Sophia Lindop believes there are no rules when it comes to food, and that playing and experimenting is an essential part of creating masterpieces in the kitchen. She gives us some innovative ideas for eating in 2009.

With economic concerns high on the list, 2009 is a year to shop wisely, and to eat frugally. In order to achieve this, I suggest we travel back in time to see how our forebears did exactly that by preparing and enjoying some of the golden oldies of our cuisine, like:

Beef tongue: It's easy to prepare, it can be enjoyed cold with a lovely loaf of bread and wholegrain mustard, or hot in a sweet mustard sauce with raisins.

Pickled fish: This can be prepared in advance and is good enough to serve with a salad only.

Bobotie: To me bobotie is like an open canvas on which one can paint just about any picture! I have used the following successfully in the making of bobotie: beef, lamb, chicken, ostrich and lentils (as a vegetarian option.) Bobotie also freezes very well, so this is a good meal to prepare in advance and store in the freezer.

Then there are delicacies available on our shelves now that are fast becoming my favourites, like:

Chicory (or Belgian endive): It is available all year round, and can be enjoyed in summer in a salad or in winter it can be baked in a combination of cream and white wine, with parsley, grated pecorino, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Celeriac: It looks scary, but is actually a very tasty ingredient in stews, soups and even grated in a salad. Besides, it's healthy too!

And for dessert?

Every time we spend a weekend on the Karoo farm with family or friends, it has become tradition for me to make pizzas in the AGA stove.

Pizzas are fun to make because you can get everyone involved and thinking creatively by designing their own pizzas. What they never see coming is my dessert pizza! I have made the craziest combinations and each time everyone is left wanting more! Here are some of the mad things I have done:

  • Pizza with thin apple slices, cinnamon, walnuts and a sprinkling of treacle sugar.

  • A thin layer of melted chocolate, marshmallows cut into halves, strawberries and serve with blobs of double thick cream.

  • Pear slices, blue cheese, almond flakes, a sprinkling of treacle sugar and grated 70 percent dark chocolate.

    • Or just use your wacky imagination and do whatever sounds yummy!

    Sophia is an innovative ambassador for Cape Cuisine and continues to promote all we have to offer through her tours, cooking lessons, private functions and award winning blog, see: blog.sophialindop.com. Or for more information on Sophia, log on to www.sophialindop.com.


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