Woolworths TASTE

LATELY, I’VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT FAMILIES AND FOOD. Not just our food heritage – the recipes we cherish because they are the legacy of those we love. Or the dishes that evoke memories of family occasions. I was thinking about the unremarkable, everyday meals we cook and eat with our families, the ones that are so routine they often feel like a chore. And then I remember the early months of the pandemic. My overriding memory of that time was how much I missed my mom and my sister. (They were in quarantine after a trip to the US.) I also missed Tina, our wondeful, gentle nanny whose patience with Holly, especially at mealtimes, amazes me every day. I missed the ritual of weekend braais, of meeting for pizza or…

PAN-FRIED TOMATOAND-DHAL SOUP “This is my go-to feelgood, comforting soup. Make a lot and freeze in individual portions. It’s a great way to use up lots of tomatoes.” Serves 2 to 4 EASY GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 40 minutes ghee 2 Tonion 1, roughly choppedgarlic 3 cloves, crushedgreen chilli 1, crushedginger 1 t crushedcurry leaves 1 sprigWoolworths hot curry spice 1 Tripe tomatoes, 4, quarteredvegetable stock 2 cupswater 1 cupred lentils 300 gsalt, to tasteWoolworths rotis, warmed, for serving 1 Heat the ghee in a large saucepan and sweat the onion and garlic for 10 minutes. Add the chilli, ginger, curry leaves and spice and cook for 5 minutes. 2 Add the tomatoes and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the stock and water and reduce for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and cook…

Confetti cake. Crack pie. Cereal milk ice cream. If you haven’t heard of Christina Tosi, of NYC’s Milk Bar, you are not a confectionery connoisseur, obvs. Her latest achievement? The pancake layer cake – comprising brown-butter cake, brown-butter cookie butter, brown-butter crumbs and maple frosting. Here, we pay homage with a cheat’s version (using Woolies staples) for which you won’t need a pastry chef’s diploma. Visit taste.co.za to see our spin on the original, which includes another current obsession: burnt butter caramel (see overleaf for the recipe). PHOTOGRAPH JAN RAS PRODUCTION BIANCA STRYDOM FOOD ASSISTANT ELLEN SCHWERDTFEGER…

Golden brown Move over salted caramel. Brown-butter caramel is the new kid on the block. Just ask international coffee conglomerate Starbucks, who’ve made it one of their new frappuccino flavours. Why the fuss? Cooking butter slightly past its melting point yields a rich, intensely nutty flavour that sings with the sweet-bitter notes of a good home-made caramel sauce. Intrigued? Give it a whirl. BROWN BUTTER CARAMEL SAUCE Melt 6 T butter in a small saucepan over a low to medium heat, swirling the pan frequently until it separates and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once it’s golden brown and smells nutty, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place 200 g sugar in a pan over a medium heat and melt. When dark and caramel-coloured, whisk in the cooled…

“ A treat after fasting is welcomed, but this month teaches us about having less, so we try not to be excessive ”– Mariam Harris Dates: “Universally found on everyone’s Iftar table, dates are the perfect food to break your fast – they’re easily digestible and energise the body.” Soup: “A split pea, barley and vegetable soup is always on our table. I use grass-fed beef bones to make a rich soup base packed with collagen.” Samoosas: “I use my air-fryer to fry my samoosas, which reduces the amount of oil used and saves me time, too.” Manakish and labneh: “While these aren’t traditional, my children love this combo. When my eldest started fasting for the full day, he put in a request for this and it’s become a staple.” Water and fruit: “Hydration, fibre…

What is it? The condiment’s invention in 1837 in the English city of Worcester was the result of a happy accident after chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins abandoned a vat of sauce they’d concocted, but found inedible. After 18 months of fermentation, the mixture of malt vinegar, anchovies, molasses, sugar, tamarind, onions, garlic and spices had mellowed and deepened in flavour to become the pantry staple we know today. On the table It might be polarising, but lovers of Worcestershire sauce maintain that it deserves a place in your regular condiment line-up. We agree! Splash it on your breakfast fry-up, boerie rolls, fresh oysters, vegetable soup, you name it. With tomato Tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce are best friends, which is why a couple of shots is indispensable in Bloody Marys, gazpacho, Marie…