But I do have an immense appreciation for fine cuisine, and I’m looking forward to splashing out and going a bit wild at the Taste of Cape Town Festival, coming up in two weeks’ time (24-28 March 2010).

It’s a 5-day gathering of celebrated chefs from 19 of the Cape’s most renowned and awarded restaurants, and they’ll be serving up sample-sized portions of their “fabulous, trend-setting signature dishes”. A perfect way to try an array of completely different dishes, all in one go.

And there’s plenty more to keep you entertained for a good few hours, with wine-tasting, beer-brewing masterclasses, whisky-tasting, chef’s theatre and gourmet food stalls. Plus, new this year is the Fresh Producers’ Market:

This new feature will showcase some of Cape Town’s local food heroes. From delicious, hand-made cheeses, biltong, sweets to exotic ingredients, herbs and chocolates – to name just a few – the Fresh Producers Market at the Taste of Cape Town is guaranteed to inspire and tantalise with real, wholesome, fresh foods and produce.

Mmmmmm… I’ll be interested to see who’ll be there.

WIN TICKETS!

So, is anyone out there keen to win some tickets to this fab event? We’ve got 10 double passes to give away – all you have to do is fill in the form below, and send us your details. First ten correct entries drawn will each win a set of double-tickets (Standard passes only, and only valid for the Thursday event).

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Competition closes at 5pm on Tuesday 16 March 2010.  Winners must be able to attend the festival on Thursday 25 March 2010 (or the tickets will be given to a runner up).

Festival info:
The Taste of Cape Town festival takes place this year from the 24 – 28 March 2010 at Rhodes High School, Mowbray. www.tasteofcapetown.com

Tickets:

• R80 Standard – Entrance and free access to P’nP Fresh Living Chef’s Theatre, Checkers Wine Route wine and cheese tastings, Grolsch Beer academy and various other gastro features at the Festival
• R170 Premium – Including R100 worth of Taste of Cape Town CROWNS

Taste of Cape Town CROWNS – How they work:

CROWNS, the festival currency, can be bought along with festival tickets beforehand or on the day. Guests can use them to pay for sample dishes from restaurants or drinks from exhibitors and bars. Each Taste of Cape Town CROWN is worth R5 and prices range from 4 to 8 CROWNS per dish. Change is offered in CROWNS only.

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Venue : Vergelegen Great Lawn, Vergelegen Estate, Somerset West

5 March : R 125
6 March : R 135 (R115 pensioners/child)

Bookings : At Computicket from 01 Feb 2010

Visit the Vergelegen website: www.vergelegen.co.za for more info.

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**UPDATED**

Vergelegen Starlight Classics

Friday 5 March (7.30pm) and Saturday 6 March (7pm) 2010.  Vergelegen Estate, Somerset West (more info)

Annual Starlight Classics Concert hosted by Rand Merchant Bank, on the historic Vergelegen Wine Farm in Somerset West.  Gates open at 16h00. Wine, cheese and coffee sales available on the night. Own picnic baskets welcome. Tickets: 5 March : R 125 6 March : R 135 (R115 pensioners/child)

Old Cape Wine Festival

Saturday 6 March 2010. 10am-5pm. Imhoff Farm. (venue info)

A new one-day festival celebrating the best of South Africa’s wines. The festival takes place tomorrow at Imhoff Farm near Kommetjie, and is set to feature over 20 wine estates, with unlimited tastings of 100+ wines. For your R40 entry fee, you’ll get a complimentary wine glass, food tastings, live music and there’s plenty of entertainment for kids. For more info call the Old Cape Wine Shop: 021 783 5054.  More info here.

Saltare Food & Wine Pairing

Saturday 6 March 2010.  10.30am.  Oude Libertas Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market.  (More info)

Seasonal dishes paired with biodynamically produced wines and bubblies.  Places are limited, but they’ve apparently had a late cancellation so you might just get a spot.

