Greetings all,
We hope you are eating some good food...if you are, please let us know!
We are going pate crazy at the moment. For the last 5 weeks Oded has been like a little kid in a candy store and what he’s been coming up with has been truly amazing. From a sales perspective we can’t seem to make enough of them – Stellenbosch, Earth Fair and the Biscuit Mill markets have been lapping them up! Oded’s latest creation is a venison pate (fallow deer) with bay leaves, prunes, cloves and gin. The chicken liver is pretty exceptional – heavy on the brandy and butter which makes all the difference. Although the best seller is the country pate – mainly pork belly and finished off in streaky bacon – a very decadent delight. If that was not enough, Oded made an English brawn (with tongue – delicious with a bit of our new wholegrain orange mustard and a squeeze of lemon) and the classic patcha (made from cows trotters...didn’t think I would like this one, but it is quite exceptional).
We are starting to sell the pates through our deli clients and they should soon be available at most of our stockiest.
Lewis said it all; it is wonderfully rewarding to work with really good ingredients. The game is superb, both the fallow deer which I got from Rudi’s and warthog I got from Salvin were lean flavorsome meats that is a pleasure to work with. I am still looking for good pork and especially nice streaky bacon…
Jewish Festivals (Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur)
The major Jewish festivals are only a month away. To make your life easy, Oded’s Kitchen will be catering for the festivals again this year. The menu is below, please pop us a mail if you would like to discuss an order – we can cater for any size group.
Herrings
Danish Herring with a twist - made with our home made gherkins, fresh pineapple and our special ginger relish
Mustard Herring – Matjes fillets marinated in mustard flavoured crème fraiche and chopped fresh Apple & dill
Chopped Herring – the traditional way with Marie biscuits, fresh apple and hard boiled eggs
Chopped chicken liver – fresh chicken and caramelized onion and hard boiled eggs and a little brandy are used to make this delicious traditional starter
Mains
Stuffed Cabbage (Holishkes) – sweet and sour cabbage leaves stuffed with either mushroom (suitable for vegetarians) or beef
Brisket tzimmes – pickled brisket, potatoes and prunes are used to make this favorite Rosh Hashanah speciality.
Salads
Cabbage - Lightly pickled cabbage salad
Cabbage Strudel – sweet and sour cabbage encased in a puff pastry
Potato Kugel – made with light olive oil which makes it marginally healthier - flavored with parsley and caraway seeds.
Pickled Aubergine – made with wine vinegar, celery and garlic – looks impressive and has a lovely flavour.
Tabouleh –Oded’s interpretation of the classic parsley, mint, onion classic
Sweets
Orange and almond cake - rich almond sponge, soaked in orange and vanilla flavoured alcoholic syrup and topped with shavings of crystallized orange peel
Fruit Meringue - dark chocolate coated shells, this makes them last longer, filled with fresh or enriched pastry cream and decorated with fresh fruit and chocolate wafers
Spicy honey cake – dark fynbos honey, sugar and spice makes this light spongy version of the classic
Cheese Blintzes – delicate crepes filled with curd cheese, rum soaked raisins and cake crumbs.
Ingberlach – carrots, fresh ginger and pecan nut sweetmeats.
Platzlach – apricot and orange sweetmeats
Condiments & Dips
Chrain – traditional horseradish and beetroot
Sweet and sour gherkins (Tannie Zelda’s) – sweet and sour infused with garlic, dill and a mild chilli.
Mayonnaise (free range eggs and olive oil) – rich, creamy and delicious.
Baonnaise – our unique mayonnaise made from the fruit of the Baobab tree and uses no eggs (cholesterol free and vegan friendly)
Hummus – being of Israeli origins, this is Oded’s Israeli, gourmet hummus
Baba Ganoush – smoky aubergine based dip – a nice compliment to hummus.
Mohammrah – of the three dips, this is the spicy one, made with walnuts, chillis and red peppers, packs a punch and sits alongside the hummus very nicely.
