Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2025 i Woolworths TASTE

THIS MAY BE INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO SOME, BUT I AM GOING TO SAY IT: I DON'T REALLY LIKE PEPPERMINT CRISP TART. I realise this is tantamount to admitting to not supporting the Springboks, but it's the truth. I was emboldened by Khanya's confession about matcha in her incredible Japanese food odyssey (p 108). It's not just the fact that it isn't a tart as much as it is several layers of unset filling on top of biscuits, while, in my opinion, a tart should hold its shape with the help of eggs or heat or time in the freezer. It's also the mint. I don't have an issue with mint in a salad, or with yoghurt and slivers of pink lamb in a shawarma. I could even tolerate it in Greek-style…

BUBBLY CONVERSATION The all-rounder ingredient that's been hiding in plain sight? Bubbles. Hear us out. Beyond the flute, the bracing acidity, natural sweetness and nutty, biscuity aromas of Cap Classique, Prosecco and sparkling wine are pitch perfect in everything from chilled soups and zingy vinaigrettes to sophisticated desserts (rosé bubbly over ClemenGold sorbet, anyone?). Flip the page to incorporate more wine to your diet.…

How they work The salt content seasons and draws moisture from the surface of the meat, yielding a savoury crust – or “bark” – and succulent interior. The sugar component promotes caramelisation of the exterior and enhances the savoury flavour. The spices impart their flavour during the seasoning stage and on the coals, when the heat activates the various volatile flavour compounds, which perfume the smoke. Rub rules More is more: dry rubs should be applied liberally, more so than regular seasoning. The rule of thumb is to add 1 T for every 500 g of meat or fish. Keep it dry: pat your meat or fish dry with kitchen paper to ensure that the rub sticks to it. Prep ahead: apply your dry rub early enough for optimum flavour…

Stay for Supper: Laid-back Vegetarian Food to Share by Xanthe Ross (Hardie Grant) There are so many vegetarian dishes you'll want to make in Stay for Supper, it's unwise to start marking favourites: our copy soon had a veritable forest of Post-Its sticking out of it. Easy to make yet crowd-pleasing, the recipes range from inventive soups – from squash, carrot and miso to roasted tomato, thyme and butter bean – to moreish mains (chickpeas in puttanesca sauce, anyone?) and inventive yet obviously satisfying salads. And save room for dessert: our picks include a luscious chocolate mousse and the brown butter apple tarte tatin. The four seasonal menu suggestions make entertaining that much more of a breeze… Kapusta: Veg-centric Cooking from Eastern Europe by Alissa Timoshkina (Hardie Grant) “Kapusta” means…

“It is a very ugly salad. You will get a fright, it is such an ugly salad.” The teenage Greek waiter had concerns; his words, his tone of voice and troubled eyes told us this. “But,” he continued, “if you take the ugly salad and you eat it, you will taste such deliciousness. You will be so happy that you took a chance on the ugly salad.” The ugly salad in question was the Sifnos kaparosalata, a salad that is actually closer to a dip, made from salted capers, fried onions and olive oil. How could we resist? And so we ordered the unsightly salad, found it to be truly delicious and told the teenager how much we liked it. With a broad smile he said, “My grandmother made it.”…

INSIDE SCOOP For the smoothest ice cream imaginable, strain the custard base before and after cooking, and always switch to a clean saucepan before adding your tempered egg yolks. MALVA PUDDING-ANDCUSTARD ICE CREAM “It is time to settle the debate: do you serve malva pudding with custard or ice cream? Why not both – but blended into one ridiculously easy, outrageously dreamy scoop? This five-ingredient wonder takes Woolies’ readymade malva and folds it through fresh custard before churning it all into the most decadent ice cream ever. Your favourite Sunday pudding just got a frozen glow-up…” Serves 10 to 12 EASY GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes, plus 4-6 hours’ churning and freezing time Woolworths malva pudding 1 x 430 g full-cream milk 1 cup sea salt a generous pinch Woolworths fresh custard with…

