Category: Lifestyle Page 3 of 5

Coconut Panna Cotta

On 01/24/2018

In December I started with a series on boozy desserts with my tiramisu with whisky recipe. This recipe proved to be very popular. Also, towards the end of 2017, Backsberg Winery invited a few food and wine bloggers to join in a #MyBacksbergRecipe campaign. The goal was to create the ultimate recipe to pair with the Pinotage Rosé.

My friend Roelia from Boozy Foodie made a Backsberg Pinotage Rosé panna cotta with cranberries and I was inspired. It looked so beautiful; the white creamy panna cotta with the bright red cranberries. I had to try a panna cotta myself. It had to be my first boozy dessert for 2018!

However, I wanted to put an alcoholic spin on it. Something a bit different. I looked around my spirit cabinet, but nothing jumped out at me. Then I had a flashback to my parent’s drinks trolley. There was this funny white bottle which every fashionable hostess in the 70s had – Malibu rum liqueur.

Whatever happened to Malibu? I had to go and look for it. Malibu is a coconut flavoured liqueur, made with Caribbean rum. The basis for a pina colada. I have not tasted it since somewhere in the 80s, but as soon as I nosed it, it was familiar. And the perfect accompaniment for my panna cotta.

To continue on the tropical theme, I made the panna cotta with coconut milk. panna cotta is a very basic pudding that is made of dairy thickened with gelatin. It originated in Italy, and the name means “cooked cream”. You can eat it straight out of a cup, but it’s often drizzled with some sauce and garnished with fruit.

A classic panna cotta is flavoured using vanilla, but I modified the recipe to make it a coconut panna cotta with Malibu rum liqueur. I chose a mixed berry compote to serve with the coconut panna cotta. Not only does the colour looks gorgeous, but the creamy coconut and the mixed berries make a great combination.

Coconut Panna Cotta Recipe

400ml can of coconut milk
1 ½ teaspoon of gelatin powder
45 ml Malibu Rum Liqueur
2 Tablespoons honey

1. Gently heat half the coconut milk in a small pan until hot, but not boiling. Add the gelatin and whisk together to dissolve. Take off the heat.
2. Add the remaining coconut milk and stir in the honey.
3. Let the mixture cool down a bit and then add the Malibu Rum Liqueur.
4. Pour into ramekins or glasses.
5. Refrigerate until set.

Coconut Berry Compote Recipe

150 g fresh or frozen mixed berries (I used the frozen mix from Woolworths which include blueberries and raspberries)
100 g frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of Malibu rum liqueur

1. Defrost the frozen berries first if using the frozen ones.
2. Combine all the berries in a medium saucepan with the sugar and bring gently to a simmer. Allow the sugar to dissolve. Cook gently for about 5 minutes to allow the fruit to start breaking down.
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the Malibu coconut rum liqueur.
4. Let the berry compote cool properly.
5. Spoon over coconut panna cotta just before serving.

How beautiful does the white coconut panna cotta with Malibu rum liqueur look with the red berry compote as a topping? And it tastes delicious too!

More boozy desserts in this series include a boozy apple pie as well as the hot cross bun pudding with Grand Marnier. I just finished a tequila chocolate mousse recipe that is quick and easy.

Also Read: Mango Mimosa Cocktail

Tiramisu with whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/13/2017

In Lifestyle

It is time for a boozy dessert; inspired by a morning out with blogging friends. The result of this meeting is a delicious tiramisu with whiskey recipe. A couple of Saturdays ago, I met up with some friends who are all bloggers. They blog about all kinds of topics; from parenting and food to beauty and lifestyle.

It was a great morning, where we could all catch up and talk a bit about blogging. The venue was the very cool State 5 Fourways. A child-friendly venue but we all left out kids at home. It was time for just us.

The venue kindly allowed us to taste samples of some of their new products such as their delicious ice teas, snack platters and everyone’s favourite a Tiramisu Freak Shake. This delightful non-alcoholic shake had everyone talking.

Tiramisu is such an easy and delicious dessert, and Jacqui, decided right there to make this as her Christmas day dessert.

There followed a lengthy discussion on what alcohol to use and naturally, everyone turned to me. The questions included can you make tiramisu with whisk(e)y and if so, what whisky is best to use in a tiramisu? So, my #SABloggersCafe friends here is my version of tiramisu with whiskey (and amaretto) recommendation. Easy to make but delicious.

I chose the Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey for the smooth, biscuity and vanilla notes. It is readily available and not too expensive. You can currently pick up a bottle with two glasses from Norman GoodFellows for only R240.

To add another layer of taste that will complement the coffee and whiskey, I added a bit of Amaretto liquor.

Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavoured, Italian liqueur made from a base of apricot pits and or almonds. It can be drunk neat or added to cocktails and work very nicely with coffee.

Also Read: Don Pedro

Recipe for Tiramisu with Whiskey

1 packet of lady fingers biscuits
1 cup of strong coffee – cold
50 ml Tullamore Dew whiskey
30 ml Amaretto
1 cup of heavy cream
250g mascarpone cheese
1T vanilla extract
1 egg white
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting

– Whip the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together until it forms fairly stiff peaks.
– Beat the egg white until stiff and gently fold into the mascarpone cream mixture. Mix the coffee, whiskey and amaretto in a flattish bowl.
– Briefly dip the Boudoir finger biscuits in the coffee and whiskey mixture; only for 2 to 3 seconds. The biscuits should be moist, but not soggy.
– Layer half the biscuits on the bottom of a serving dish, then top with half of the mascarpone cream mixture.
– Repeat the dipped biscuit layer, ending with the mascarpone cream.
– Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
– Dust with cocoa powder just before serving.

This recipe puts four of my favourite things together, cheese, chocolate, coffee and whisky. Now, what could be better for an anytime boozy dessert? To my inspirational friends, I hope you enjoy the recipe and have a special time with your families.

This recipe started me thinking, and now I am working on various other boozy deserts. So over the rest of the year, I will be publishing many more alcohol-laced deserts that is just for grown-ups.

Also Read: Coconut Panna Cotta

Gin and Olives Pairing Inspiration

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/25/2017

In Lifestyle

I have been trying to pair whisky and olives for ages. I found this small little olive shop online. Tapenade has a big selection of the best olive products from the numerous South African olive estates.

I ordered a few different olive products and paired them with various kinds of whisky. But no luck. It did not work. There were a few OK pairings, but nothing that blew my mind.

Whisky is not made for olives. I did, however, want to pair the olive products I found with something, so I did some more research. And the answer just jumped out at me as soon as I typed olives and alcohol into Google. A Dirty Martini. Of course.

Gin might make the perfect pairing for olives. A Dirty Martini contains a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is traditionally garnished with an olive.

I started to experiment and found some fantastic pairings. What can be better? A refreshing G&T paired with some delicious South African olives. I kept it local with Gauteng based gin distilleries. All this gin is made right here in the City of Gold.

Gauteng Gin and Olives Pairing

Westcliff gin and Darling olive marmalade pairing

Made by the Angel Heart distillery in Sandton, the Westcliff gin is inspired by the beautiful suburb and the rich gold history of this city. Westcliff is full of soft green and floral notes, hints of vanilla, passionfruit and African ginger.

I paired it with the Darling Olive Marmalade. This delicious marmalade is the perfect balance between sweet and sun-ripened olives; a delectable pairing.

Time Anchor London Dry gin and Chaloner Olive and Almond Tapenade

Distilled in the Maboneng Precinct, this Time Anchor London Dry gin has notes of juniper, angelica root and citrus. Chaloner’s Olive & Almond Tapenade has a base of toasted almonds, olive oil, capers, anchovies and makes an interesting snack when you spread it thinly onto parma ham slices and wrap them around steamed asparagus spears.

Also Read: Bourbon Coffee

The Capital Gin Indigo and Willow Creek Rosemary and garlic olives

Made in the heart of Pretoria, the Capital Gin Indigo is flavoured with lavender and rosemary from and balanced by notes of orange. This gin is big and bold and fantastic in gin-based cocktails. And what better pairing than Willow Creek black mission olives flavoured Greek style with garlic and rosemary.

The Capital Gin Alchemist and Kloovenburg Smoked black olives

The Capital Gin Alchemist is spicy and has notes of cinnamon, cloves and roasted citrus. Spicy and vibrant, this gin can stand up to more robust food and pairs wonderfully with the Kloovenburg black olives with a slightly smokey flavour.

So grab your favourite gin and tonic over the weekend and add a plate of olives for the perfect Saturday afternoon snack. Make it a gin and olives weekend!

Also Read: Bloody Mary Cocktail

KFC and Bourbon pairings

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/15/2017

In Lifestyle

In my house, take away is a treat. We only eat it when I have not had any time to cook, or when the weekend was just so lazy that I could not bother. One of our preferred fast-food is KFC.

And it seems that I am not alone in loving the crispy fried chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the most prolific brand in South Africa, with over 800 stores spread across the land. Kentucky in KFC and Kentucky in bourbon made me think… would the two work together?

You know I am always up for experimenting, so this past weekend, off I went to KFC for a bucket of chicken. John was in the mood for Zinger wings, so I grabbed a few of those as well.

