubs selling Jack Black on tap, giveaways, competitions etc. I'm here to share the love. The love of beer. Real beer. 

So join me in raising a glass. To the people who take raising a glass seriously. 

Cheers (not Charles) *ahem

Jamie Who

The 2010 Eat In Awards lunch

Do you know who George Jardine is? How about Bruce Robertson? Luke Dale-Roberts? If you're a foodie then you probably do. But what about Wayne Rademeyer? Do you know him? And Swepie le Roux? Sound familiar? I thought not. 

The first few names above are celebrated chefs within the South African food scene. The last few are two winners of the recent 2010 Eat In Awards which I attended a few weeks ago. The fact that the average South African has absolutely no idea who the real food heroes in this country are (they're the ones putting in hours of unrecognised work to provide amazing produce) was the backbone for Eat In magazine and its creation. The publication aims to showcase the best suppliers, bakeries, butcheries, markets, farmstalls, cooking schools and delis we have to offer, and awards prizes for the best in a variety of categories. This year they hosted a lunch to hand out the awards and it was an honour to share a room with the eventual winners. Men and women whom I respect enormously. 

The lunch itself was a laid-back affair and took place in The Food Corp premises, which is on the seventh floor of the central building in Black River Park. It's a funky venue and one to remember for anyone looking for something a bit different. Food was provided by A Sense of Taste, with a few of the ingredients being provided by the producers. Wine was provided by Waverley Hills (winner in the organic category) and unlike most organic wines I had no problem drinking it. A lot of it. I was seated next to the gorgeous hostess Justine Drake who seemed to be playing her usual game of "making Jamie Who blush as much as possible", which she seems to love. She's also very good at it. The wine was my coping mechanism and worked fairly well. Maybe too well, as I did later find myself pouring a glass of wine at home with the cork still in. 

I was seated across the table from Pete Goffe-Wood and Abigail Donnelly and it was awesome to talk about all things food for hours. I also sat next to the guys from La Petite France who won an award for their brie. (You can get this from the Neighbourgoods Market so look out for it.) We enjoyed fat wedges of it with various preserves and, of course, the Waverley wine. I've also found their camembert at the market so try get your hands on that too. 

The list of winners can be found on the Eat In website. Buy the magazine, have a look at the smaller, independent producers and do your best to support them. They're the guys making food with love and passion. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Welcome "Unity", the newest addition to the &Union family

I read an awesome article in Monocle magazine a few months ago about Puma and part of their their branding strategy being to "own" African football. With Nike concentrating on technology and Adidas concentrating on performance gear, Puma decided African football was a great place to showcase the brand's unique flair and desire to push the envelope. One of the ways they chose to do this was to sponsor 12 African teams, including powerhouses Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ghana. Another aspect was their Africa Unity campaign, which involved teaming up with artist Kehinde Wiley as well as a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme. The campaign is typified by the creation of a special kit that African teams playing in the world cup will have the choice of wearing as their away strip (for those that don't know, each team has a second jersey that they wear when playing a team with similar colours). The kit is inspired by the African landscape and uses a transition of brown to blue as a metaphor for our continent's soil and sky. The numbers and the badge are in yellow to signify the sun. The badge itself depicts two hands shaking. When I read about the idea I was immediately interested. When I heard a further part of the campaign was a collaboration with the &Union team I was even more interested. Last night I went to the press launch to learn a bit more.

While the campaign is a brilliant concept, I was most intrigued to see how and why two brands with no obvious connection would fit together. The cynic in me asked the question "how on earth did the Puma guys get the idea approved at top-level?" A sportswear brand teaming up with a brewing company didn't quite make sense. After listening to an explanation from Puma's Marketing Director, Brett Bellinger, it became clear. Pretty much anything is possible with like-minded people driving an idea. The key to success was a total commitment to uncompromising quality and the end result is a limited edition beer that carries all the qualities you'd expect from Collective Sao Gabriel, Brewers&Union and indeed Puma. How does it taste? Like summer in a bottle. Quite light, with strong florals and honey on the nose and a crisp green apple aftertaste. It would be ridiculously good with smoked duck and fig, but would work just as well with prawns straight off the braai.  

Wednesday sees the official launch. You would do well to get there. Lindiwe Suttle will be singing with a few of her friends and the vibe should be awesome. I might even have a word with The Big Guy to make sure the weather plays its part.

