Win tickets to the Cape Town Festival of Beer!

Published on by Teresa Ulyate1 Comment

Today is a doubly happy day – not only is it the start of the weekend but I also have a give-away for you, fabulous readers! Up for grabs is a set of double tickets to the much anticipated Cape Town Festival of Beer which is on from 22 – 24 November 2013.


This is the largest beer festival in the Southern Hemisphere, and will be showcasing over 200 local and international beers. There will be guided beer tours, the world’s largest game of beer pong and a chance to learn more about artisan beers and food pairings (so you’ll be right on trend, my dear!).

Naturally you can also expect to see plenty of food stalls and live entertainment. There will be prizes aplenty to be won and even a supervised play area for the kids should you wish to bring them along too. This and so much more, you can check out the Cape Town Festival of Beer website for more details by clicking here.

How to enter:

1.) Send an email to vanillafrost@gmail.com (subject line: BEER) with your name and contact number, and tell me what part of the festival you’d most look forward to if you won the tickets. 

For additional entries you can also:

1.) Like the Cupcakes & Couscous Facebook page (if you haven’t done this already) and let me know you’ve done so in your email. 
2.) Leave a comment on the Facebook page under the Festival of Beer Giveaway post. 

Entries close at midnight on Friday 8 November and the winner will be announced on Monday 11 November. The winner will receive one set of double tickets valid for Friday 22 November OR Sunday 24 November in Greenpoint, Cape Town (winner can choose their preferred date). The winner should be over the age of 18.

Good luck! 

Images courtesy of CT Festival of Beer

Honey nougat recipe.

Pecan, almond and honey nougat

Published on by Teresa Ulyate19 Comments
 
A few weeks ago I announced that the “I Made It” challenge for October would be nougat. This is something that I have always wanted to try, especially when I see images of perfect slabs of nougat in magazines and recipe books or fresh nougat bars in our local delis. So when Tandy over at Lavender and Lime asked me to host the challenge this month I knew this was my chance to challenge myself to master this classic sweet treat.

Continue reading “Pecan, almond and honey nougat” →

Double chocolate almond meringues

Published on by Teresa Ulyate10 Comments

I whipped these up a while ago when I found myself sitting with a few extra egg whites leftover from a batch of fresh pasta I had made. The perfect excuse to make meringues! Not just any meringues, no no… but an extra special version with dark chocolate and crunchy almonds. They were so delicious that I have made them several times since. Continue reading “Double chocolate almond meringues” →

Out & About: City Bowl Market

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For a while there I thought this post was never going to make it out! It’s scary how accustomed we are to having access to the whole world at our fingertips – and how out of touch we feel when that connection is no longer there. So the short story is that my wireless internet connection decided to take the weekend off… and, err.. never came back. My IT-whizz hubby has managed to make an interim plan so I am kind-of sort-of back again, enough so for me to tell you about my recent visit to the City Bowl Market.



Cape Town’s youthful energy is reflected in this market, located in the city centre. The market takes place twice weekly at 14 Hope Street – a large red and white building which you can’t miss as you drive up the road! Originally opened in September 1927, the Zionist Hall as it was more popularly known was a venue for social and charity events for the surrounding, largely Jewish neighbourhood and the citizens of the city. A centre for everything from concerts to Bat Mitzvahs to blood transfusion clinics. 50 years later, with the younger generation moving to other areas and the community dwindling, the hall was sold.




The first thing I noticed as I walked into the market was the colourful bunting draped across the hall. The traders were positioned around the sides of the hall, and in the middle were large pink tables (made out of doors) where visitors could relax and enjoy their food. On the stage up front, three women were playing the marimbas, adding to the festive atmosphere. And that really sums it up – the vibe is relaxed and fun!





And onto the traders… at first glance the City Bowl Market may not seem huge, but there is so much to see! Fresh spices, gluten-free muesli, artisan lollies and craft beers are just some of the offerings. If you have a sweet tooth you will not be disappointed! I took home the most delicious brownies from La Petite Moo Brownies in salted caramel and bar-one flavours. And I spotted some fantastic, blingy cupcakes at Take The Cake including a Lindt ball cupcake – yes, hello! For the more health conscious, you can follow your nose and the aroma of fresh ginger to the juice stand, or choose from a huge selection of gourmet salads at SaladLover.