Spier Biodynamic Farm Visit

Saturday 6 March 2010.  10:15am.  Spier Estate. (details)

This is where I’ll be on Saturday morning – visiting Spier’s biodynamic farm and finding out how food can be raised ethically and with care.  There are a couple of free places, if anyone wants to come along.  And it’s an awesome outing to combine with a visit to a local market, like the fabulous Oude Libertas Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market.

Cape Farmhouse Work For Love fundraiser

Saturday 6 March 2010. From 2pm. Cape Farmhouse Restaurant.  (more info)

Join Hot Water, Croc e Moses and Matthew Rice’s Open Sky for the Wiggles annual non profit fundraiser hosted at the Cape Farmhouse Restaurant. R60 adults, R50 students and under 12’s free. More information about Work for Love go to www.workforlove.co.za and to find out more about this event contact Rebecca on rebeccasturgeon@gmail.com.

Kirstenbosch Concerts: Goldfish

Sunday 7 March 2010.  5.30pm.  Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. (more info)

These concerts are so popular these days that it’s usually pretty hard to get a ticket this late in the day, and I’d imagine Goldfish are definitely one of the must-sees.  If the weather holds, it will definitely be a superb night for it.

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But before I jump the gun, here’s a little background on what Slow Food is…

Slow Food celebrates, protects and promotes foods that are good, clean and fair.

Good food is delicious, natural and part of our cultural heritage.
Clean food is grown sustainably, in an environmentally responsible manner.
Fair food is produced by farmers and artisans who have food sovereignty: they are free to choose how, when, where and what food they produce, and are properly remunerated and respected for their work.

Slow Food convivia around the world achieve this by:

• Safeguarding local and indigenous dishes, made according to traditional methods
• Giving preference to foods that are grown and produced sustainably, by small farmers and producers, using traditional skills and methods
• Regarding meal times as an opportunity to celebrate our relationships and cultures
• Believing the enjoyment of food is a right of all people

So why start another convivium when there’s already one going strong in Cape Town?  Well, we were simply so excited about how many awesome events we could organise, and small producers we could visit, that we decided Cape Town was big enough for two sister convivia and leapt into the breach.

There are some very passionate foodies on the committee, and we’re brimming with ideas for upcoming events.  The idea is to make the Slow Food Mother City convivium accessible to students and families by offering affordable outings that promote the values of Slow Food. These events include meals, tastings, farm outings and producer visits.

We’ve already had our first official event of the year, a much-enjoyed artisan beer and food pairing evening at &Union, and this weekend SFMC will be visiting Spier’s Biodynamic Farm near Stellenbosch.

Here’s the scoop:

In early March Slow Food Mother City will be visiting the Biodynamic Farm on Spier Estate outside Stellenbosch.

Biodynamic agriculture develops soil, plants and animals into a closed, interacting and interdependent circle of production, characterised by a holistic, natural approach. Spier Biodynamic Farm includes a half-hectare vegetable market garden, and pastures for grazing pasture reared beef, broiler chickens and egg-laying chickens.

At 10.30am on Saturday, 6th March, Christo, the farm manager, will show us around, and answer your questions. It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about ethical food production, and enjoy the last of the summer weather in a beautiful location.

Date and time:
Saturday 6 March 2010. 10.15am

Cost:
An administrative fee of R20 for Slow Food Mother City members, and R30 for guests. There is no charge for children under the age of 16. If you would like to take home a frozen Spier chicken for your supper, please add R77 onto your deposit (each chicken is a gorgeous, hefty 2.2kg, so you are paying R35/kg).

Location:
Spier Biodynamic Farm – www.spier.co.za

There are only 25 places available in total (and filling up fast), but if you’d like to come along, email events@slowfoodmothercity.co.za and let us know how many people you are booking for.

I will definitely be there, and I will also definitely be taking home a Spier chicken when I leave.  Oh, and joining Slow Food Mother City only costs R70 (per year), so if you’d like to get first dibs on great events and outings like this one, sign up now!

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The Design Indaba conference is currently running and will end on Friday 28 February. The event will see the likes of Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro), Martha Stewart, Wooser Collective, Michael Edwards, ZA News, Mokena Makeka and Doug Pray, to name but a few, giving presentations.