Cooking Classes in August
Preserving Cooking Class
Date: 15 August 2010
Time: 11am to 3pm (depending on cooking time)
Venue: Oded's Kitchen (The Old Biscuit Mill, 373 Albert Rd, Salt River)
Cost: R400
Contact: Lewis@odeds-kitchen.co.za
021 447 0400
A very hands-on, informative cooking class where participants (limited to 8 max) will learn how to make 3 different types of preserves: marmalade (Brown Sugar 3-Citric), salsa (3-Tomato) and a pickle (Tannie Zelda's).
Oded will begin the class with a tasting session of part of the current range and then go into quite some detail about the history of preserving.
You need to only bring yourself and everything else will be provided - aprons, utensils (bring a favourite knife if you have one), recipes, a snack lunch and take home of 3 jars of preserves (that you have make during the class).
Traditional Jewish Cooking Class
Date: 29 August (11am to 3pm)
Time: 11am to 3pm (depending on cooking time)
Venue: Oded's Kitchen (The Old Biscuit Mill, 373 Albert Rd, Salt River, CT)
Cost: R400
Contact: Lewis@odeds-kitchen.co.za
021 447 0400
This hands-on cooking class will introduce participants (limited to 8) to the tastes, smells and flavours of traditional Jewish cooking. If you are a total newbie to Jewish cooking or have been doing it for years this class is aimed at you. Oded centers the class on a 3 course meal (chicken liver, holishkes, potato kugel and cheese blintzes) with his own personal twist on these classics. Oded manages to combine traditional cooking with a touch of the gourmet ensuring these dishes are something quite special. He will begin the class with a short lecture about Jewish cuisine and how it is influenced by the local people and produce.
You need to only bring yourself and everything else will be provided - aprons, utensils (bring a favourite knife if you have one), recipes, a snack lunch and take home of a portion of the meal that you make during the class.
New Products in August
Pates – Venison (this week is Fallow deer/takbok), Country (Pork), Smooth Chicken Liver.
Sweets: Rooibos Panecotta, Crème Caramel, Coffee Pot, Gooseberry Fool, Glaceed Chillis
Preserves: Pickled Beetroot, Guava & Vanilla Jelly
Mustard: Wholegrain Citric (Navel orange)
Markets
This weekend we will be at the following markets: (all market times are 9am to 2pm unless otherwise stated)
Biscuit Mill – at the shop we will always have the largest range. We will also be trying out a couple of new products, so even if you came last weekend, there will be something new and very delicious in store.
Stellenbosch – no excuses for not giving this market a visit. Quality-wise it rivals the Biscuit Mill, experience-wise I think it surpasses the Biscuit Mill. The type of market you can go to with your baby or dog and not feel claustrophobic. Food is the main thrust of the market, but there is also a very nice craft and décor section.
Earth Fair Market – one of CT’s hidden gems...a great array of food and they have a fantastic bar that serves only organic wines and micro-brewery beer. It’s indoors as opposed to some of the other markets in the area so is always open. It’s also CT’s only weekly night market (Wed 3pm to 8pm)
Job Opportunities
Summer is approaching and we are looking for outgoing personalities who love food to help us (wo)man a stall at a market.
You need not have any experience, but it will help if you know about food, are sales orientated, and have access to reliable transport.
Bits & Bobs
Fruit on your tree and don’t know what to do with it? We will happily take it off your hands and exchange it for finished products if we can use it.
Empty jars? Bring them back to the shop for a discount on your next purchase. We are trying very hard to do as little harm to the environment as a result of doing business and this is one way you can help us.
Recipe - Smooth Chicken Liver Pate
As I am in Pate mood the following is a smooth version of the traditional chopped chicken liver with a contemporary twist.
500 gr. (1 lb.) liver (chicken, calf, goose or a mixture of poultry offal)
2 hard boiled eggs
150g onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. schmaltz (vegetarian or otherwise)
Salt
Pepper
‘Oded’s Kitchen’ onion marmalade
Heat the fat in a heavy frying pan. Fry the onion until nicely browned. Add the liver and fry until it is done but still pink inside. Add salt and pepper.
Place the ingredients in the food processor and process into a smooth past. If the liver is too dry, moisten with some melted schmaltz.
Pack into small ramekins cover and chill. Before serving spoon some onion marmalade on top and serve with toast or crackers.
That’s all for now, eat, drink and be merry
Oded, Lewis and the team at Oded’s Kitchen
