Cheese lovers will be delighted to know that the South African Cheese Festival will be celebrated this year from Friday 24 April, 2009 to Monday 27 April, 2009 at Bien Donne farm.

Location:
Bienne Donne farm, between Paarl and Franschoek, on the R24.
Website:
www.cheesefestival.co.za
Contact:
0219754440

Email:
cheese@agriexpo.co.za

This is true tasty entertainment for the whole family. Enjoy shopping in a rustic market atmosphere while enjoying tastings and cooking demonstrations.

Remember to get your tickets WELL BEFORE HAND through Computicket or at any Checkers store, as NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE GATE. Children younger than 12 are free, Adults pay R85 and Seniors pay R65.

The SA Cheese Festival will be presented by Agri-Expo and has captured a total of 165,000 visitors in the past.

Le Quartier Francais is nestled at the foot of the beautiful Franschhoek mountains in the Cape, South Africa. The hotel’s restaurant is called, delectably, The Tasting Room, and offers meals of four, six or eight courses.

Executive Chef Margot Janse (LinkedIn profile)and her team provide an ever-changing menu for dinners Monday to Sunday:

4 – 6 course menu

8 course gourmand

The Tasting Room as been voted as one of The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants

2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 according to Restaurant Magazine UK.

Booking is essential.

More Cape restaurants.

Interested in wine? Travel the beautiful Cape Wine routes.

Director Robert Rodriguez does a cooking segment called “10 Minute Cooking School” in the special features section of the DVDs for “Once upon a time in Mexico” and “Sin City”.

Here follows his grandmother’s tortilla recipe and the recipe for Breakfast Tacos as featured in “Sin City”.

For the Tortilla’s:

2 cups unbleached white flour
Half a teaspoon salt
Half a teaspoon baking powder
One quarter cup room temperature butter
About three quarters of a cup of warm water
Optional: bacon drippings

For the Tacos or Migas

One large peeled and diced potato
A large tomato
One medium white peeled and sliced onion
A green, minced jalapeno
Corn tortillas, four days old and sliced into strips

Five or six lightly beaten eggs
Corn oil to do the frying
Butter for frying
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Tortillas

This Tortilla recipe will give you about 8 to 10 fine and tasty tortillas. In large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your hands until well-mixed and a coarse, sandy texture is achieved.  Add three quarters of a cup of warm water and form into a dough.  Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is not sticky – it should be smooth and elastic. Make 8 to 10 balls and put these on a baking sheet. Dampen a tea towel with warm water, cover the dough and let rise for 20 minutes.

FOR THE TACOS/MIGAS: Heat up 2 tablespoons corn oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat and fry the potatoes until soft but not crispy.  Add salt and pepper.  Scoop the potatoes to a plate lined with a paper towel.  Heat up 2 tablespoons of corn oil in the same pan and fry the tomato, onion and jalapeno until the onion begins to soften. Put this aside and keep it warm.

In the same pan heat up 2 more tablespoons of oil and fry the corn tortilla strips until crispy. Put these aside on a paper towel lined plate. With the same pan heat up 2 tablespoons butter and lightly scramble the eggs.  Combine the tomato mixture, corn tortillas strips and eggs on a platter.  Put this aside and keep it warm.

Shape the flour tortillas into thin round circles about 6 inches in diameter using a rolling pin. Heat up a skillet to medium heat, adding some bacon drippings if desired. Now cook the tortillas until bubbles form and brown specks appear – for about 1 minute. Cook the other side for another minute.  Keep the tortillas warm, stacking them one on top of the other like pancakes until ready to serve.

SERVE! Divide the potato and egg mixture onto the flour tortillas. Fold these in half and enjoy!