Unfortunately, tickets for the conference are already sold out. However, a real-time broadcast of the speakers’ presentations (dubbed the Young Designers Simulcast) will be available for students and emerging designers under the age of 25, details of which are available on the official website.

International All Stars from every discipline under the sun have been showing off their inventive prowess at the Design Indaba Conference since 1995. Drawing fans from creative, corporate and educational sectors alike, the conference has become the playing field for the imaginative at heart.

Championing creativity that enhances every aspect of the world around us, Design Indaba recognises graphic design, advertising, film, music, fashion design, industrial design, architecture, craft, visual art, new media, publishing, broadcasting and performing arts shoulder-to-shoulder.

The Design Indaba expo forms part of this weekend’s highlights in the mother city. The expo kicks off on Friday until Sunday and I have it on great authority that it will be jam-packed with all sorts of interesting stalls and up-and-coming designers (up to 260 of them, in fact!).

Design Indaba Expo is a 100% local-is-lekker celebration of South Africa’s ingrained creativity. Advertising, architecture, craft, décor, film, fashion, graphic design, interior design, jewellery, new media, publishing, product design and visual media, are all presented shoulder-to-shoulder.

Each of the over 260 exhibitors is evaluated and endorsed by an advisory panel of top South African designers, stylists, critics and industry experts. Setting a high curatorial standard, all products are original, contemporary and innovative, not to mention conceived and manufactured in South Africa.

A chock-a-block daily programme of additional activities will fuel the buzz. All-day fashion shows, a short-film festival, the new Design Indaba Kids workshops, a suave designer bar, tantalising designer food and daily Pecha Kucha presentations by leading local creatives are just some of the highlights to look forward to.

One promising exhibitor that I have come across is the team behind the ‘kô_sit’ concept (derived from the Afrikaans term ‘kom sit’). The team has developed both a means to dispose of man-made waste (including newspaper, plastic bags, shredded paper and old fabrics) and a means to uplift an under-privileged community.

In short, they’ve designed a sustainable product to be used as furniture in a market in the suburb of Idas Valley with the hope of the concept sparking a creative initiative within the community. Recycling initiatives in the local schools will provide the innards of the furniture, for example. As a result of increasing world-wide attention on going ‘green’, I can imagine that sustainable designs will form a large proportion of the products exhibited.

Expo ticket prices are inexpensive (R50 for adults) and can be booked through computicket. Doors open from 10:00 – 20:00 on Friday and Saturday and until 18h:00 on Sunday.

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Constantia Waldorf Night Market

Friday 26 Feb 2010.  5pm-9pm.  Constantia Waldorf School, Spaanschematriver Road (details)

Awesome new night market, held for the first time last month.  It proved hugely popular, with around 2,000 people attending, and with good reason.  The food is great and varied (and healthy), there’s organic produce, holistic wares, music, entertainment, craft and a really good vibe.

Nitida Night Market

Friday 26 Feb 2010. 5pm – 9.30pm.  Nitida Estate, Durbanville. (details)

Slightly further afield, but well worth the trip is the Nitida Night Market. Following the success of their December night market, they’ll be hosting another one, complete with delicious home made goodies and wonderful country setting.  Their usual morning market will follow at the early-bird hour of 7am the following morning.

Community Chest Carnival

24-27 February 2010. Maynardville Park, Wynberg (details)

I haven’t been to this fundraising carnival in years now, so I’m not sure what it’s like any more.  Big, busy and a bit hectic, but one used to be able to find some interesting food in between the mad crowds… Friday and Saturday always got a little too crazy for me, but if you go during the day it’s usually not quite as daunting!

Constantia Fresh Festival

26-27 February 2010. Constantia Valley. (details)

Aylesford ‘Constantia Fresh’ Sauvignon Blanc Festival is one of the first SA wine festivals to feature Sauvignon Blanc of the Constantia Valley, regional and international producers for a two day lifestyle festival celebrating the distinctiveness and freshness of the ‘wild white’ grape, Sauvignon Blanc, and its compatibility with food.

