delicious hunt #1

I essentially spend a large part of my life cooking, eating, baking, eating out and shopping for food, so I have decided to start a regular feature on Drizzle and Dip where I round up some of the delicious things I find along the way.

Everything you see here has been personally experienced by me, loved by me, or things that I find interesting or beautiful. All in some way linked to food and drink of course.

I had so many delicious things to include in this post, but life suddenly smacked me in the face this week. I’m working on a pizza shoot, and then I will be featured in a shoot at my house on Friday for a TV insert. This along with my advance copies of  my book arriving have left me rather over subscribed.

Its going to be a mush mash of various things and first up:

DELICIOUS PRODUCTS:

Como Empanadas

I recently  heard about Como Empanadas at the Good Food & Wine show. These are authnetic Argentine empanadas with a playful twist.

‘Empanadas are essentially delicious, crisp, half-moons of pastry, puffed with a savoury meat or vegetable filling.  The empanada is one of Argentina’s most traditional and popular dishes, and is quietly taking the world by storm.  Whether you choose to eat one or two gourmet empanadas as a snack or a starter, or three or four as a meal, these delicious, hand held, delicacies are the ultimate in wholesome and natural convenience food.’

So quick and easy to bake (15 minutes) and perfect to store in your freezer when you are looking for that little filler snack. I tried the spinach and Mushroom and the chicken and chorizo which were fabulous.  They seriously tasted completely home-made, which they are. All natural and no artificial additives.

Aside from eating them just as they are, hot out the oven, they are also delicious cold and thus make the perfect lunchbox filler, picnic partner or lovely edition to your bowl of soup, when you want just a little more than a bowl of soup. You know what I mean?

Check out their website with ways to order these little pockets of deliciousness.

 

Tea Forte

I also dicovered Tea Forte at the Good Food & Wine Show and this is what I said about it:

Tea forte is a range of extraordinary tea in the most exquisite packaging. Seriously, this has to be the most beautiful looking tea bag in the world. It is a pyramid design which provides space in the ‘bag’ for the leaves to expand and properly infuse with the water. Where the teabag is no longer the soggy part of the tea making process that you have to squeeze and throw away, but where it is an integral part of the ceremony. Genius. I just want one in each flavour. This range of teas brought to you by fine-food distributor Sagrafoods also includes some of the most innovative and beautiful tea accessories I have ever seen. Individual tea brewing systems, loose leaf tea infuser, ceramic and glass tea-pot sets and the stunning tea-over-ice system that takes iced tea to a whole new level. As a tea geek, I was mesmerised by this brand and everything tea that they are doing.

I am totally in love with my Kati tea brewing system (pictured above) and use it every day. Its a double-wall ceramic tumbler and integrated stainless steel infuser which makes brewing loose tea by the cup simple. The innovative double-wall construction keeps tea hot and the tumbler cozy to hold. Brews a generous 12 oz cup, is dishwasher and microwave safe.

 Braai planks from Geobasket

I was so excited to finally test out these braai planks over the week end with my friend and fellow food blogger Fritz from Realmencancook.  We cooked 4 different things on the planks and cant wait to show you the results of our escapades next week.

 

DELICIOUS LIBATIONS

Haute Espoire Gentle Giant

I tasted this wine again recently at the Siris Vintners tasting and once again loved it.  Its the kind of wine I just want to keep drinking more and more of.  Notes: ‘ Warm spices dominate the nose, the palate is smooth and rich with ripe berries and crushed black pepper.’ -

Kleine Zalze Chenin blanc 2008

I tasted this wine at my recent trip out to Klein Zalze and lunch at Terroir and fell instantly in love with it.  I had heard about its magnificence from a few others and now I am a very big fan.

 

DELICIOUS COMPETITION

The Col’Cacchio Celebrity Pizza Challenge

If you haven’t yet heard of this delicious pizza challenge being run by Col’Cacchio, you need to check it out. Basically you enter your own pizza creation in to the competition and stand a chance to be the 4th pizza chosen in their annual Celebrity Pizza line up.

I entered mine named the ”Drizzle & Dip” (of course) and its a pizza with crispy prosciutto, zucchini ribbons and mozarella soaked in cream (with a hint of chilli and garlic). If you want to win 2 of my pizzas delivered to your door with a bottle of Place In The Sun Shiraz, then leave a comment below with a description or name of your favourite Col’Cachio pizza and I will choose the best looking pizza or best name to win.

Fabulous!

* must live in CT, JHB or Durban