The Savvy Chef

I was born and educated in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In 1990, I backpacked my way around Europe for 2 years and even spent 6 months working as a nanny in London during that time. I moved to the United States in 1994. In 2000, I changed to a vegetarian lifestyle. When I'm not working on my vegetarian cookbook, blog site or creating new recipes, I work as a travel editor for AAA (Automobile Association of America).

1. Franschhoek (Dutch translation: French Corner) is the gourmet capital of South Africa, so French influences feature prominently in South Africa's cuisine. Franschhoek also happens to be where the first grape vines were planted when the French Huegenots arrived at the Cape.

2. Chutneys, jams, preserves, custards (both sweet and savoury), breyani, Cape Malay samoosas and baked goods (milk tarts, koeksisters, etc.) are just a few of the foods that form the backbone of South African culture.

3. Creative and delicious!

...it is to keep an open mind about global cuisines. Each country has something special to share with the rest of the world. One of my fondest memories are of the foods I have sampled in each of the countries I travelled to. Food has the capability to bridge cultural differences, while still celebrating the uniqueness of each country: one of the many reasons I am so passionate about food and sharing the joy it provides.

Peppadew is the registered trademark name for a piquant South African fruit that looks like a cross between a miniature red pepper and a cherry tomato. While on holiday 25 years ago in the Eastern Cape, a business-man (who wishes to remain anonymous) spotted a bush laden with small, bright red fruit that when eaten, had a peppery yet sweet flavour. Seedlings cultivated from the mother plant combined with years of research has led him to develop a plant producing seedless fruit with pleasant levels of heat.

Now available in the United States, the versatile zingy-sweet pepper has captured the attention of celebrity chefs: Guy Fieri, host of the Food Network's Guy's Bites, is a Peppadew fan. Even Panera Bread bakery and cafes as well as several restaurants in the Bellagio and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas have included Peppadews on their menus. The fruit is a big hit at bars and nightclubs across the country and is also being enjoyed abroad in Britain, Europe, Canada and Australia.

Peppadew contains no preservatives, is a non-genetically modified organism (GMO), has a 24-month shelf life and is kosher. The peppers taste fabulous in pastas, salads (my personal favourite), sauces and marinades, and are perfect for stuffing with cream or goat cheese.

For recipes and to order online, go to Peppadew USA

As a child growing up in South Africa, Christmas was always a fun time. The day centers on family gatherings, and less emphasis is placed on material things. Even though gifts are exchanged among adults, it is mostly a time for children. The week before Christmas, my father always climbed into the attic to retrieve the tree, which my parents allowed me to decorate (I now realise that they were just too pleased to relinquish the job to me). But it was a task I loved and on Christmas Eve we carefully arranged gifts around its base.

Christmas Eve was also important to me because that's when I would "prepare" the beer and biscuits (cookies) for Father Christmas. Not content to give him milk, I reasoned that by the time he stopped over at our house, he would be so darned sick and tired of all the milk other kids had left out for him that beer would be a refreshing change. My parents relented and every year Father Christmas would find his beer and biscuits waiting for him on the diningroom table. The same night we would also eat a light meal in preparation for a Christmas Day feast.

My mother slow-roasted some of the food throughout the night, so that most of it would be ready by Christmas Day for our sumptuous lunch. We always left room for dessert -- usually a baked Cape Dutch pudding drenched in some type of sweet sauce and spiked with brandy. Life was good.

A week later, the Christmas tree came down and everything was neatly stored in its place until the next year. Decades later, these fond memories still bring a smile to my face. They keep me going between holiday visits back home, which I usually make every couple of years.

Recipe courtesy of Sharon Picone, The Savvy Chef

This recipe is good any time of year, but it's especially appropriate over the holidays.

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), room temperature
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup chopped dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup fresh orange juice or concentrate
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger

Beat cream cheese at medium speed until soft and fluffy. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining ingredients; stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors blend-at least 30 minutes.

Serve on nut breads or vegetarian/vegan crackers.

