FOOD TRENDS 2021

FEW industries are as shell-shocked by the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as that of the hospitality industry. The pandemic resulted in hundreds of thousands of eateries worldwide forced into temporary closure – many of which never re-opened – then allowed to operate with restrictions on in-house dining, and then welcome the lifting of even more restrictions – only to find themselves back in the dwang when the second wave hit. Perhaps it’s for this reason that food producers and restaurateurs are subdued when it comes to predicting exciting new trends for 2021. Still, there are some interesting new developments. The future may not be blindingly bright, but the pandemic has forced the industry to think differently and be more creative. So there is hope.
To discover these new trends I trawled the internet to establish what they are – and quote them below. I’ve credited each section with my source. – Ingrid Shevlin

Destination Dining at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant at Hurawalhi, Maldives, which is 5.8 metres below the lagoon.

1 Immune-enhancing everything: Food producers are starting to include vitamins, especially C, as well as mushrooms and adaptogens in a variety of foods to help boost our immune systems. So, expect products like a super-duper mushroom broth (and even a mushroom-enhanced coffee) and more bottled water options, which will include anti-stress ingredients. Adaptogens are compounds in some plants and herbs and include ginseng, ashwagandha, astragalus, cordycep mushrooms, coji berry, licorice root, tulsi (holy basil) and tumeric. They help combat short and longterm physical or mental stress and promote immunity.

2 Plant-based food that is less processed: Plant based foods are often highly processed and contain ingredients like flour, sugar and fats which, obviously, defeats the point of trying to eat better. But, in 2021, you will be seeing these foods include healthier ingredients like millet, kale, sweet poato, flaxseed and apple cider viengar and almonds. Also look out for a plant-based fish alternatives.

3 Heroing breakfast: Breakfast will become the most popular meal of the day, with the sales of breakfast cereals increasing significantly as well as consumers seeing the likes of microwaveable vegan sausage patties. But when they say cereal, don’t look to the highly-sugared varieties of your childhood. Think instead of high-protein, sugar-free cereal. More and more varied breakfast items will also be produced to meet the new demand.

4 Fermented Food. While the interest in probiotic-enhancing food – such as kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, miso and tempeh (fermented soybean) – will continue, here comes something new; a Mexican fermented pineapple cider called tepachito, which can embrace flavours such as cinnamon, tamarind, herbs and spices. Foods rich in prebiotics (as opposed to probitoics) are also showing up more and more in the snack food isles. Like plantain chips.

5 Chickpeas. Don’t think hummus is the only way to eat chickpeas, an all vegan food that is high in fibre. In 2021 you will also find it in different guises, such as a pasta, in pizzas and as a rice substitute. There will be chickpea tortillas and chickpea puffs (like cheese puffs). And there’s more. Combining chickpeas with water gives you aquafaba which makes a vegan mayo. (And, something I learned from chef friend, chickpea juice can also be whipped into a vegan version of meringue, which tastes pretty passable, he said – IMS).

6 Coffee rules. Coffee will be finding its way into granola, youghurt, candy and even whiskey.

Beautified outdoor spaces Restaurants will have to work harder to set the right atmosphere so diners don’t feel they are having a meal on the sidewalk or parking lot. The key is an outdoor area that looks and feels like the inside. Some restaurants have converted parking spaces into tented seating that feels trendy and hip.

Source: Huffington Post

1 Individualised menues. Restaurants will be offering their customers special menues designed to meet their unique needs, all in an effort to ensure dining out is a special event.

2 Private dining: Small group private dining rooms will become trendy in 2021.

3 Heritage cooking. There will be an increased focus on the traditional food of immigrants. Although this relates more to America, we South Africans will be able to expand our culinary horizons, thanks to platforms like YouTube or TikTok. You, too, can cook the Mongolian way. But, more seriously, the trend is also about realising that non-Eurocentric food has a place at the global table and, in Africa, we should be exploring other African cuisines as a matter of course. In other words, the food of immigrants.