Cheers,

Jamie Who

The Good Food & Wine Show ticket winners

A big thanks to everyone who entered the comp for The Good Food & Wine Show. I must say it's awesome to see how many foodies there are out there. I got people writing in with some interesting explanations as to why they deserved the tickets. Tactics ranged from flattery to passion to excitement to threats! I wish I had tickets for everyone but in the end these are the people I picked. Congrats and stay posted to find out where and how you get your hands on the tickets.

1. Hila Jonker

2. Georg van Rensburg

3. Nina Timm

4. Polly Howard

5. Tammyn Gregory

There it is guys. I am so bummed I don't have more. Keep eating and keep drinking.

Cheers,

Jamie Who

"The Pig" by Neil Jewell

"This blood is so fresh when it arrived a few hours ago it was still warm." Neil Jewell's opening line at his presentation at The Chef's Warehouse last night. Quite an icebreaker. I was there to do his class, simply titled The Pig, and had been looking forward to it for weeks. As a big fan of Bread & Wine, and as an admirer of Liam Tomlin and his new operation, I had high expectations. The four hours that I spent listening to Neil last night surpassed all of them. It was absolutely awesome. 

The thing is, you never really know what to expect at these classes. Some are very technical and you end up not really enjoying yourself. Others are really just an excuse to eat and drink and you leave having not really learnt anything (except maybe how to hide a bottle of wine under your jacket but we don't talk about that anymore...) What I loved about last night was that is was a combination of both. 

We watched Neil effortlessly de-joint and butcher a carcass. We watched him make black pudding. We watched him wipe drops of blood from his forehead. We watched him knock up beautiful salami and phenomenal crackling. We learnt how to cure meat and how to make sausages. And we ate. A lot. The quality of food was exceptional and because I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to be sitting at the same table as the boys from Caveau the wine flowed easily. South Hill Sauvignon Blanc 08. Beautiful. 

The thing that had the most impact on me was when Neil brought out a gorgeous cured leg of ham for us to taste. He called the pig the meat came had come from "one of his girls." He always referred to "her" and not "it." He obviously loved that animal and that love translated into the taste of the meat. We can all learn from that. 

For info on other classes check out www.chefswarehouse.co.za. Neil has set the bar pretty high but with some of the other guests they have lined up you should seriously think about booking.

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Two shitakes walk into a chopping board

These are two shitake mushrooms. I bought one of them at a market and one of them at a grocery store. That's why I love markets. 

What's that? I'm getting lazy. No, no, this has nothing to do with the day I've had. I swear. I'm not busy doing other things instead of this blog. I swear. I love you. Honestly. Wait, come back...

Cheers,

Jamie Who 

Carne - Amongst all the controversy, I was impressed. Again.

You might have noticed I am getting pretty particular about where I get my meat from. This comes on the back of finishing a book called Eating Animals which, as you may have figured out by the name, is an extremely hectic read. It basically takes you through the horrors that animals are exposed to in traditional farming methods. I will do a full review of the book soon but for now what you need to know is that I only eat free-range meat, where I can be absolutely sure the animal had a natural, healthy life (without growth hormones and antibiotics) and was treated well. 

This has been quite a process to manage in terms of buying meat for home but when considering restaurants it has been even more difficult. I am at the stage now where I actually e-mail the place before I go. If the meat is from a reputable farm I'm happy but if they give me a bit of a blurred answer I'll go vegetarian. If you had told me three weeks ago that I would go to The Wijhnhuis and have a mushroom linguini with pesto sauce instead of the beef tagliata I would have laughed in your face but I'm afraid that's where I'm at. 

Anyway, last week I went to Carne. It was on the back of some fairly serious accusations made on another blog which brought the restaurant's meat supply source into question. (you can read all about it here). Now...I'm not looking to spark some hectic foodie debate here and get all controversial but what I feel I need to say is that Giorgio Nava (the owner) personally came to my table and explained his side of the story. He was open to the fact that I am now paying close attention to where the meat I'm eating comes from and he sat and politey talked me through the entire process. In a nutshell, he gets beef from his own farm in the Karoo. He gets a lot of it. He uses other butchers to hang and mature the meat. He never wants to use the entire animal so he then buys what he needs from said butchers. He goes through the same process with lamb and game but uses another butcher. Regarding his buying of meat from other suppliers Giorgio was open about the fact that he does this to "compare flavours". He assured me that what I was to be eating was not from any of these suppliers. I do agree with the point that he should remove the word "organic" from his website though. I am speculating but I find it hard to believe all his meat is 100% certified. 