I tasted some limoncello at Kaapse Limoncello (great for Christmas gifts, hint hint) and also got chatting to the lady selling fresh potted herbs (Village Herbs) in the hope of getting some insight as to why I can never get my coriander going. Brunch consisted of olive bread and halloumi bread from Cyprus Foods for me and a nutella crepe for hubby, enjoyed at one of the pink tables. I also tasted some spicy ready-to-drink chai at Groovy Chai. I was hoping to get a closer look at the craft beers but by the time I had worked my way to that side of the hall I couldn’t get anywhere near them for the sea of lads hanging around them! I’ll take that as a sign that they must be good.




City Bowl Market is the perfect place to meet up with old friends or make a few new ones! There is plenty of space at the large tables for everyone to gather around and have a good old catch up while enjoying the artisan products on offer.



The City Bowl Market at 14 Hope Street is open on Thursdays 4.30 – 8.30pm and Saturdays 9am – 2pm. For more information you can click here to visit their website. My thanks to Ute Kuhlmann, Market Manager for supplying the historical background of the building.

The best double chocolate brownie recipe.

Double chocolate brownies and a chat with Sam Taylor

Published on by Teresa Ulyate3 Comments

In a perfect world I would have hours and hours of free time to spend reading food blogs. I love discovering a beautiful blog, getting inspired by the recipes and images, and finding out a little bit more about the author. I first came across Pomegranate Days a few months ago, around about the time I started Cupcakes and Couscous. I was immediately drawn in by the friendly tone of the writing, the stunning images and the mouth-watering recipes. I knew I had found a gem!

 

Continue reading “Double chocolate brownies and a chat with Sam Taylor” →

I Made It: The October Challenge

Published on by Teresa UlyateLeave a comment



Yesterday I told you about my first attempt at cassoulet which I decided to make as part of the I Made It challenge for September. Well I’m thrilled to announce that Tandy over at Lavender and Lime has asked me to host October’s challenge! 



And so without further ado, the challenge for October is….. nougat! I am always inspired when I see images of gorgeous, perfectly cut nougat bars online and in glossy food magazines, but I never seem to get around to making it at home. I thought this would be a great recipe for the challenge as nougat lends itself to all sorts of variations. You can get creative and really have fun with this one! And I chose it because I’m guilty of having a sweet tooth and nougat is just, well, a little delicious. So who’s up for the challenge? Yep, I’m looking at you…

In order to take part there are a few simple rules:

– you must link back to this post
– you must link back to Lavender and Lime in your post
– you must include the I Made It widget (see below)
– the deadline is 31 October 2013




All righty, so we all have a month to work on our recipes! Please join me on this sticky adventure as I try to master this sweet treat.  I can’t wait to hear how you’re getting on, so please do get in touch (don’t forget to tweet those pictures too) and let me know how your nougat recipe is coming along! Aaaaand go!

Cassoulet recipe with chicken and sausages

Chicken and sausage cassoulet: The I Made It Challenge

Published on by Teresa UlyateLeave a comment
This month I decided to participate in my first “I Made It” challenge which happens monthly over at Lavender and Lime. I think it’s a fantastic idea, getting us foodies into the kitchen and challenging ourselves with dishes we may never have attempted or mastered before. No prizes, the main goal is to have fun! Each month a new dish is chosen, and September’s challenge was hosted by Joanne over at The Food Crew. When I heard that Jo had chosen cassoulet as the dish of the month I was very keen to participate because I LOVE French food.

Continue reading “Chicken and sausage cassoulet: The I Made It Challenge” →

Barbecue pizza recipe

Pizza on the braai

Published on by Teresa Ulyate1 Comment

September the 24th is a very special day in South Africa. It marks National Heritage Day, a holiday on which we as South Africans celebrate our rich, cultural diversity. More recently the day has also been termed (unofficially) as “National Braai Day” – a day for all of us to unite around the fire and indulge in a pastime we all enjoy, having a good old braai! On the eve of this wonderful celebration I could not think of a better time to share this recipe with you.

Continue reading “Pizza on the braai” →