In the summer of 1955, Colonel Harland Sanders was a relatively unknown entrepreneur in Corbin, Kentucky, with a roadside restaurant, a fried chicken recipe, some spices, and a dream. He probably messed up his wife’s kitchen and drove her crazy; he looked at using a pressure cooker for cooking the chicken quickly.

The Colonel identified the potential to franchised this idea to bring it into the fast-food market. As competitors could easily use the pressure cooker, he came up with exciting herbs and spice combination to make his chicken stand out.

The Colonel’s original recipe of 11 herbs and spices is one of the best-kept trade secrets in the catering industry. Many people have claimed to have discovered it. Going to the KFC down the road is so much easier than messing up my kitchen.

Also Read: Whisky Truffles Recipe

Pairing Bourbon with KFC

Pairing bourbon with fried chicken is about finding balance. he bourbon’s spices and sweetness should not overpower the well-known crunchy crust of the KFC but work together to enhance the flavourful juicy meat. KFC is very much comfort food.

When you are travelling across the globe, and you need some comfort, there is bound to be a KFC not far off. Pairing this with bourbon might just create a match made in foodie heaven… Let’s try…

I first lined up the bourbons from my favourite (Makers Mark) to my least favourite (Elijah Craig). Then for ‘testing purposes’ added the Jack Daniel’s at the end of the line. The results were interesting, and not what I expected. I also rated the chosen bourbon suitability with the Zinger wings as the results were quite different from the friend chicken bourbon pairing.

Makers Mark Bourbon & KFC

One of my favourite bourbons! The Makers Mark is probably the bourbon I replace most often. The notes of condensed milk, cherries, brandied fruit, toasted oak and sweet vanilla and cinnamon spice are just so satisfying. It is wonderfully smooth with a fantastic balance between the vanilla sweetness and the cinnamon toasted oak spicy notes.

However, this was the worst pairing with the KFC. It just created a peppery, spicy combination that made my eyes water. I looked up at John and realized he felt the same way. I give this pairing a RATING: 2/5.

John sees himself as a bit of a Zinger Wings connoisseur. He has tried Zinger Wings on various continents, and when he paired the Zinger Wings with the Makers Mark, he had a big smile on this face. The Makers Mark worked perfectly with the spicy Zinger Wings. No surprise that I give this KFC and Bourbon pairing a RATING: 4.5 / 5.

Eagle Rare Bourbon & KFC

Next up was the Eagle Rare that was our first Bourbon for 2017. Not as sweet as other bourbons, the Eagle Rare had notes of vanilla, toffee sweetness, brandy pudding, fresh-cut flowers, hints of toasted oak and pepper, chilli peppers, nuts, and creamy cocoa.

This pairing offered nothing new. You taste KFC, you taste Eagle Rare, but nothing special. Thus, I give this KFC and Bourbon pairing a RATING: 2.5 /5.

Pairing it with Zinger Wings was disastrous. John described it as drinking methylated spirits. Not a good pairing at all. RATING: 1/5

Jim Beam Black & KFC

Last year the Jim Beam Black bourbon impressed me. It is super affordable and delicious. Notes of cinnamon spice, cherries, lots of vanilla notes, BBQ sauce and hints of caramel. This Jim Beam has an unusual freshness, and it is smooth and creamy. Pairing the KFC with the Jim Beam Black bourbon brought out lots of spices in the whiskey, while the chicken became sweeter and creamier. As a result,, I give this pairing a RATING: 3.5/5.

The spicy Zinger Wings brought out lots of vanilla notes in the bourbon, and the pairing was quite lovely. Again, this KFC and Bourbon pairing gets a RATING: 3.5/5.

Elijah Crag 12 yo Bourbon & KFC

I tasted the Elijah Craig 12 yo bourbon sometime in 2015 and found it quite bold. My notes captured hints of toasted warm oak spice, pepper and nutmeg, citrus peel, candy apple, toffee, Christmas pudding and cinnamon baked apples with faint bits of jasmin. Not a bourbon I drink regularly.

However, the KFC transformed this whiskey. It made the whisky creamy and smoothed out the spicy notes. The chicken became rich and delicious and the pairing was excellent. I give this pairing a RATING: 4.5/5.

And with Zinger Wings? Not so much. It did not work. Do not try. It gets a RATING: 1/5.

Also Read: Suncamino Rum Cocktails

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey & KFC

Purely for testing purposes, I grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 as well. Just to see if it did anything with the KFC. My notes for Jack Daniels include butterscotch sweetness with some honey, vanilla and oak with a hint of smoke., dried fruit and marzipan.

O WOW. Paired with the KFC chicken, this was great. Both elements were creamy and rich, and the vanilla and charred oak of the Jack Daniels enhanced the chicken. I give this pairing a RATING: 4.5/5.