As I said, there was a bit of doubt before I went. I asked the manager, Jamie, about the meat and he gave me a thorough explanation. I asked the chef and he too gave me a satisfactory answer. I know some people may not accept this but I was there to enjoy dinner not deliberately try and expose some meat conspiracy and bring the industry to its knees. I asked a question and got an answer which I believed. Maybe I'm being a bit naiive but that was good enough for me. There has to be room for a bit of trust in the world. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

P.S. When I reviewed this place I had the hanger steak and chocolate souffle. Guess what I had this time? Yip, I'm afraid so. It's that good. 

Yuppiechef - Welcome

You'll know (hopefully) by now my stance on "freebies". I hate them. I get loads of brand managers, restaurateurs and even hotel groups calling me up and inviting me for a free stay/meal/product sample in exchange for a positive write-up. To me this is the complete opposite of what this blog is all about. I'm trying to give you honest advice. Sure, it's all just my opinion but at least it is an honest one. My usual answer to these offers is that I'll have a look but if things are shit, I will say they're shit. Surprisingly, this scares quite a few people off. How weird is that? Surely if you have any confidence in your brand/product/service at all you would be happy to stand beside it? Strangely this isn't the case. 

Anyway peeps, the reason I'm writing this entry is to introduce you to the first brand that I am going to endorse. And I feel it is necessary to explain why. Yuppiechef (check them out on the right) is a brand that I love. I always have. I love them so much that we had our wedding gift registry with them. I have always shopped through them. 

They will be sending me various products to review under the strict understanding that everything I write will be nothing but the truth. I won't sugar-coat it and if a product is inferior I will be saying so. (Although I'm fairly confident you - like me - will love their vibe)

What I love about Yuppiechef is the fact that they are selling premium products but doing it in a light-hearted, accessible way. They dig food and they want to make your life easier when preparing it. This goes hand-in-hand with my own philosophy of demystifying food. In addition to essential, practical cooking tools, Yuppiechef has funky, quirky gadgets that can make cooking fun and easy. That's why I picked them and that's why you should check them out. 

I will be endorsing a few other brands to this blog when and if I see fit. I will always write a rationale just like this one. Maintaining my credibility in your eyes is hugely important to me. 

I welcome any of your thoughts on this. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

The Chef's Warehouse & Cookery School

Liam Tomlin is Irish. Conrad Gallagher is Irish. Jamie Who is Irish. Two of these people are well respected, highly-acclaimed, famous, handsome, charismatic leaders of their respective fields in the food industry. The other one is Conrad Gallagher.  

After leaving Cape Town in a hail of insults, debt and broken promises the Irish community is looking for something to celebrate (besides St Paddy's Day tomorrow which, by the way, I am looking to enjoy at The Slug & Lettuce.) So it is with a great amount of pleasure that I introduce you to one of the country's most exciting food developments. 

Situated at 50 New Church Street, it's called The Chef's Warehouse & Cookery School and it promises some of the most exciting cooking classes and short-courses you could ever imagine. The main feature is Liam's 20-part course running on alternate Saturdays. He is backed up by a list guest of speakers that reads like The Harlem Globetrotters of the local food scene.  Neil Jewel (Bread & Wine) on the 5th of May, Bruce Robertson on the 6th of May, Alexander Meuller (Pure) on the 24th of May, Luke Dale-Roberts (La Colombe) on the 8th of June. Are you getting this? There is a wine course by Caroline Rillema and a bread-making course by Tim Faull of Knead. Others mentioned are Laurent Deslandes (Bizerca Bistro), Reuben Riffel (Reuben's), Pete Goffe-Wood (Kitchen Cowboys, Wild Woods) Margot Janse (The Tasting Room) and even Richard Corrigan. (You're kidding right? Google him.) 

I had to take a deep breath there, I was getting a bit carried away. But honestly, have you ever seen anything like that? I half expected to see Oprah giving a lecture on how to make a birthday cake. It's mental. 

The first course starts on the 24th of April. For more info e-mail info@chefswarehouse.co.za 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

The Spier Contemporary Art Exhibition

I dusted off my black skinnys and attended the media launch for The Spier Contemporary Art Exhibition last week. It's brought to you by The Africa Centre (www.africacentre.net) and showcases 101 local artists, with 132 stunning pieces having been chosen from more than 2 700 entries. The exhibition features a wide range of skills and techniques, with sculptures, photography, painting, performance art and more all being displayed. 