Robertson Hands-On Harvest Festival

26-28 February 2010.  Various times.  Robertson.  (details)

This boutique event will take place 26 – 28 February 2010 and offers wine aficionados and budding vintners a chance to experience the magic of harvest for a day.  Expect grape picking, stomping, wine-tasting, a harvest market and more.

Kalk Bay Fish Fare

Saturday 27 February 2010.  10.30am to 6pm. Entry R5.  Contact: 083 3384201 (details)

Awesome annual fish fare held at the Holy Trinity Church in Kalk Bay.  Gets a little busy and crowded, but you can find all sorts of delicious fish treats and then picnic wherever you can find room (sometimes amongst the gravestones, hmmm…!)

Local Goods Market at Hathersage Farm

Sunday 28 February 2010. 9am-2pm. Hathersage Farm, Gordon Road, Somerset West. (details)

Very excited about this market!  I’ve been hearing whispers about how good it is, and though I haven’t managed to see it yet, and won’t get there this weekend, I hope to do so very soon indeed.

A community-driven exhibition of the best local goods on offer from authentically slow, gourmet food and freshly picked produce to a range of carefully crafted, gorgeous gifts, flora, music and great wine!  Bring a picnic blanket and join us for an outing of browsing, lunching and shopping for great products.

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I haven’t been yet, and sadly won’t make it this weekend, but I think it sounds and looks very very promising indeed:

The Marketplace – Local Goods Market

Date: 28 February from 9am – 2pm

Venue: Hathersage Farm, Gordon Road, Somerset West

Details: A community-driven exhibition of the best local goods on offer from authentically slow, gourmet food and freshly picked produce to a range of carefully crafted, gorgeous gifts, flora, music and great wine!  Bring a picnic blanket and join us for an outing of browsing, lunching and shopping for great products.  Visit our “donation station” with any non-perishables, unwanted childrens’ clothing, toys or for details on services and donations.

The market will run every second and last Sunday of the month.  Come and support your neighbour!

Contact: Sharon at  info@tomarketwithlove.co.za

The photos look fantastic – I can’t wait to see it all for myself.

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This is unusual.  Very unusual.  I don’t like beer.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that I detest the stuff.  Not on the hottest, dryest, most energy-sapping day has even the frostiest, most dew-covered brew ever quenched my thirst, or seemed even vaguely palatable.  Bitter, yeasty, yuck.

But, last night discovered something I suppose I ought to have known.  Something I should have guessed at, but never thought to question…  All beer is not equal.  All beer is not flung together in the space of a few days to pump out to the masses.  All beer is not crafted with care, using only natural ingredients and no added preservatives, colourants or any other ‘funny’ stuff.

Some beer is special.  Some beer takes 12 weeks to create and should be savoured just as respectfully.  Some beer can blow a girl’s mind.

And the artisan brews I tasted last night at &Union did just that.

I am gobsmacked.  Who knew that beer could taste like champagne?  That there could be hints of dried apricot and other fruity notes?  Who could have guessed that a block of hard unpasteurised cheese and German mustard could transform that same fruitiness into a golden blaze of honeysuckle?

What an awesome revelation.

The event, in case you’re wondering, was the first official event organised by Cape Town’s shiny new Slow Food convivium: Slow Food Mother City (more about that soon).  &Union was the perfect choice: passionate purveyors of hand-crafted artisan beers, which are brilliantly paired with complementary seasonal foods, sourced locally.  The quality is exceptional and, wherever possible, the food is organic and free range.

(They even have unbleached, recycled Green Home toilet paper and napkins, believe it or not.)

Long story short:  I, who once loathed beer, now love it… REAL beer, that is.  So, do yourself a favour and try it for yourself.  Yes, you will pay more than you would for your average bottle of mass-produced swill (ahem), but it is most definitely worth it.

&Union is located at 110 Bree Street, Cape Town. www.andunion.com.  They’re open from 7am to 11pm, and serve delicious seasonal meals to go with their beautiful brews. They also make a mean coffee (being owned by the creators of Vida e Caffe).