Zinger Wings? No, the wings did nothing for the Tennessee whiskey and visa versa. I give it a RATING: 2/5.

Conclusion: KFC and Bourbon Pairings

The best whiskey to grab when you have KFC is an Elijah Craig or Jack Daniel’s Old No 7. It just creates a comfort food pairing with which you can relax.

The best whiskey to pair with Zinger Wings was the Makers Mark. It balanced out the spicy wings very nicely.

In a pinch, the Jim Beam Black is probably the best all-round bourbon whiskey to pair with anything from KFC. There you go. Dinner sorted. 😉

What do you think?

Also Read: My Top 5 Whisky Food pairings

My Top 5 Whisky Food Pairings

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/22/2017

In Lifestyle

Today I look at my favourite whisky food pairings that I have tried over the last couple of years. I capture my whisky tastings in a pretty notebook. I love the act of scribbling notes, pictures and drawing emotions on paper.

Sometimes a whisky creates such strong feelings that it is easier to draw an emotive face on paper than to write down the emotion words. Old school, I know. John loves technology, and he captures his thoughts via speech recognition software.

Perhaps I also prefer paper because paper does not complain about my bad spelling. Capturing my thoughts digitally leaves me with many red-underlined miss spelt words that I first need to fix before I can continue. My beautiful book is more forgiving. My shorthand doesn’t need to be spelt correctly.

Yesterday I was paging through my notebook looking at some of the fun combinations I have tried this past couple of years. Some have made it on to the blog; some have a ~~THICK Black line~~ through them as a reminder not to try that specific combination again. Notable failures include various whiskies and Emmenthal cheese, or Monkey Shoulder whisky and milk chocolate.

However, there have been some excellent whisky food pairings. Pairings I whip out time and time again. So I decided to compile my top 5 whisky food pairings that are a staple in my house.

Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Laphroaig Whisky and Stilton Cheese

The Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength is a pretty unique whisky. It is a big whisky in the best Laphroaig tradition. Big peat flavour, followed by smoke, iodine and seaweed. One of the first whisky food pairings I did was pairing the Laphroaig with a Blue Stilton. And not only is it my most read whisky food post, but it one of our favourite pairings to snack on. Rich and filling but not too heavy.

The strong taste of the Stilton complements the smoke and peat of the Laphroaig. It brings out the creamy, buttery flavour of the cheese in a remarkable way. A perfect pairing!

Bourbon and Snickers

Bourbon pairs wonderfully with Snicker Bars! It is one of those pairings that shouts comfort! Like your favourite slippers and gown after a crazy long week. The bourbon balanced out the sugary sweetness of the chocolate and enhanced the peanuts and caramel notes. The caramel enhanced the bourbon vanilla and softened the alcohol notes. It created a match made in chocolate heaven.

Also Read: Tiramisu with Whiskey

Roasted Lamb and Ardbeg 10 Whisky

We eat a lot of lamb over weekends. On the braai in summer and warming stews in winter. Weekends are the perfect time to experiment. I have tried this Garlic and Rosemary roasted lamb with various whiskies, but always return to the Ardbeg 10 yo. My tasting notes for the Ardbeg 10 yo included notes of peat and smoke, citrus and hints of vanilla. The Ardbeg 10 yo is a big complex whisky, but not overwhelmingly so.

It has enough peat to be typically Islay, but not so much that it would frighten a non-peat lover. The Ardbeg is robust enough to stand up to the Garlic and Rosemary flavour and the richness of the lamb. The peat and smoke in the Ardbeg enhanced the lamb’s earthiness and made it simply delicious.

Bain’s Whisky and Camembert Cheese

Another whisky cheese pairing I regularly enjoy. I paired the Camembert cheese with various whiskies, but the pairing with the Bains’ whisky remains my favourite. My tasting notes for the Bain’s whisky included sweet hints of toffee, banana and vanilla.

The sweetness and spice of the Bain’s enhanced the earthy notes of the Camembert. The richness of the cheese softens with the Bain’s, and you want to try the Bain’s whisky food pairing again and again.

Coffee Bourbon Ice Cream

Not technically a whisky food pairing, however something I make regularly. I love coffee; I love ice cream. Add some Knob Creek Bourbon, and you have magic. Perfect for a grown-up dessert in summer. Best of all, it is easy to make, without too much fuss.

Use the best quality ice cream you can get your hands on, add some good quality coffee, grab any bourbon that you have. It is as easy as that. Not too many dishes and the grownups will smile.

What is your favourite whisky food pairing?

Also Read: Checkers Private Barrel Co No 68 whisky