The exhibition is being held at the City Hall, which itself has been turned from a beautiful space into a breathtaking one. Part of the transformation process has been the creation of a temporary cafe/coffee area catered for by Rotisserie 360. As well as their usual light fare (which is bloody good by the way and I am embarrassed that I haven't reviewed them on this site) they will be serving coffee throughout the day and - to answer the obvious question - yes, they do have a license. 

The exhibition runs until the 14th of May and entry is free. It is something cool and different and it feels hugely satisfying to support the people who have put so much effort into creating the beautiful work. If you are anywhere nearby you should totally check it out. Grab a beer, a chicken sandwich and who knows, maybe even some art? 

For more information, including a list of this year's winners, check out www.spiercontemporary.co.za 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

10 foods you thought were bad for you that actually aren't

The problem nowadays is that everyone has an opinion. Look, that's just my opinion. I find it's especially true when it comes to health though. You can pick up a magazine one day that tells you what is good/bad for you only to pick up a newspaper the following week with a totally contradictory article. It's tough and confusing. Over the years I have read lots of articles about foods that you thought were healthy but actually aren't. That's fine, but what I always want to tell people is foods that are supposed to be UNHEALTHY but are actually fine in moderation. Recently I was sent an article by The Other Guy Who Can Cook which deals with some of these food types. I think it was published in the UK Style magazine but can't be sure. I'm throwing a lot of my own interpretation in there too so it's not reaaaaaaallly plagerism. More like borrowing and adding. Yes, that's a much better way to put it. 

So here we go peeps, brace yourself for some good news. Here are 10 foods that you always thought were the devil. Turns out, they are actually really good for you. 

1. Cheese. Yes, I know cheese is high in fat. It's also high in calcium and certain proteins that carry amino acids, some of which have been linked to prevention of diseases like cancer. So as long as you don't eat a piece of camembert the size of a hockey puck every night you'll be fine. 

2. Chocolate. The theory behind chocolate being good for you is a little bit of a dangerous one. See...it has recently been argued that chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants which help prevent a number of things from heart disease to premature aging. This is true, but only partly. The antioxidants are really only found in high-quality dark chocolate (70% or more). So if you buy a cheap bar of chocolate and eat it because you read somewhere that it was healthy you're kidding yourself. As with cheese, you should only have a little bit of the good stuff. 

3.  Red meat. Again, it CAN be high in fat. But what is important is that it doesn't have to be. And with red meat it is easy to see when it is. Marbled meat is f-ing delicious but it is also higher in fat so be careful. Eat it sparingly and choose leaner cuts if you are trying to be healthy. 

4. Carbs. Who can honestly tell me they can survive without carbs? (If you answered "me" then piss off. You're lying.) Carbs are actually extremely important. The right type of carbs. It's all about sugar. With processed carbs, like white bread and sugary cereals, there is a surge in sugar levels followed by a very sudden crash which can lead to cravings.  Rather go for wholegrains, quinoa, oats etc. 

5. Dried fruit. Surely by now we all know you are supposed to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Come on, EVERYBODY knows that. The confusion comes with things like tinned fruit, frozen fruit and juices. Well, dried fruit is absolutely fine but because of the fact that it has "shrunk" you should just watch how much you are chowing. Dried fruit can give you fiber and plenty of minerals and vitamins. 

6. Avocadoes. I actually hope you already know these are good for you. Some people steer clear of them because of their high fat content but what they don't know is the fact that the fat in avo's is mono-unsaturated fat which is "the good fat". It helps with cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and on top of that most mono-unsaturated fats are packed with vitamin E. 

7. Butter. Most people think margarine is healthier than butter. Most people are wrong. They both contain similar amounts of fat. As with avo's it is the TYPE of fat that is important. True, most margarines are made from unsaturated fat but some contain transfats which is like the Hitler of fats. Honestly, you don't want to see transfats anywhere on a diet. Basically the deal here is neither butter nor fat is healthy, so use them sparingly. Definitely don't use margarine thinking you are taking the better option - that is not necessarily true. 

