DEBASHINE THANGEVELO
CARB-HEAVY and exploding with fresh flavours, Italian grub is often regarded as a comfort food lacking in strict conventions and etiquette. But, if the advice of Italian chefs and experts is anything to go by, eating and preparing Italian food is laden with as many rules as any other cuisine. That’s if you want to do it right, anyway.
And as pop-up restaurants stocking “proper” Neapolitan pizza – with a soupy topping and a soft, thin base – and when fresh pasta has long been trying to outgun the sales of the boxed stuff in supermarkets, we’re running out of excuses for brazenly committing Italian food faux pas.
To save us the embarrassment of sipping on a Negroni while eating papparadelle or, God forbid, dipping our pizza crusts into ketchup, some top Italian chefs reveal the most cringe-worthy mistakes diners and cooks make. PASTA
“One of the biggest mistakes when making spaghetti alla carbonara is to use cream instead of egg yolks,” says Antonio Tonelli of the La Tagliata restaurant in London. Cream is heavy and cloying but eggs add richness.
“Also, never cook pasta in boiling water without sea salt. The pasta will never be seasoned enough if you add salt once it HEF Nti (real name Nthabiseng Nti Ramaboa) oozes creativity in the kitchen as well as with her wardrobe.
Rather than be dismissive of culinary dishes that are unique to South African culture, she has chosen to be innovative with them. This explains why her e.tv cooking show, The Perfect Ace, was loved by viewers.
She generated much excitement around everyday staples.
This skill is largely informed by her sponge-like personality when it comes to all things culinary-related as well as an adventurous streak to marry innovation with flavours.
Soon, she will be in the kitchen of Miami’s La Petite Maison, which earned a coveted Michelin star.
She explains: “Well, that came from my interactions with Nigeria. I just came back from there after judging the African Young Chef competition. There were chefs, including judges and mentors, from all over the continent there. The people I was interacting with have built up to this.”
Chef Nti continues: “I’m going to be an understudy at this French bistro, which is budget. As such, she pairs food with love.
That inherent appreciation for food has been masterfully interwoven into her career plans.
Chef Nti notes: “Food is cultural. If you look at any chef, you will see this. For me, it’s about celebrating South Africa’s culinary heritage with food. But I like to infuse a modern touch with Mediterranean flavours, if that makes sense. That’s why I’m going to Miami’s La Petite Maison. They do that sort of French Mediterranean that you will find in my food.”
She continues: “With my first cooking show I was sponsored by Ace. There I was showing people how to make special meals using pap. Everyone has a warm story about pap – it unites us as much as soccer and rugby tend to.
“With the show, I showed them how to make everything from gnocchi, pap chips, pap pizza, tarts to cakes/flans.”
These days she has a regular insert on e.tv’s Sunrise breakfast show every Thursday.
By the way, she has three signature dishes that have become a firm favourite with fans and loved ones.
“It’s the stuff I made with the Perfect Ace Super Maize Meal. So I have a coconut and maize flan.
“I have these spinach and feta croquettes where, instead of potato, I use pap, which has the same consistency.
“They come out crunchy on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside. I also make this maize pizza.”
She’s no stranger to Miami as she has been there many times before. She says: “I’m going to be going back to basics. That (meaning the US) is where I started my culinary journey. I was based in LA.
“That is where I trained. I started a show and my blogging journey was conceived.
“My research guided and shaped me.
“I’m going back to look at what they are offering and bring it back home.
“It’s all about seeing what I can adapt – it’s not a cut and paste situation. As much I will be hitting the food scene there, I will also be taking South Africa’s culinary scene there.”
Foodies and fans can follow her blog to follow her journey. Makes Five Pies 500g potatoes 50g butter 50ml olive oil 3 sprigs rosemary 100g mango achaar 300g sundried tomatoes 250ml red wine 50g cheddar cheese 2 tsp sugar taste Salt and pepper to 500g Russian sausages 550g puff pastry 1 egg for brushing Cut 400g potatoes into 1cm x 1cm cubes. Cook in simmering water until tender. Drain and dry potatoes. Melt butter in a a sauté pan. Add 2 spoon of oil and rosemary sprigs. Add potatoes and increase heat. Fry potatoes until golden set brown. Drain and aside to cool. Drain achaar in a sieve. Finely chop sundried tomatoes. Place in a pan with 2 tsp. of olive oil on medium heat. Cook until paste red consistency. Add wine and chopped rosemary. Reduce to a chunky sauce. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside. Finely grate Cheddar. Skin and cut Russian sausages Fry into large blocks. in oil. Roll out puff pastry. Spray and cook mini-loaf 1 litre (4 cups) water 1 chicken stock cube 500ml (2 cups) maize meal 50g butter 50g (½ cup) grated Parmesan or cheddar cheese TOPPING 250g boerewor s sausage, or Chorizo or frankfutte rs 150g Sliced button mushroom s 1 Sliced red onion 200g chopped cherry tomatoes , halved 100g (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese fresh basil leaves Heat oven to 190°C. Grease a large baking sheet. In a large saucepan , bring water and chicken stock cube to the boil. Slowly pour in the maize meal, a little at a time, stirring constant ly until complete ly absorbed . Lower heat, and cook stirring for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Mixture must be soft and spreadab le. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesa n cheese, spread pap onto baking sheet, to 5cm thicknes s. moulds. Line with puff pastry. Layer bottom of pie with potatoes (NOT the chips). Add cheddar to Russian sausages of and layer on top potatoes. Layer with finely grated mature cheddar cheese. Place tomato seal sauce on top and pie with a layer of puff pastry. Brush the pie with egg wash. With remaining puff pastry cut out the letters “KOTA” and egg wash one side of each letter. the Stick lettering on pie lid and egg-wash pie. the surface of the Bake at 180°C until golden brown. Brush your pap base with olive oil. Arrange topping ingredie nts, except basil, on pap base. Bake for 20 minutes or until the sausage is browned and the sides of the maize meal crust crisp. Garnish with basil leaves and cut into wedges, serve warm.