4 At home restaurants: Continuing the trend created during the covid pandemic, more and more restaurants will expand on the takeout and delivery of upscale food (not chicken wings, dear). It’s predicted that some chefs will get very creative with to-go food and how it is presented.

5 Online cooking: On-line, chef-driven virtual cooking classes – with accompanying chef food boxes for the recipes – will continue to expand in 2021. Something to do with the family or friends, perhaps?

6 Cooking with condiments: Obviously the need or desire for homecooked meals will endure, but in 2021 homecooks will use condiments like chimichurri, sauerkraut, sweet chilli sauce, relish/pickles or gochujang (the savory and spicy hot pepper paste that gives many Korean dishes their unique taste), to add spice, heat and flavour to simple dishes.

7 Tofu: People will look at tofu in a whole new light apparently. Again!

Comfort food: mac & cheese like mom used to make

8 Comfort food. But the real deal, food that is both comforting and nostalgic. Classic pizzas (no pineapple, please), burgers (without mounds of crazy toppings), authentic tacos, mac & cheese like mom used to make, bangers and mash and curries will become hugely popular.

9 Preserve & Pickle. Perserving, pickling and fermenting your own food will trend in 2021. Especially the food you might be growing in your gardens. No wastage and planet friendly

10 Destination restaurants. 2021 will see the rise of destination restaurants located out the cities where you can enjoy a high quality experience (food and scenery)

11 Mushrooms. More about mushrooms. 2021 will see a rise in using mushrooms to make snack products such as a biltong alternative. You will also find pumpkin mushroom chips, plain mushroom chips, mushroom granola bars, umami mushroom chips, a paelo-friendly snack bar with mushrooms and even mushroom ice-cream (which may be a mushroom too far for me). This trend will flourish in 2021.

Supporting local. if you have good local eateries in your neighbourhood the 2021 trend will be to support them instead of driving to other neighbourhoods. Help them survive and thrive.

Source Food & Wine

According to Delish.com sourdough is so 2020. People will be turning to making their own pasta. After all MasterChef made it look really easy. So, haul out that pasta-maker gathering dust at the back of your cupboard and get kneading and rolling.

Delish.com

1 Reduce: Reduce rather than eliminate. If you don’t want to give up all meat products, instead reduce your intake rather than eliminating totally. And that applies to products like sugar, flour-based foods, etc.

2 Mindful Eating: 2021 will bring an increased focus on ditching fad diets and embracing mindful eating. It’s important to start listening to your body. Whole grain carbohydrates, like brown rice and quinoa, provide essential nutrients and a slow-burning form of energy. Instead of shunning carbs, mindfuleating can help you enjoy them. Fad diets are alluring because they promise fast results, but the truth is they’re often tough to follow. Ditching this diet mentality is gaining momentum. Instead of eliminating your favorite foods, it’s more helpful and sustainable to learn how to include them healthfully.

3 Sweet and Unami: Food enthusiasts are always on the lookout for “the next flavour combination”. There are strong indications that the big new flavour destined to rock the culinary world will be umami and sweet. In small measures, here and there, it may not be entirely new. But now think of crisp rice infused with fish sauce caramel, nori and pork floss or the equally marine-inspired palm sugar and fish sauce caramel?
What is umami? Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

4 The return of carob. Remember when carob was all the rage and used as a substitute for chocolate? Well, expect that to be big news again pretty soon. Not only is it high in HYP (hydroxproline), it is also rich in protein, antioxidants, iron, calcium and fibre. It is also an important amino acid required for the production of collagen. It is also low-carb, naturally sweet in flavour and both caffeine and gluten-free.

Source: Greenseedgroup.com.