“Mango salsa and a spicy fish cake are brought together with a coconut dressing – spring on a plate” THAI-STYLE SALMON-AND-HAKE FISH CAKE WITH RADISH-AND-MANGO SALSA AND SPICY COCONUT DRESSING “Spring on a plate: vibrant ripe mango salsa with a spicy fish cake, all brought together with a tropical coconut dressing.” Serves 4 EASY Preparation: 40 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes Woolworths Norwegian salmon portions 250 g, skin removed Woolworths hake portions 250 g, skin removed  Woolworths Blue Elephant red curry paste 70 g coriander 20 g, roughly chopped salt, to taste Woolworths panko breadcrumbs 500 g canola oil 4 T For the mango-and-radish salsa, mix: Woolworths mango snack pots 2 x 180 g, cut into chunks radishes 150 g, thinly sliced red chilli 1, sliced into rings spring onion 1, thinly sliced coriander 10 g, roughly chopped lime 1, juiced…

“Since moving to the Lowveld last year, I've embraced the art of cooking over the fire. It's such a beautiful way to prepare food, and has taught me to go back to basics, work with cleaner flavours, and keep the meat the hero by not overpowering it with too many textures and marinades. We entertain outdoors at every opportunity, so these are a few favourite dishes – from perfectly braaied skilpadjies and carpaccio-style venison to the juiciest frikkadels – that always make the cut when we braai.” HARISSA-AND-HONEY OSTRICH ESPETADAS WITH TAHINI SAUCE AND CLEMENGOLD SALAD “This is one of my favourite ways to eat ostrich. Marinating the meat overnight is a game-changer. The honey slightly caramelises on the outside of the ostrich and the smokiness of the paprika is…

“This milk tart-style dessert serves 12, so it's perfect for weekend entertaining” – Abigail Donnelly ABI'S FAMOUS GOOEY PAVLOVA WITH POACHED PEACHES “Every time I make this pavlova it turns out a little bit differently, but it's always gooey and delicious, and my friends and family adore it.” – Abigail Donnelly Serves 8 EASY GREAT VALUE Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 3 hours free-range eggs 12, separated caster sugar 660 g full-cream yoghurt, for serving For the poached peaches: ripe peaches 12 caster sugar 400 g verjuice 3 cups vanilla pod 1, split lengthways bay leaves 4 rose-water, to taste (optional) 1 Preheat the oven to 120°C. Place the egg whites into a very clean bowl. Beat until frothy, then gradually add the sugar. Beat until the meringue is thick, white and a glorious mass. Using a large…

What's happening online? @WWTaste If you weren't thinking of signing up to another newsletter, we are here to tell you to reconsider. Even if you'd rather sign up to receive fewer emails, or at least fewer passive aggressive “reminders” from colleagues who know very well you would've done it already, if you weren't trying to get through your inbox. We think you should be getting ours. Why? Because we can add a little joy to your inbox, to balance out the less-fun stuff. How do we know we can do this? Our readers tell us. Our newsletter beats all the benchmarks: open rates, click-throughs – we're nailing them all. We like to think it's because our subscribers like us so much as people, but if we're honest, it's probably all…

POUR YOUR HEART OUT Whisk together 6 T sparkling wine (Brut or rosé), 1 T white wine vinegar and 1 t each honey and Dijon mustard until combined. Slowly drizzle in 6 T extra virgin olive oil while whisking. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle over roasted beetroot, chopped toasted almonds and rocket; sliced ripe peaches, basil and torn buffalo mozzarella; or sliced heirloom tomatoes and capers. BORN TO BE WILD Chef Bertus Basson – he of multi-award-winning eateries – has done it again with Ongetem, his first establishment in Cape Town's CBD. The flavour-forward sharing plates are famously “free of pea shoots, foam and drama” and approved by Jamie Oliver (check their Insta). Plus, the signature craft cocktails and Diesel and Dust draught…

Coffee order I make my first cup of the day in a three-cup Chemex, using medium to dark roast beans. Never before 11 am, and I rarely have a second cup. Lagos (long) haul The first thing I have after touch down is the tiger-nut milk that I know will be in my mom's fridge. I also smuggle tiger nuts back on the plane home, because they remind me of childhood. That, and a variety of herbs and roots – the names of which I sometimes don't even know – to make teas and tinctures. Sips of summer I always make a simple cucumber-lime agua fresca. And I recently developed a coconut limeade that will run on the New York Times’ cooking app soon! What's chilling in the fridge? I…

Make a herbal syrup * with 200 g sugar and 1 cup water. Add 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 fresh or dried bay leaves, 8–10 crushed juniper berries (find them in the spice aisle at Woolies) and a few curls of lemon peel. Simmer until syrupy and fragrant. Cool and strain. Place a slice of fresh lemon in a tumbler. Add 2 T herbal syrup, or to taste. Muddle with ice. Top with dry tonic water (or half tonic, half sparkling water for less sweetness). Add 2 pitted Manzanilla olives, threaded onto a sprig of rosemary or a toothpick. Finish with a splash of olive brine, stir and enjoy! *The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.…