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But, I hopefully have it under control now, and so, here we go…

Natural and Organic Products Exhibition

19-21 February 2010. CTICC. Hours: 10am-6pm (Sunday ends at 5pm).  Tickets cost R50. http://www.naturalandorganic.co.za

A huge gathering of things natural and organic all under the broad roof of the Cape Town Convention Centre.  Grab a bite at the raw food bar, or a glass of wine at the organic wine garden, and check out talks and demonstrations at the Lifestyle Stage throughout the event.   It’s going to be bigger than usual this year because the Women’s Show will be hosted alongside it instead of separately.

Infecting the City 2010: Spier Public Arts Festival

13-20 February 2010.  Various locations in the city.  Free.  www.infectingthecity.com

Infecting the City (ITC) is a ‘public arts’ festival in South Africa, that stages and exhibits high-quality, thought-provoking, boundary breaking works in the city of Cape Town’s communal spaces. The works are free and accessible to everybody.  Today and tomorrow are the last days of the event.

Mielie Market @ Montebello

19 February 2010. 9am-1pm.  Montebello Centre, Newlands. (more info)

I love this little organic fresh produce market.  All the greens come from township gardens, and the stall is manned by some of the friendliest folk I’ve met.  I haven’t been for a while, but apparently the stall has moved into the shaded Kwalapa tent area, to keep the veggies from wilting.  How perfect is that?  Kwalapa now sells Spier’s ethically-raised farm chickens and has a great range of other organic goodies (never mind being a great place to have a meal) so it’s the ultimate Friday stop!

Biscuit Mill Vintage Fair

21 February 2010. 10am-3pm.  Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Rd, Salt River. (more info)

I rather like this somewhat quieter version of the Neighbour Goods Market… Far less crowded, and easy to move around without jabbing elbows into someone.  Unlike the Saturday market, food is not the focus of the Vintage Fair, but there is plenty to eat in between browsing the stalls of vintage goodies.  There’s a great LP stall, and a second hand book stall with a fabulous selection, and much more.

Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts: Just Jinger

21 February 2010.  5.30pm.  Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.   Adults: R95, Youth (6-21 yrs) R70, BOTSOC members R85. (more info)

I can’t believe I haven’t yet been to one of these this season… Kirstenbosch Concerts are an awesome way to spend a lazy summer Sunday evening, picnicking on the lawns, listening to some of our best local talent.  Parking is usually a nightmare, but if you go early and are laid back about the whole thing (and why not be, after all).  I’m guessing tickets are sold out, but you can always try calling 021 761 2866 to find out.

Events to forward to…

• Constantia Waldorf Night Market (26 February 2010)
• Robertson Hands On Harvest Festival (26-28 February 2010)
• Constantia Fresh Festival (26-27 February 2010)
• Kalk Bay Fish Fare (27 February 2010)
• Kirstenbosch Craft Market (28 February 2010)

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Venue: Holy Trinity Church Kalk Bay, 42, Main Road Kalk Bay.
Date: 27th February 2010 Time: 10.30h00 -18h00)
Tel: 021 7881641, (9h00-12h00) 083 3384201 or 021 7821352
Email: admin@holytrinitykalkbay.co.za or kevin@etec.co.za

Dine in the old Cape Tradition. The 24th Annual Kalk Bay Fish Fare will take place on the 27TH February 2010 from 10.30am to 6.00pm. Enjoy fresh sea foods such as Crayfish Curry, Braaied Yellowtail, Fried fish and chips and Calamari, a variety of Seafood curries, Seafood Potjie. Homemade Fish Cakes, a selection of delights from the Deli such as Mussels, Fresh Oysters, Calamari Salad, Salmon treats, Sushi and more cooked while you wait. Enjoy a homemade desserts and ice cream after the main course.

A Band the Sans of Time will entertain while you relax in the beautiful garden where Beer, Wine, Cold drinks and Tea and Cake will be served. There is also a second hand book stall, bric n brac and fun games for the children. All profits are to support the historical church site restoration and assistance to other Anglican Churches in the Diocese. Don’t miss out on this Cape Town event. No booking required.

Entrance R5.00 per adult children under 12 years free.

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