1 Allulose: The future of sweet? Sugar continues to be cast as the villain by health experts and there is a continued effort to encourage consumers to choose products with less or no sugar. As a result, companies responsible for manufacturing consumer packaged goods are looking to find the next new “non-sugar” sweetener. Thanks to advancements in food technology and new requirements by industry regulatory bodies, two approaches are being taken with regards to all things sweet. One is the use of the little-known sugar replacement allulose. In America at the very least, the FDA excluded allulose from the added and total sugar declarations on food nutritional labels, which has made it all the more attractive to food manufacturers. It is a natural sweetener taken from specific fruits and wheat and contains 1/10th the calories of regular table sugar. Expect to see a lot more of allulose in 2021.

2 Ghost kitchens: Expect to see more ghost kitchens or ghost food halls operated out of commissaries (dining halls or canteens) in 2021. These include multiple brands, each selling their own products (and some new) all under one check. So, for example, you could order pizza while your partner orders a burger, and then you both get ice cream, all from three different venues, on the same tab, delivered together, using your own delivery mechanism or logistics.

3 Hemp: A great soy alternative, vegan alternative, and plant-based alternative. More people are wanting to eat plant-based days during the week and now they easily can. Hemp is a healthy plant-protein that is great for people who are Keto, Paleo, and vegan. From CBD to Hempeh super protein to hemp hearts in your smoothie, it’s going to be the year of hemp.

Source: Real Simple

Restaurants

There’s a new face at the (chefs) table

A CLEAN SWEEP

The focus of food should be about flavour, says Mathew Armbruster, (pictured below), the new Executive Head Chef at The Chefs’ Table in Umhlanga

THERE’S an ad flighted regularly on TV, which ends with someone saying earnestly, “They’re not just changing some things, they’re changing everything.
Which is exactly what The Chef’s Table’s new Excutive Head Chef ,Mathew (one-t) Armbruster, did when he took over their kitchen. He changed the entire menu. Not just some things.
And he did it in a handful of days when the lockdown level changed to three and The Chefs’ Table’s owners decided to open its doors a few days later.
I’m pleased. That he changed the menu that is. Although I’m just as delighted that the Umhlanga restaurant reopened its doors. These are challenging times for restaurants and all too many have been forced to shut their doors. So, that the Chefs’ Table and others which have reopened their doors, is not only exhibiting a fighting spirit, but showing confidence that the industry will recover.
Mathew was born in Santa Monica, USA, of a South African mother of Italian extraction and an American father. The family moved to South Africa when Mathew was two. He considers himself fully South African, having spent most of his life in Durban and at school at Crawford College, La Lucia.
When he was 19 and contemplating a career in the kitchen, he first approached Marcelle Roberts of Café 1999/Unity Bar, asking if he could do a stint in her kitchen. She agreed. He was instantly hooked.
I can’t rightly say “and the rest is history”, because Mathew is only 27 and still in the process of making history. But it’s a good start.
He studied cooking at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado.
“It was a very hands-on training”, says Mathew, “with an hour a day of lectures and seven hours of cooking. The most important thing we did each day was sit down at the table, eat and critique.”
The style of cooking, obviously, was basic French traditional, which is pretty much the foundation of all cooking, he says.
During his time at the school he thoroughly enjoyed a stint working on a farm, doing basic farm work, “We also had to catch a chicken, kill it on our own, pluck and gut it.
” It was eye-opening. I didn’t enjoy killing it, though” he says.
He enjoys eating game meat, he adds, admitting that he has hunted. “But I’m no hunter”, he insists.
After graduating from Escoffier he worked in several restaurants in America, going from salad station to grill, from a mom and pop Irish tavern serving pizzas to the best steak house in Denver, Colorado, which also offered a wide selection of seafood.
“But then I felt I needed to come home,” says Mathew, whose mother lives in Durban. I’m a bit of a mummy’s boy he admits. His father has since returned to America and lives in Colorado.
His first job back home was Executive Sous Chef at The Chefs’ Table. Then it was off to work as Executive Head Chef at Hartford House in the Midlands, where the “novelty of the position”, attracted him. He enjoyed it and put in serious effort to make it work.
But he missed city life and when the incumbent EHC, Kayla-Ann Osborn, who set up The Chefs’ Table’s kitchen when the restaurant opened, headed for other pastures, he took up her position in August.
Hers were halcyon days. A kitchen that numbered 15 staffers, a popular fine-dining eatery with a reputation for cutting-edge food and diners with money to indulge their palates. It was The Place to be seen – and eat.
Now there are nine staffers. Like all those which closed during the first part of lockdown, Chefs’ Table is having to rebuild it’s client base. Not only is there less money around, but customers are still nervy about dining out. At least now that lockdown level one has been introduced, late night eating is possible.
He enjoys the intimacy of Chef’s Table’s open kitchen concept, where the kitchen is the visual heart of the eatery. And he’s also excited about the idea of producing food that is different and exciting.
But it must also be delicious too, he insists.
I tell him what I think about the previous regime’s menu. It didn’t change often enough, could be both brilliant and disappointing, and offered too few alternatives for those who didn’t eat red meat – or any meat, for that matter.
“I like to change menus as much as possible but not continuously. If you chop and change too much there is lots of wastage,” he responds.
He describes himself as averagely happy with the the new menu, seeing it as a work in progress. He’s also less concerned about creating cutting-edge food and more focused on achieving delicious flavours.