8. Coffee. I can't touch it, but research lately seems to be showing that a cup of coffee can speed up the metabolism process as well as the obvious other benefits of increasing endurance, performance and stamina. (sounds like the researchers mixed up their papers with the work they did on viagra)

9. Sugar. This is only healthy when compared to sweeteners. The problem with sweeteners is that when the body takes them in it prepares itself for more calories. If these don't arrive the body then needs more food or burns less energy. Both result in weight being added on, not lost. If you have to get a sweet kick, rather do it naturally.

10. Late-night snacks. For years the argument has been that if you eat late at night your body doesn't have time to burn off the calories. Common sense says that what is way more important is how many calories you eat throughout the day. If you go to bed having eaten less calories than you have burned, you are absolutely fine. So have a little something before you go to bed. Just don't have a big something. Simple, no?

Sho, that was quite a post. Maybe not as funny/interesting as some of my others but definitely something important that I feel strongly about. Food is there to be enjoyed and people need to keep that in mind. You can be health-orientated without deprivation. Just reward yourself with the good-quality products and eat them in moderation. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Taste of Cape Town - A double ticket could be yours

Okay kids, gather round. I'm sitting here holding two double tickets for this year's Taste of Cape Town Festival, which takes place on the 24th-28th of March. I wrote about this event last year (here) and can safely say it is an awesome day out and needs to be experienced if you consider yourself (a) Capetonian (b) a foodie or (c) both. 

Because I feel the way I do about you guys (we really have taken things to the next level lately don't you think?) I am giving these tickets away. They are valued at R160 per double ticket and could be yours. All you have to do is send me a recipe or a restaurant review that makes me smile/cry/applaud/laugh/pump fist in air etc. Basically you need to send me something that gets a reaction. I'm telling you not to be boring peeps. Do you hear me? Do you feel me? Good. 

I will pick one winner for a recipe submission and one for a restaurant review. They don't need to be long, they just need to be brilliant. 

If you still need convincing of exactly how cool this event is, check out their website on www.tasteofcapetown.com 

I'll announce the winners on Monday, the 1st of March. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

AlcoFree Feb - For South Africans Against Drunk Driving

My general response to anyone mentioning a "detox month" has in the past been to stick my fingers in my ears and run away screaming. So you can imagine how much thought I've given to what I am about to announce:

I will not be boozing for the month of February. 

Let.

It. 

Sink.

In. 

But wait, let's explore what on earth would make me feel like I need to do this. The answer is...I'm doing it for a good cause. You see, there is a charity set up which is aimed at promoting awareness for the South Africans Against Drunk Driving campaign. Now, I'm not going to get all high and mighty and start preaching about how bad South Africans are with drinking and driving but I honestly do believe we must be one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to this. In London or Australia if you have a glass of wine or two at lunch they call you a taxi. It might seem silly but that's how it should be done. In South Africa it's not uncommon to check someone drink his own bodyweight in brandy and then drive himself home. But as I said, this isn't a lecture. It's more about championing what I feel is a great idea. You donate R50 to sign up and here is the best part: YOU CAN THEN BUY DAYS YOU ARE ALLOWED TO DRINK ON FOR R20! 

"So Jamie, you can cheat?" 

Damn right you can. The way I see it, the more you cheat the more money you donate so it's win/win. Look, I'm going to try and hold out for as long as possible but with The Big Man's wedding to C-Dog and The Queen's birthday (not to mention So-So also having a birthday and no less than three more weddings this month) I'm bound to fall off the wagon once or twice. The beauty with this campaign is that you're allowed to. All it costs is R20 a pop. 

For more info log onto http://www.alcofreefeb.co.za/

It's going to be bloody hard but let's stay strong together people. Safety in numbers. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Racist. Bigot. Loser.

The best part of this blog is when I get an e-mail or comment from one of my readers saying how much they enjoyed a review or a recipe. Look, sometimes they won't enjoy something I write and if they put their point of view across in an intelligent, logical way then I appreciate it. This blog is only my opinion after all. It's not like I try and pretend to know more, or that my opinion matters more. All that said, every now and then you get someone commenting on something in a way that is totally unnecessary. One particular idiot had a go at not only me (which I could have handled) but also at our beautiful country. He was a racist and a bigot and his closed-mindedness was exceeded only by his stupidity. Yesterday I had had enough. I tweeted about it and asked people what they thought. Well...the response was awesome. Please feel free to click on the link below to check out what all the fuss is about. And...of course don't be shy to have a little dig yourselves. It's wankers like this that I have no time for. 

http://jamiewhatshisname.blogspot.com/2009/08/conrad-gallagher-celebrity-chef-does.html

Cheers,

Jamie Who

Restaurant ratings - Let's first get apples and apples

So it turns out rating these restaurants is going to be quite a lot of work. I've got 64 of them to get through so far. Thanks to everyone who wrote and left suggestions on what they would like to see points get allocated for. 