Someone once said that in the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips. I'd like to add my own spin and say that in the cookies of life, chocolate chips are the friends.

Having not grown up with the chocolate chip cookie as an indelible part of my culture, I have become increasingly intrigued by Americans' love affair with the chocolate chip cookie. The affair began on that fateful day in 1933 when Ruth Wakefield added chocolate chips to her sugar cookie dough. No one knows for certain the true story behind how Mrs. Wakefield came to create the chocolate chip cookie, but no matter. It was an ingenious move nonetheless.

There are as many variations of her Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie recipe as there are bakers attempting to improve upon it. But there's no denying that the ingredients are simple; sugar, butter, flour, eggs, leavening agents, salt and chocolate. Curiously enough, it's the way in which these ingredients are manipulated and the quality of chocolate used that turns a so-so cookie into one that evokes a multitude of oohs and aahs.

With this in mind, I challenged myself to create a recipe that would be worthy of praise from Americans, who undoubtedly are the chocolate chip cookie experts. After several weeks of poring over all my science cookbooks and imbibing as much information as my little gray cells could retain, I came to two conclusions: the dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but preferably for 36; and the cookies taste at their optimum when served warm.

Resting the dough is an important step because it develops a rich, caramel finish that is needed to elevate the cookie to "delectable" status. And the longer the dough rests, the more time all the ingredients have to blend and work their magic.

Another secret I stumbled upon is that chocolate maestro Jacques Torres uses couverture chocolate disks instead of chocolate chips. Rather than melting as individual blobs, which is what occurs when you use chips, his approach causes the chocolate to melt in thin layers: a brilliant idea. The result is a mouthful of creamy chocolate with every bite. Now that's my type of cookie!

Using chocolate with at least a 60 percent cacao content results in a more intense chocolate taste. I have found that for the home baker Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bars work perfectly for several reasons: the squares are thin enough to give the desired layers throughout each cookie (a-la-Jacques Torres); and the chocolate melts evenly and remains soft even after the cookies have cooled. Afterall, your baked products are only as good as the quality of ingredients used.

Because I adore anything-oatmeal and strive to include even a soupçon of health-sense in my recipes, I deviated from the norm and used whole grain oat flour instead of white flour. Oat flour adds to the overall flavour profile and marries well with the other ingredients in the dough.

My recipe incorporates all the insightful tips and techniques I learned from cooking scientists and chefs that have graciously shared their wealth of knowledge through their books. So in essence, this recipe pays homage to all of them.

I sincerely hope you enjoy my version of the chocolate chip cookie and please don't hesitate to share your opinion of them.

Recipe courtesy of Sharon Picone, The Savvy Chef

(Makes about 2 dozen, 4-inch cookies)

Ingredients

3 2/3 cups organic whole grain oat flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water and cooled or 1 tablespoon strong black coffee, cooled
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste or vanilla extract
3 bars of 4 ounces each (12 ounces total) *60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small squares

Baker's Tip: To obtain the accurate amount of flour, always loosen the flour with a spoon first before spooning it into your measuring cup. Level off the flour with the straight edge of a knife.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, kosher salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the coffee and beat on low speed for a further 1 minute until fully incorporated.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

Drop chocolate pieces into dough and with a large spoon gently incorporate them, making sure to not break them apart.

Press plastic wrap against dough and cover completely. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours but preferably 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick baking mat. If dough is too firm to scoop, let it stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to soften.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon (dough will be chunky), place spoonfuls of dough onto lined baking sheet and with fingertips carefully coax each cookie into a somewhat even round, about 2 ½ inches in diameter (cookies will spread to approximately 4 inches in the oven); gently press down any pieces of chocolate that are poking up.

Bake until the edges have turned golden brown but the center is still soft, about 15-18 minutes (the edge will be slightly darker than the remainder of the cookie).

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for no less than 3 and up to 5 minutes.
With a spatula, gently transfer cookies to a separate wire rack to cool for a further 10 minutes. Eat warm with a glass of soy milk.

If any cookies remain, store covered in a cookie tin.

*I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bars (available in the baking section of the grocery store).