Mathew has also introduced a separate vegan menu with four starters and three mains, and a vegetarian menu with five starters and three mains.
He also enjoys producing tasting menus which, he says, “it’s a great way to showcase the food and the philosophy behind it.”
He’s also introduced a ladies lunch menu, which is two courses (off the main menu) plus either a glass of wine or gin, for R189.
Mathew is a self-contained young man, socially and physically. And there’s a seriousness and determination about him that makes me believe he will succeed in anything he turns his hand to. As for his food, it’s fabulous. Adventurous and delicious. Who could ask for more!

Mathew’s requirements for good food
Seasonal
Favour-focused
Respecting the integrity of the ingredients
Multi-Seasonal
Well-presented
Inspired by local produce
French-influenced.

recipe books

THE LANGUAGE OF FOOD

Food Stories: Our Favourite Recipes, With Love From The Twins, by Tebo and Lebo Ndala (Human & Rousseau) is a new cookbook on the market – and it’s something very different. By Ingrid Shevlin

Food Stories is probably the most wildly diverse cookbook you’ll ever read. And its authors are probably unlike any female chefs you’ve met before. Firstly, they are young, shapely, stylish, gorgeous enough to turn heads, a little giggly and charming to boot. Secondly, they are identical twins who share a twin passion for food and cooking and decided to follow a dual dream to make it their profession.
As for their book, its recipes include traditional Sotho and South African food with a twist, jollof (one pot food of West African origin), homestyle American food, Thai/Asian food, flatbreads and pizzas, culinary ways with (rooibos) tea, decadent treats for the candy buffet and recipes from their favourite pop-up restaurants.
My word!
When I tell them their collection of recipes is certainly eclectic, their faces light up. They like that. That it’s not your typical cookbook.
But as the Pretoria-born and bred twins tell me over an interview at Savior Café in Glenwood, Durban, and as the title of the book suggests, the food reflects the roads less travelled; the diverse food journeys taken.
Food is not only a language of love, but it’s their language of communication.
Like one would imagine in identical twins, they have an intense and palpable bond. They glance constantly at each other as they talk, and whisper soft asides to one another. I read somewhere it’s like having a built-in best friend for life. While they don’t dress identically, they dress similarly. In truth, I would never be able to tell them apart and as I couldn’t keep up with who said what, I sometimes attribute quotes to both of them.
The twin’s passion for cooking was inspired by their grandmother, Koko, who shared their lives, and a section in the book entitled “Koko’s Kitchen” is their homage to her. Their childhood was rich in family life and all family gatherings were celebrated over food, whether they were Sunday lunches, birthdays, weddings or Christmas lunches. During their childhood their food was, generally, traditional South African and Sotho. It was a trip to Thailand when they were in high school that first opened their eyes to other culinary possibilities.
Unsurprisingly then, they decided to explore the world of food professionally and spent three years at the Hurst Culinary Academy in Franschhoek which, they say, was excellent groundwork for a career in the hospitality industry.
But first they wanted to spread their wings and after graduating they jetted off to America and studied American literature at UCLA Extension – a continuing education institution in Westwood, Los Angeles, on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. During their stay they stayed with two different host families
One twin went to New Jersey, the other to Massachusetts. It was their first separation.
The Massachusetts family was sport and health conscious. Mum kept a tight rein on the household, the kitchen and her kids. “Mum used a crock pot (slow cooker) a lot and focused on homely and hearty food,” said Tebo.
She remembers with delight her first meal there, chicken Parmigiana, and her first Thanksgiving and American-style Christmas.
Lebo was hosted by a West African family, whose culinary heritage was Nigerian food. Not that they ate traditionally often. “Everything we ate was takeways and everything had ketchup on. We only ate West African food on special occasions and that was amazing. It was very inspiring, ” she said.
Back home they set up a catering business, presiding over pop-up restaurants and cooking celebratory meals on request. Then they were headhunted by Human and Rousseau, who had been following their online presence with interest, and asked to compile a recipe book. It took them two years to complete – and it’s all nearly history.
The book, which was launched in September, has had a positive response so far, they say. “People felt they could connect with us”.
A charming chapter of their book is dedicated to Seven Colour Sunday. It’s a tradition in their household to serve food that reflects all the colours in the rainbow on Sundays and for celebratory meals. How totally cool is that. They write, “Rice was the Sunday staple; then there was gravy, fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, mashed potatoes, roasted butternut, sauteed cabbage, green bean salad, green salad, pasta and broccoli salad, betroot salad…. And oh, what was a Sunday lunch without jelly and custard. Or trifle..”
Today they serve their own, less starchy version of “seven colours” without forgetting their roots. So the version in Food Stories includes recipes for roasted butternut and granola, boerewors potjkies, seafood paella, couscous, feta and pomegranate salad, a cheeseboard and a grilled veggie platter with dips.
They developed all the recipes featured in the book with many given a “South African twist to blend cultures”. Some are also inspired by their food heroes. For Lebo it’s Dorah Sitole, food editor of True Love magazine  and author of From Cape to Cairo: A Taste of Africa, while Tebo goes weak-kneed (my words) over Gordon Ramsay, finding his disciplined and purist approach to food very appealing.
Lebo’s favourite dish is samp and spinach. Tebo’s favourite meal is oxtail. “It’s my go to dish”, she says.
But the twins are all too aware of the growing trend for plant-based food. Lebo says, “We try to go with it, go with the flow and plan for it when called for”. Tebo admits, though that veganism is tougher to respond to than vegetarianism, “You can’t even use eggs or any diary products”, she says grimacing.
They admit to being happy meat eaters themselves, although they try to include as many vegetables as possible in their meals. “Whether our customers are vegans, vegetarians, or gluten-intolerant we make a plan. Our recipes are easily adapted.”
Tebo and Lebo prefer their ingredients to be locally sourced and to know their provenance. “We are absolutely obssessed with how we cook our food and where our ingredients come from.
“We became more health conscious when we became chefs and it helped change the way we look at food. We want the whole cooking procees to be more careful, more ordered.”
Their dream for the future? To inspire young chefs, to run a small cooking studio, to encourage young people to travel more and learn about food from other countries. Like they did. As they proclaim on their website, We Came, We Cooked, We Conquered”. Who would argue with that.

***Melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness: butter biscuits***

HAZELNUT-BUTTER FINGER BISCUITS
Serves: 10–12 Prep time: 45–50 min

I couldn’t find hazelnut flour anywhere so used almond flour instead, along with almond essence – the real stuff, from Col’Tempo deli at 2, 8th Avenue, off Florida Road. Because the dough is very soft, you must refrigerate it or it will be very difficult to roll out. Next time I make these biscuits, and I will, I will make little balls of the dough and flatten them out with a fork on the baking tray, because the rolling out process is fiddly work and I’m not into fiddly. These biscuits are melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness. Once you start on them, you can’t stop. – Ingrid Shevlin

Ingredients:
500 g butter, softened
1¼ cups icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract if you are using almond flour)
3 cups cake flour
1 cup hazelnut meal (I used almond flour)
¾ cup cornflour
½ cup custard powder (Woolies makes a delicious vanilla-flavoured custard powder)
Castor sugar, for dusting

Method
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2 Line baking sheets with baking paper.
3 With an electric mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together for 5 min until pale and fluffy.
4 Stir in the flour, hazelnut meal, cornflour and custard powder to form a dough.
5 Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in cling wrap. Refrigerate for 35 min
6 Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 1-cm thickness. 7 Cut the dough into the desired shapes.
8 Bake for 8–12 min or until golden-brown around the edges. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Cool for 5 min.
9 Dust the biscuits liberally with castor sugar once cool.

Food News

A PIECE OF MY HEART

Serial entrepreneur Judd Campbell is at it again. Opening another restaurant. This time he’s back on familiar ground, Glenwood.

I’ve known Judd Campbell a long time. So when he tells me in his usual, intense way that his new Glenwood restaurant, A Pizza My Heart, is going to serve pizzas like no other, I have a sense of déjà vu. I’ve heard it all before. But wait, this is Judd we’re talking about: Master charmer, irrepressible optimist, and a weaver of dreams and before long I can see his vision and I’m won over.
Maybe this will be the next Corner Cafe. Whatever, I’m confident it will be something different.
So what are the facts? A Pizza My Heart is going to be a pizza restaurant (I know, I know, but keep the faith), which will focus on families. So there will be two dining spaces, one for grownups and one for kids – not cast in iron, though, if (foolish) you want to dine with your kids. There will also be an outdoor play area set up like an obstacle course, and a private room for kids’s parties. There will also be Sweet Dreams, a waffle counter operated by an outside trader, a retail outlet selling cake and bakingware, and a barber shop.
The restaurant’s look is going to be rustic, casual, playful. Ewok (“Spoken Word flavored Hip Hop activism, with additional emphasis on aerosol art”…… to quote Ewok himself) is painting murals and graphics and cartoons. Whatever he wants, basically. He has carte blanche. He’s already completed the outside artwork of jigsaw puzzle pieces.