The first step has been to categorise the restaurants (check out the new tags on the right). That way when you guys log on you can say "mmm...I think I'm up for a little bit of fine dining" and click on it to compare apples and apples. I should point out that these definitions are what the restaurant is SUPPOSED to be, not necessarily what I experienced. For example, Ocean Basket is grouped as "Cheap & Cheerful" when in fact I found it to be neither. 

There are bound to be differences of opinion as to some of the restaurants and which category I have put them in. Let me know when you come across these and we can talk. I threw in the drinks tag because some of the places are well worth just stopping by for a Jack Black or a glass of bubbly, even if you're not eating. 

The actual restaurant ratings will come shortly. Patience my lovelies. Patience. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who

The new superfoods

If you, like me, ate and drank way too much over the holidays hopefully you have already begun the road to recovery in the form of eating properly again and hitting the gym/pool/road/mountain trail/boxing ring etc. I exercise throughout the festive season and I try to be healthy most of the time but the diet is what is hardest to control. Booze is everywhere, you are always eating out and, let's face it, sometimes life is just too short to constantly be worried about what you eat. 

When I get back to the real world I get super-strict with what I eat and find a little bit of a detox goes a long way to repairing the damage caused. I've heard of people taking January or February as a dry month and not touching booze at all but I'm a realist. I know I could never do that so I prefer to look to food to do the detox for me. Loads of fruit and vegetables packed with anti-oxidants. That's the ticket. So I really appreciated The Other Guy Who Can Cook sending me a list from UK's Life & Style of the latest "superfoods". Look, the jury is still out as to exactly how potent the so-called superfood group is but I always find it interesting to check out the latest magic food. It seems stuff like raw chocolate, goji-berries and acai powder are "so last season". Check out these new weird and wonderful items...

1. The Maqui Berry. Apparently this little berry has the most antioxidants around due to it's dark purple colour. It supposedly helps prevent premature aging. It also aids in weight-loss. You can find it growing in Chile and Argentina. I'm not sure when Kauai/Sumo will throw them into a smoothie though...

2. Matcha. You know how much I dig a cup of tea by now surely? Green, white, oolong. I love them all. Well, matcha is like green tea on steroids. It is a concentrated version of all the health benefits (increased metabolism, higher energy levels, anti-stress etc.) and is an electric green colour. 

3. Dulse. Okay, this one is surely a longshot. Dulse is a dried red seaweed that has ridiculous amounts of calcium, iodine, potassium, magnesium, iron and vitamins. They recommend sprinkling it over soups and salads. 

4. Muscadine grapes. You might struggle to find these guys but they actually contain more antioxidants than blueberries. They claim to protect from certain types of cancer and are a good source of fiber. 

5. Salba seeds. A complete form of amino acids, these seeds are a bit of a miracle snack. They are a superfood I see as being more accessible and easily sprinkled into salads or smoothies or just eaten like nuts. They are from the Aztecs and Mayans who I believe also love a bit of quinoa (also a superfood). 

6. Mangosteens. These might also be a bit of a problem getting out hands on...unless you're in Asia. Apparently they taste really good and are gaining in popularity. The antioxidant count is through the roof and the biggest advantage seems again to be fighting off various cancers. 

7. Teff. Another one that we might actually see pretty soon. Teff is a teensy tiny African grain that you mix into flour for added nutrients when baking. I reckon you could easily stir it into soups or even oats in the morning. It is high in protein, calcium, fiber and iron. 

8. Acerola. Another miracle fruit, this time from Mexico. I'm hoping they start producing Acerola juice as it contains more than 30 times the amount of Vitamin C (necessary to prevent premature aging and great for boosting your immune system) than a glass of OJ. 

Phew, that was quite a post. A little education coming at you today. Who said we just ate and drank and cooked stuff here at Jamie Who? No sir. Let's hope we get to see some of these popping up in health shops in 2010. 

Cheers,

Jamie Who