Diwali is a celebration that simmers at the very heart of my cultural identity. It has always been more than just a festival to me: Diwali is a season steeped in tradition, aroma and emotion. This is a celebration during which stories are told not just through ritual, but through recipes; where the true language of love is spoken in layers of flavour and texture. From my earliest memories in India to my present-day life in South Africa, the essence of Diwali has remained a comforting and vibrant presence in my home. A time when domestic kitchens across the diaspora transform into bursting sweet shops, alive with the aromas of roasting spices, caramelising sugar, and the buttery notes of ghee. When I was a child, Diwali was a sensory feast.…

“I think the smell of a braai is the sexiest cologne ever, ” says Ashleigh Frans. “Braaiing is not always attractive – you're sweaty and not usually looking your best, but cooking this way is my love language. So, I'll happily braai for you and bring the flavour and the love.” Ash and her life and business partner, Strone Henry, are the duo behind Side Wing, which achieved food-cult status in Cape Town during the pandemic, answering the calls of flavour-deprived punters from their kitchen in Ottery. At their peak, they were cooking and selling 200 kg of chicken wings and 150 kg of pork ribs every day. Their doughnut burger (a brioche doughnut with a mustard glaze, and a chicken or beef patty) went viral long before KFC's version.…

1 Lightly smoked whole snoek With firm flesh and subtle flavour, snoek is great when prepared over the coals. The alternative: Tilapia Also firm-fleshed, tilapia is ideal for braaiing, grilling, steaming, frying or baking, and it takes on smoky or other flavours very well. 2 Yellowtail Mild flavour, with dense flesh that really does well with absorbing robust flavour. The alternative: Kingklip Buttery, flaky and dense with a delicate flavour, this fish is truly a treat. It is on the orange list, however, so it needs to be sustainably sourced, which at Woolworths, it always is. 3 Crayfish We love sweet, tender West Coast rock lobster on the braai, but it's only available at certain times of the year and is strictly controlled. The alternative: Woolies frozen cooked shell-on large…

Tokyo, especially Shinjuku, has the type of hypomanic, sleepless energy that really draws a chaotic somebody like me in. I feel 20 again. Wet behind the ears. I'm a novice traveller, so Japan was a monumental leap. I was curious about how the air would feel. These were no regular molecules. Songs that I'd listened to a thousand times back home sounded thicker and richer. Everything felt mesmerising, like seeing a new colour. Visiting Japan is a bit like coming back from AfrikaBurn. You'll be insufferable for a few weeks, until time snaps you back to your local settings. Prejudices forcibly fall away. Your curiosity about the world is fortified. I feel a little sad paraphrasing my food dad, Anthony Bourdain, but all my guesses about this place and its…

“These slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone ribs have a smoky flavour, with the coffee in the dry rub adding richness and the cinnamon, a touch of sweetness” Middle East XXL LAMB RUMP SHAWARMA-AND-PEPPER KEBAP WITH HONEY-ANDTAHINI SAUCE “Richly spiced pieces of juicy meat are ideal for grilling over coals in the traditional manner. If you like, add quartered onions and/or dried apricots to the skewers, too.” Serves 6 EASY Preparation: 15 minutes plus 2 hours’ marinating time Cooking: 40 minutes lamb rump steaks 5 olive oil 4 T Woolworths Belazu shawarma paste 1 x 130 g jar red peppers 6, halved lengthways pita breads, charred, for serving For the honey-and-tahini sauce, whisk: honey 3 T Woolworths tahini 4 T warm water ¼ cup garlic 4 cloves, smashed dill 4 T, chopped salad onions 2, finely chopped sumac 1 T salt, to taste 1 Cut…

Fresh innovation Woolies is the only South African retailer to sell fresh – not frozen – skilpadjies. Caul fat is particularly delicate and highly sensitive to fluctuating temperatures, which is why it took Truitjie and her crack team of developers almost a year to perfect a production process featuring special preservation techniques and low, precisely controlled temperatures to ensure consistently top-shelf skilpadjies. Limited edition Skilpadjies are true delicacies, as each lamb yields just one liver and sheet of caul fat, making them naturally scarce. Even so, they're a consistent bestseller, with an average of 1 000 units sold per week. Master stroke The trick to a perfectly rendered, golden brown and crispy exterior, and tender, rich interior? A slow braai, approximately 30 cm above medium-hot coals, until the fat has…