We’re standing in the adult’s dining room when Judd shows me an App on his phone and I gather he’s going to use it to play retro/classical Italian (and other) background music. He loves this App and enthusiastically demonstrates how he can tune into music from any era from any part of the world. This is so Judd.
So to the pizzas. Okay, so pizzas are not new to Judd – after all the Coffee Tree has a weekly pizza night. But now these are going to made all from scratch, using stoneground flour sourced from a local mill, with cheese from a local supplier, for instance. “It must be as green as possible”.
No carbon footprint I assume. This also means utilising the wood-fired pizza oven, which you know and love from Coffee Tree, which can fire five pizzas at a time. But there is also another oven should demand overwhelm.
But his dilemma is about what kind of base to use. To answer this question he spent several weekends in Joburg and Cape Town visiting pizza restaurants. “I visited 30 in Joburg, 17 let me into their kitchens to see how their bases were made” he says.
He wasn’t quite able to charm Cape Town’s pizza owners in the same way but he’s still working on them.
Then he bearded Adam Robinson of the Glenwood bakery in his own kitchen, where Adam generously demonstrated how they do it. Mix everything, let it rise, fold it up, let it rise and then repeat the process. Letting it rise three times is the general rule, says Judd, adding, so says Adam, so it’s gospel.
Judd has pretty much decided on what kind base he wants: “One that is thin in the centre, but puffs up on the edges, but is still a bit chewy. It’s difficult to do by machine”, he explains. “It has to be handrolled if you want a puffy crust. I want it artisanal-looking, like it’s (hand)crafted”, he adds.
“There will be no other pizzas like this”, he promises. “They won’t’ cost the earth, either, pizzas shouldn’t cost the earth.”
There will be seven topping options each week and each week the two least popular will be replaced by two others. And because this is Judd, each pizza will tell a story and share his food journey and that of the people who were or are still part of it. There is a vegan version, named after his sister, and another inspired by Lola, the first person he ever served (red onion, black olives, rocket and avocado).
He’s going to include some of the toppings popular with his Coffee Tree clientele. Deconstructed chicken sausages simmered with white wine and cream and thyme is one. Then there is a garlic focaccia with artichokes, avocado and capers. No tomato, no cheese. And the popular “031”
“This Beef Masala recipe comes from an old Indian lady friend of mine who’s number I’ll never divulge…save for the first three digits, 031.”
Adults and kids will generally be offered the same toppings, but the kids will be offered more leeway. Judd also wants to serve them pizzas in the shape of boats to make it more fun.
Also it’s BYO – and no corkage charge. He plans for it to open from 1pm to 8pm six days a week. Sundays he rests. He wants it to suit families.
Now you are probably asking about opening. Well, he’d hoped it would be Valentine’s Day, but looking around the premises as I did this week, that clearly isn’t going to happen. The floors still have to be sanded, the walls painted, the interior artwork completed, the outside play area is still a work in progress, the table and chairs (from Corner Cafe days) need to be sanded/fixed/painted or whatever, and there’s a herb garden to be set up in the front. So, realistically it will probably open at the end of February.
Oh and you will have to be buzzed in and out to ensure the space is totally safe for kids.
Finally, you don’t have to have a kid in tow to eat at Pizza My Heart, obviously. You could just be someone who just loves pizzas. Or a kid at heart.
