Food

Choc Chip Heaven

22, March 2013

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Choc Chip Heaven

We take our cookies seriously at Augusta de Mist and this is the perfect chocolate chip cookie!! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside!! For added flavor we also add a cup of white chocolate chips. Also add some almonds if you prefer a bit more texture!   1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons hot water 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Cream together the butter, white...

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Bravo Tredici

30, November 2012

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Very stylish interior

It's not every day that you walk into a totally new build of this scale and purpose, in a small South African town and just marvel at the high level of craftmanship, decor, and quality. This place would be unique and special anywhere in the world, and we are so lucky to have it in Swellendam. Over the last two years, several places have opened and relaunched, each with the hint of what Swellendam is going to be when its all grown up. Tredici is a game-changer. Now, when you arrive at the town on the N2 you are greeted by this very stylish sight. And you naturally feel like the town is ripe for exploring. You...

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Spice up your life

22, November 2012

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Spice Cake

In our vocabulary fine dining is just that. Fine food, well prepared, great ingredients, confident combinations, and lots of love. Off all the things I learnt in the Hare Krishna temple, it was that love was the true secret to fine food. The other thing I learnt was that asafoetida is also a horse laxative and too heavy a hand of it in the pot is not a good thing. This simple spice cake is the thing we like serving for late afternoon tea. It is comforting and actually a little reminiscent of Lebkuchen, which is nice touch this time of the year! EASY SPICE CAKE 2 cups flour 1 1/3 cups...

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Gluten-free Sablé – Yay!

18, November 2012

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With Swellendam Berries

Here is the gluten free sablé pastry that I created for a recent guest. This is a simple sweet pastry which is great for making sweet tart cases or even simple biscuits to serve with rich desserts. It is based on a combination of recipes - a gluten free sable recipe that I found here along with my shortcrust pastry recipe here. This volume of pastry made 8 x 10cm tart cases. Don't skip the chilling step, it really helps to firm up the dough and makes it much easier to handle. You can freeze the dough either unbaked, at the chilling stage or once the tart case(s) have been baked blind. Gluten-free...

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Waterblommetjie time

14, October 2012

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Waterblommetjie bredie at Augusta's African Kitchen

Waterblommetjies are one of the Cape's favourite old-time ingredients, and if you're lucky enough to find them, here are the best ways to use them. If you happen to travel on a country road in the Western Cape during winter, you will see waterblommetjies floating like little white boats on farm dams. According to Dr Bettie Marais of the Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens the waterblommetjie (Aponogeton distachyos) is not only an indigenous plant, but is also peculiar to the Cape region. We should relish this little gem and also serve it with pride to those who are not in the know, as it is farmed...

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A Passionate Update

27, September 2012

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Around Augusta de Mist

Some very lovely images from the Passionate Pomegranate launch captured by the guys from Food with a Story.

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PomTastic

02, September 2012

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Small bottles of Passionate Pomegranate Product

With a successful Passionate Pomegranate Co launch behind us and the enthusiastic attendance by journalists and editors from among others, House and Leisure, Conde Nast House and Garden, Cape Times, Bunte, Women's Health and Food With a Story; we are very grateful for the support, kind words and commitment from the various writers and bloggers. It was such a great experience to cook for and host all these people here in Swellendam. Even better news is that the shelves are stocked with some of the Passionate Pomegranate Co products for guests to sample and purchase.

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Eco Retail in Swellendam

02, September 2012

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Fresh Swellendam produce

Seon Eco Village is a familiar participant in most markets around Swellendam, regularly appearing at the Farmers market on the R60 as well as the Under the Oaks market on Church Square next to Old Gaol. It was with much joy that we learned of the opening of the Seonae Eco Centre opening this week right here in Swellendam. The team from Seonae provide the freshest produce, grown locally (often organically) and where conventionally produced, the eco benefit is the fact that the produce did not travel for hundreds of kilometers subject to refrigeration. They will also retail the most unusual...

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So what if it’s just a mention?

29, August 2012

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Home Chef

The first little blurb about the Passionate Pomegranate Co and the totally useable products that they produce has appeared. Because of print real estate being what it is, the Augusta mention went from a nice substantial amount to a sentence. But we are not complaining. All that is needed is the mention, by name, to keep us happy. Watch the press and online media for lots more coverage as our two week PR blitz starts to pay off! When we in collaboration with Judi Rebstein from Old Gaol started to outline a launch plan earlier this year it all seemed so distant and somewhat unachievable but here...

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Have another Hertzoggie!

19, August 2012

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Hertzoggies

As always in South Africa there are many sides and versions of the same thing. Today we look at one of our favorite sweets, the Hertzoggie. A delightful little confection of buttery pastry, sweet apricot jam and a coconut meringue topping. It is impossible to eat just one. They were named after a prime minister of South Africa (1924 -1939), J.B.M. Hertzog. Must have been his favourite teatime snack and his many supporters baked and served these little tarts like crazy. Hertzog was a direct opponent to Genl Jan Smuts whose supporters immediately developed their own favorite baked item and called...

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