The backstory The recipe was taught to Lindah by his close friend, mentor and “aunty-who-shouts-but-loves”, Gogo Nokulinda, but the dish wasn't so well received at first. “Goat meat is only served at traditional ceremonies in the Zulu culture, so it was initially met with resistance, not only by our customers but also our staff, particularly my mother Zandile, who is a cook at the restaurant,” recalls Lindah. Spoiler alert: it soon converted everyone – even more so because a portion of the proceeds of each serving goes to FOCUSCONGO, an NPO that helps women and children caught in ongoing unrest in the DRC. The stew Sourced from local farmers in Durban, the goat meat is simmered with peppers in salted water for 6 hours, then flavoured with a mirepoix of…

Real talk: it can be tricky to find a mocktail that's not laden with sugar or artificially sweetened. We're looking for something sophisticated that says: “I am a grown-up, enjoying a grown-up drink I won't regret later.” Enter an unlikely hero: tea. It provides body, flavour and depth, says Sam Ross, sommelier at award-winning Cape Town restaurant Salsify, which boasts a complete non-alcoholic drinks pairing built around tea. “It adds intensity to drinks, and it does something to the mouthfeel.” He's right – there's some alchemy at work here. Tea adds viscosity to a drink, especially if you're adding fizz or sparkle. Be prepared for some froth – a very fine, highly enjoyable, thick layer of almost beer-style foam. So, how to use tea (rooibos or black) in your nonalcoholic…

There are few things as inevitable on a Shabbat or Jewish holiday table as brisket. Ours carries the unmistakable imprint of generations, migrations and inherited instinct: flavours formed in Jewish homes across centuries, continents and kitchens. Slow-cooked meat in gravy or sauces has been a staple in Jewish kitchens for centuries. A way to transform humble cuts into something rich, tender and worthy of a holiday table. My mom's is a reflection of her sweet tooth and (slightly) chaotic style of cooking: Coca-Cola, a packet of brown onion soup, sugar, garlic, celery, carrots and sliced onions. My aunt, the middle sister, brings in the rich, fragrant notes typical of our family's roots in older Jewish kitchens – adding a touch of the Levant with orange juice, tomato purée, apricots and…

“It's gotta be true that we drink with our noses first, because the first whiff made my brain twitch” “I'm in such a ‘Let's grab a drink’ time of my life right now. I'm feeling outgoing and adventurous, and it's showing up in how I cook, too. You need to understand, I was not always this person. Whenever I'd get a drinks menu, I'd peruse the cocktail section for a while, knowing I'd probably end up ordering a Savanna, or the second-cheapest bubbles. But I also know that some of the most provocative, exciting culinary combinations reside on those pages of cocktails. A few of my favourite flavours – rhubarb, grapefruit, litchi, sage, bergamot – intermingle in the simplest, brightest and most creative ways. If you're ever in the Parks,…

It's Saturday; the horizon shimmers with heat. Someone has dragged a speaker out of the house and plugged it in. There's a crackle of burning pecan wood, distant laughter, and Monique Bingham's voice threads through the savoury, smoky air. Music means they're finally open. A regular who had swung by earlier returns and is visibly agitated when he discovers a crowd of people have already gathered around the chalkboard menu. This spot has rapidly become Soweto's most poorly kept secret. From dapper, bloodshot-eyed, Midrand magintsa in crisp polo shirts, to groups of snap-happy tourists and Chiawelo families in no mood to cook, travellers and locals alike flock from all corners of Joburg in hungry droves, headed for Mpho Nkomo's grandmother's four-room home, where he founded and has operated Something Smoked Roadhouse…

QUINOA, BABY FENNEL AND AVOCADO SALAD Serves 4 EASY GREAT VALUE Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: 20 minutes quinoa 180 g water 2 cups baby fennel 200 g, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthways firm, ripe avocado 1, thinly sliced toasted sunflower seeds 2 T Woolworths baby butter lettuce 80 g olive oil 2 T, for drizzling sunflower shoots, to garnish For the dressing, whisk: lemon juice 3 T garlic 1–2 cloves, crushed olive oil 8 T honey or maple syrup 1 t sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 Using a fine sieve, rinse the quinoa under running water very well, then drain well. 2 Turn into a suitable saucepan and add the water. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Turn…