A Pizza My Heart is in Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in the original location of EarthMother Organic (which is now closer to Woolies).

The Shanna Jones. Introducing “Shanna’s a Vegan” If you don’t really care about the planet, animals or global warming…it’s fine, my sister’s got your back. She’s vegan enough for all of us.

Introducing “Lola ‘94”. Picture it. It’s 1994 my first ever waitering shift in the first of 36 outlets I’ve worked in 26 years and my first customers were Lola & Jimmy Owen. I love this women more than pizza, but pizza is a very close second!

Food News

PUTTING THE CREAM BACK INTO ICE-CREAM

Jen Pretorius, proprietor of The Farmer’s Daughter, was inspired by happy child memories to create a new artisanal ice-cream range, which is pure cream – and all pleasure. No chemicals, no artificial flavouring – and made with love.

Jen Pretorius is the heart and soul behind The Farmer’s Daughter, a whimsical restaurant, cafe and deli at 4 Shafton Road, Howick, filled with an eclectic collection of vintage and retro furniture, crockery and bric-a- brac. It offers sweeping views over the surrounding hills of the Midlands and has a small play area for kids. A perfect spot, then, for family breakfasts, brunches or lunch. Or just tea and cake. Jen bakes spectacular cakes. And, while most of you know, and love, it as an eatery serving cafe-style, honest food using locally-sourced farm ingredients – Jen is not a farmer’s daughter for nothing – she’s now added artisanal ice-cream to her restaurant’s food line-up. And, boy, is it something special.
Tapping into Google reveals an intimidating list of chemicals that are commonly added to commercial ice-cream. Such as: Propylene glycol (also used in antifreeze), glycerin, sodium carboxyl methylcellulose, monoglycerides, diglycerides, disodium phosphates, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, polysorbate 80, and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, all of which help to stabilise and emulsify it.
Only when knowing all that can you really appreciate ice-cream that is this pure and natural.
The other joy of her ice-cream is that it’s not sickly sweet. It lets the flavours talk, not the sugar. And nor is it diluted in any way by milk or water or any non-dairy liquid.
Jen describes her journey to ice-cream-making, this way, “My heart of heart’s passion is making guests feel loved by the type of food we serve at The Farmer’s Daughter.
“My ice cream is an extension of that aim. Ice-cream is all about nostalgia for me. We eat ice-cream when we are happy, sad, making memories, on hot or cold days. I fell in love with the perfect ice-cream when I was a child. My mum’s friend, Alison, had a Jersey cow which produced beautiful, thick yellow cream. She would make ice-cream for us when we visited. The feeling of wanting more and more and more until you’re in an ice cream coma was very real.
“My dream was to own a proper ice cream freezer and churner, which I bought in 2017. My ice-cream is not gelato; it is not very light and airy, it’s farmstyle, 100% cream only, ice-cream. I would love to have my ice-cream as our signature item on the menu, as well as have it stocked in stores.
“I use no water or milk in my base at all. When adding in the flavour, what it says on the tub is what’s in the ice cream. For instance, a lemon meringue ice cream, was made with a whole, homemade, lemon meringue pie. Same for every other flavour. We do not use any essence of extracts, it’s the real thing, only. Our salted caramel is made by blending home-made caramel, cooked on the stove, with our home-made fudge chunks in the mix. My ice- cream holds my heart, I will love it, success or not.”
Jen was so keen for me to sample her range that I managed to persuade my oldest brother, Bryan, who lives in Hilton, to fetch the range, bring it to Durban, where we had a family sampling. It included my sister-in-law Patsy and my daughter.

