Secret Underground Dinner

They gathered to experience Johannesburg inner-city at night: A secret underground dinner at an unknown venue accessible only by Uber…

In the vault of an ancient bank, white clad tables were hugged between forgotten, locked safety deposit boxes.
Mixologists served herbaceous gin and tonic by candle light below the dark pavement. During a brief walk about on Gandhi Square, historic facts about the ‘city of gold’ were shared.

 

Then the city dwellers descended back into the world of wonder below ground. The JoburgPlaces host, Gerald Garner, welcomed everyone, a poignant poem was orated by an African goddess and fragrant, delectable dishes followed.

Later on a buffet of sweet dreams lulled diners into temptation and the conversations circled around dining and the regeneration of the inner-city.

 

Much later, under the dark moon sky, they returned back to their four respective corners of Joburg.

They explored, they savoured and they loved it…

Photographs – Nikki Oberholzer @nikki_ob1

https://www.joburgplaces.com/

 

 

 

The annual Pinotage & Biltong Festival is coming to town!

Festivalgoers will enjoy “lekker” local delicacies at the annual Pinotage & Biltong Festival on 13 & 14 October 2018 at Leriba Hotel in Centurion.

Capetonian wine fundis, Björn and Cobie van Oort, have personally curated the selection of prime Pinotages paired with biltong. With International Pinotage Day on the 13th of October 2018, this festival also celebrates unusual styles of our South African grape varietal – white, pink, blended and even bubbly Pinotage!

The entrance fee includes a branded crystal tasting glass, a biltong cup and a pairing card – exceptional value with 18 top Pinotages paired with biltong and another 30 wines to taste and buy. Biltong from reputable Billa B & Co Biltong Deli will include droë wors, biltong, pork crackling and flavoured biltong. It will be a family friendly affair, with festive music and lawns for the little ones to roam. Dress code: Purple & white.

Plan your purple date to celebrate our heritage of Pinotage & biltong.

Tickets: http://www.computicket.com or http://www.plankton.mobi.

 Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – @PinoBiltongFest

 

From Russia, with Love.

There is more to Russian cuisine than potatoes and cabbage…

A while ago, six passionate foodies gathered again to share their dishes – Russian home cooked food this time. Having lived in Russia, Danielle was the hostess and alongside her husband Kobus, was flamboyantly dressed in Russian attire.

The dinner was kicked off with zakuski . This custom originated in country houses to which guests had to travel over long distances in below-zero weather. Guests could arrive at any hour – often unexpected. A table laden with zakuski provided guests with vodka shots and nibbles until a meal could be prepared and served.

Russian zakuski

Russian zakuski

Danielle, with her kokoshnik, recited an impressive Russian greeting and seated guests at a table laden with Russian memoirs and beautiful crystal and china.

Dinner followed with chicken Kiev, shaslik (lamb skewers grilled over the coals), braised cabbage and potatoes two ways. Russian ways – of course.

A Russian honey cake, lekakh, followed. Janie has skilfully assembled baked honey biscuit layers with crème fraiche. The companion for this soft, melting in the mount dessert was a cheese platter with traditional Russian elements – poppy seeds, pickles, dried cranberries and honey.

With warmed hearts and minds afresh with Russian customs, culture and cooked dishes, the guests departed.

Спокойной ночи

Fit skin for everyone!

Not only our bodies, but our skin too needs to be fit and healthy.

Dermaceutic has come up with a quick 10 minute workout for your skin to ensure healthy, fit skin:

Step 1 – 3 minutes

• Make-up removal – Advanced Cleanser

Step 2 – 2 minutes

• Power cleanse – Foamer 15

Step 3 – 2 minutes

• Mini peel – Mask 15

Step 4 – 1 minute

• Serum – Derma Lift/ Tri Vita C30/ Active Retinol 0.5 or 1.0

Step 5 – 1 minute

• Moisturiser- Hyal Ceutic/ Regen Ceutic

Step 6 – 1 minute

• Sun Protection- Sun Ceutic SPF 50+

A 10 minute workout for your skin!

For more information on Dermaceutic products and treatments, please contact Sonette on sonette@skinid.co.za or 0832505111

 

 

A view of Skyshadows

The Infinity Art Gallery in Nieu-Bethesda currently hosts the art exhibition Skyshadows by Joanne Reen & Dirkje Daling.

Local Bethesdians, tourists and visitors viewed the works of Joanne Reen and Dirkje Daling on the opening night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come join in viewing skyshadows at the Infinity Gallery in Nieu-Bethesda.

 

 

SkyShadows in Nieu-Bethesda

This past week the art exhibition of Joanne Reen & Dirkje Daling opened at the Infinity Art Gallery, Nieu-Bethesda. These two local, accomplished artists created art with and intriguing theme, skyshadows.

The first segment of Dirkje’s work, “Sky, are you listening?” asks the question: “To what extent do we have an influence on nature – not just by our actions, but by what we say, feel and are?”. She has used musical score to form vague portraits in the sky.

The other three segments of her work focus on shadows and plays with the fact that in the shadow world, two things that are close enough actually do become one.

Dirkje also incorporated burnt incense,  ceramic shards, dried/ pressed flowers and transparent paper.

 

Joanne’s work incorporates shadows to reflect the human experience within the landscape, where she portrays her emotive, environmental roots together with her engagement in the natural heritage of the Eastern Cape.

She indulged herself with colour therapy, loose playful brushwork and a more abstract, less serious subject matter.

Anxiety is raised between the dichomoty of wanting the work to resemble something, yet also the desire to capture carefree abandon of pure, emotive joy.

 

Come visit Nieu-Bethesda en-route to your holiday destination and listen and seek the sky and shadows…

Promo Video – Kom ons Braai

Viva Italia!

The best Italian dishes are not necessarily served in Italian restaurants…

A while ago, we gathered with a few fellow passionate Italian aficionados to share our home cooked Italian dishes with each other.

Having lived in Italy, Danielle was the most authentic Italian cook amongst us and she brought, besides her husband, a panettone, two pasta dishes and the Italian flag along!

At first we had to toast with an aperitif. Glasses of bittersweet Sanpellegrino chinotto soda were raised whilst we nibbled on savoury, circular biscuits from Southern Italy – known as taralli.

Janie repeated the tricoloured Italian flag in her assembly of antipasti – rounds of salami; glistening caper berries and olives; soft white cheese mounds topped with red pepper pesto and thin leaves of prosciutto.

Ludolf’s bruschetta with fragrant brinjals and roasted peppers followed. As we started to dish the long anticipated delicate layers of pasta and porcini, we filled our wine glasses with robust Barbera from Piedmont – a gift from dear friends.

The second pasta dish brought meat to the table, infused with roasted tomato and herbs. A fresh garden salad provided some added texture and colour.

An Italian classic, Tiramisu, adorned our green dessert bowls whilst we sipped on sweet Amaro, bought in Napoli. Janie is well know for her sweet delights.

 

And it was with pure delight that I opened my gift of Bonifante panettone weeks later. I used the golden, yeasty bread with candied orange and citron to create a heavenly bread and butter pudding – served with a butterscotch sauce.

Long live the Italian legacy …

 

 

Reminder – “Kom ons Braai”

You can watch us on Dstv channel 147 at 18h00 on Friday 01 December in “Kom Ons Braai”.

The repeats are scheduled for Friday 21h30; Saturday 09h30, 11h00 and 23h00; Sunday 18h00; Monday 06h00 and Tuesday 15h30.

You can vote on Facebook if you disagree with the outcome and stand a chance to win R1 000 https://www.facebook.com/viatvsa/