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Fabulous feast and fine wine
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May 15, 2009
By Bianca Coleman
Local and international chefs in action, tasty new food products and gadgets for the kitchen, hands-on workshops to teach you everything from cooking like a pro to making the perfectly decorated cappuccino, wine and beer routes, medicinal herbs, and even a "shopping creche" - it's all part of South Africa's longest-running annual food festival, the Good Food & Wine Show, which runs at the CTICC from May 28 to 31.
Ahead of that, however, is the associated charity event, The Table of Peace and Unity, which takes place on the slopes of Table Mountain this Sunday from noon.
It's a unique gathering of guests who get together to break bread, enjoy a three-course gourmet meal paired with award-winning wines, along with musical entertainment with the common goal of raising funds for child-related charities including Red Cross Children's Hospital and Tygerberg Children's Hospital in Cape Town, Bobbi Bear in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Copes Clinic in Soweto.
The vision of show director Christine Cashmore, to date the Table of Peace and Unity has raised more than R6-million, with a record R911 000 being raised in 2008.
Besides Table Mountain, similar events take place in Durban's Botanical Gardens, Freedom Park in Pretoria, at the Polokwane Game Reserve and in PE's Victoria Park, as well as homes and communities around the country.
Tickets to the Cape Town event range from R300 to R400 and include lunch prepared by Peter Tempelhoff, executive chef from the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel; Peter Robertson, executive chef for the CTICC; and Jerome Peters of the Granger Bay Hotel School, sponsored by Spekko Rice.
Joining Idols' Sasha Lee on stage will be Coda, Heinz Winckler, Louise Carver, Grammy award winners and Oscar 2009 performers the Soweto Gospel Choir, PJ Powers, Mara Louw, the Kholwa Brothers, Lungi Naidoo, Emmanuel Castis and the Gugulethu Tenors.
To be part of this experience and contribute to making a difference to a child's life contact Tanya Price at 021 797 4500 ext 116, see table of unity@gourmetsa.com or for information on a table near you see www.tableofpeaceandunity.com
For the Good Food & Wine Show itself, the organisers continually strive to bring visitors a combination of the tried and tested elements they have come to expect over the years, and new and interesting features.
Which is why you'll still find plenty of food products and tastings, the Chefs In Action Theatre featuring popular chef and TV personality Ainsley Harriot, and the popular hands-on workshops where participants will be able to learn the secrets of chefs like Michelin-starred Conrad Gallagher, BBC celebrity Brian Turner, Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, Mike Bassett, Skye Gyngell and Durban-born Marcos Giorgiou, executive chef at Jamie's Italian.
Gyngell is head chef at Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond, Surrey, where she cooks seasonal produce directly from the garden, prompting the From The Garden To The Kitchen feature at this year's show.
In addition to encouraging people to cook with the freshest possible ingredients with a minimal carbon footprint, there will also be advice on growing your own vegetables - and flat-dwellers with balcony gardens haven't been forgotten, as well as sustainability, recycling and how to live an all-round greener lifestyle.
2008's barista competition prompted a great deal of interest from show visitors, who will now be able to learn the art of a great, and beautiful, cup of coffee or cappuccino.
Coffee workshops will teach you everything you need to know, from what beans to buy to how to create those attractive designs in the milky froth.
Lessons will be given on basic espresso machines, the kind you would buy for your home, so there's no need to be intimidated by the giant, restaurant-style machines.
If cocktails are more your speed, mixologists will share their knowledge and expertise, while several restaurants will showcase their winter menus.
In the Nestle Gold lounge you'll be able to take advantage of a show special which combines a yummy chocolate hamper with a subscription to Top Billing magazine, and when you've shopped yourself to a standstill you can leave your purchases in the "shopping crèche" while you carry on tasting, sipping and sampling.
The Beer Route will showcase a wide range of premium local and imported beers, an interactive theatre forum hosting educational talks by international master brewers, a beer pouring competition, and beer and food pairing events.
It almost goes without saying that a wide variety of South Africa's best wines will be available for tasting and purchase, and in celebration of our love of al fresco entertaining, the humble braai will be elevated to new heights with the latest in outdoor cooking appliances and gourmet braai recipes.
Tickets are R75 for adults and R35 for children under 12 and pensioners. See www.gourmetsa.com
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