The flavours we sampled and rated out of five were:
Peanut Butter Oreo
Salted Caramel
Lemon Meringue
Vegan version with Peanut Butter, Oreo and Roasted Banana
Vanilla Bean
Peanut Butter Chocolate
Blueberry
Pecan Pie
Chocolate.
The Chocolate was a winner with everyone and was awarded four and five stars (out of five). It has a decadently, chocolate flavour. A must for chocoholics.
Salted caramel was another winner, receiving four and five stars. Most salted caramel ice-creams are disappointing in that they hold back on the salt (why?). But this was salty and sweet and caramellly. Bliss
Vanilla Bean was yet another favourite, also winning four and five stars. A lovely, lovely ice-cream classic brought to life with real vanilla.
The lemon merginue was generally enjoyed, but I loved it most, because I adore lemon meringue flavours. This flavour has it in abundance
The Peanut Butter Chocolate flavour received a mixed response with my brother rating it highly. The rest of us gave it three stars.
The Peanut Butter and Oreo fared better and was given four stars by everyone, apart from me. I’m just not a peanut butter fan.
The Bluberry received mostly four stars. The fact that it included whole blueberries give it a special appeal as it offered not only a slightly tart element but also a winning crunch.
The Pecan Pie flavour is packed with chopped pecans. It earned an average of three stars during the sampling. But the next night, while lying on the couch watching TV, I decided to give it another go. Initially, I was intending to have just a few mouthfuls, but ended up finishing the entire tub. I can’t remember when I last did that as I’m not a natural fan of ice-cream – largely because I find it too sweet. But this was so perfectly rich and creamy and crunchy I couldn’t put it down. I think I might have experienced the ice-cream coma Jen mentions.
I seemed to be the only one who enjoyed the vegan version. I thought it was unexpectedly good. The others were less impressed.
As I understand it, Jen is still only selling her ice-cream at her restaurant. Her dream is to get into supermarkets, delis and shops and let’s hope she does. I want some more of that Pecan Pie. I have to have more. Haha.

The Pecan Pie flavour can induce an ice-cream coma of pure pleasure.

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A CLEAN SWEEP

The focus of food should be about flavour, says Mathew Armbruster, (pictured below), the new Executive Head Chef at The Chefs’ Table in Umhlanga

Mathew’s requirements for good food SeasonalFavour-focusedRespecting the integrity of the ingredientsMulti-SeasonalWell-presentedInspired by local produce French-influenced.

Mathew’s requirements for good food
Seasonal
Favour-focused
Respecting the integrity of the ingredients
Multi-Seasonal
Well-presented
Inspired by local produce
French-influenced.