Here’s a list of New York City’s finest bars, in no particular order:

Artisanal
Roof Garden Cafe
King Cole Bar Lounge
40/40 Club
Cafe Carlyle
Jazz Standard
Ginger Man
Grand Central Oyster Bar
Circa Tabac
Table 50
Bar Masa
KGB
21 Club
Marquee
Starlight Bar & Lounge
Hi Fi
Bemelmans Bar
Bowery Ballroom
S.O.B.’s
Bull and Bear

Accademia di Vino
Allen & Delancey
Alto
Applewood
A Voce
BLT Market
Blue Hill
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Boqueria
Borough Food & Drink
Caffe Falai
Centro Vinoteca
Cookshop
Craft
Craftsteak
Cru
Death & Co.
Dell’Anima
Dessert Truck
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Dressler
Eleven Madison Park
Fatty Crab
Fiamma
15 East
The Four Seasons Restaurant
Franny’s
Gilt
The Good Fork
Gordon Ramsay at the London
Gramercy Tavern
Hill Country
Insieme
Jean Georges
Le Bernardin
Le Cirque
L’Impero
The Little Owl
Lupa
Market Table
Masa
Matsuri
The Modern
Momofuku Noodle Bar
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
Oceana
Ouest
Paradis To Go
Park Avenue Winter
Pegu Club
Perilla
Perry Street
Per Se
Picholine
Pinkberry
P*ONG
Porter House New York
Primehouse New York
Provence

SPRING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

September, October, November

FRUIT

Apples
Avocados
Bananas
Cape gooseberries
Coconuts
Dates
Grapefruit
Guavas
Lemons
Naartjies
Nectarines
Oranges
Pawpaws or papaya
Pears
Pineapples
Sweet melon
Strawberries

November

Apricots
Blackberries
Cherries
Plums
Prunes
Raspberries
Sweet melon
Watermelon

VEGETABLES

Artichokes
Asparagus
Aubergines or Eggplants
Baby marrows
Beetroot
Brussels sprouts
Kale spinach
Maize or corn on the cob
Parsnips
Red onions
Rhubarb
Turnips
Watercress

Summer Fruits and Vegetables

December, January, February

FRUIT

Apricots
Bananas
Blackberries
Cherries
Figs
Grapes
Guavas
Lemons
Litchis
Mangoes
Melon
Mulberries
Nectarines
Pawpaws or papayas
Peaches
Pineables
Plums
Pomegranates
Prunes
Quinces
Raspberries
Strawberries
Sweet melon
Summer berries
Watermelon

VEGETABLES

Artichokes
Asparagus
Aubergines or Egg plants
Baby marrows
Beetroot
Chives
Green beans
Maize or corn on the cob
Patty pans
Radishes
Red onions
Rhubarb

Autumn/Fall Fruits and Vegetables

March, April, May

FRUIT

Apples
Avocados
Figs
Granadillas
Grapefruit
Grapes
Lemons
Naartjies
Oranges
Pawpaws or Papayas
Pears
Pineapples
Plums
Pomegranates
Quinces
Sweet melon
Watermelon

VEGETABLES

Aubergines or Egg plants
Baby marrows
Beetroot
Broad beans
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Butter beans
Hubbard squash
Parsnips
Radishes
Sweet peppers
Turnips

Winter Fruits and Vegetables

June, July, August

FRUIT

Apples
Avocados
Dates
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Melon
Naartjies
Oranges
Pawpaws or Papayas
Pears
Pineapples

VEGETABLES

Asparagus
Beetroot
Broad beans
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Fennel
Jerusalem artichokes
Kale spinach
Parsnips
Pumpkin
Radishes
Turnips
Watercress

Italians love life and they love food

Beautiful, passionate, sensual and stylish – these are words that come to mind when you think of Italy. Italians are a people of a long history and varied culture. In Italy you will find influences from many cultures adding spice to its language, architecture, design and above all, its food.

Italian food culture is evident in every city around the world in the form of the local pizza or pasta restaurant. Italian cuisine, however, consists of so much more than what you see on American sitcoms. Spaghetti with tomato sauce, ravioli and lasagna are merely the tip of the delightful iceberg that is Italian cooking.

Italians value two things above all else: heritage and family. I know you have the theme song to The Godfather in your mind right now, but bear with me as I explain the concept of family as Italians see it. For Italians, life is a celebration. There is nothing better than a long evening meal with family and friends, to discuss the ways of the world and to enjoy fine wine, tasty food and delicious desserts. Often, an Italian family will gather at a restaurant and the adults will enjoy the evening deep into the night, while the children, unable to keep up with the festivities, fall asleep at the table. Life is about living, and when it comes to food, Italians are in no rush to let things end.

Italian cooking is known for its simplicity and flexibility. Ingredients are bought on the day, and whatever looks most fresh from the array of seasonal vegetables and other produce will be selected for the evening meal. This habit of shopping on the day means that traditional Italian food is extremely fresh and tasty. Rice, herbs, olive oil and fresh fruit and vegetables are enjoyed every day.

Regional flavours

Northern Italy and Southern Italy are very different from one another. In the North you will find the most fertile land and wealth. The South of Italy is drier and has a smaller, poorer population. This distinction between the North and South can be found in the food. Italy has twenty regions each offering its own tasty specialities.

Piedmont, on the northwestern region is famous for its rice and sparkling wines. Venice, in the northeast, is the home of seafood such as mackerel, eel, spiny lobster and other delights from the Adriatic Sea. Ligurians use fragrant herbs in their seafood dishes, whereas in Emilia-Romagna the main cooking fat is butter. This region is also the home of Parmesan cheese, rich sausages, green lasagne and Bologna’s famous mortadella, a pork sausage 18 inches in circumference.

Tuscany, to the south, is famous for simplicity in its cooking, with minimal sauces and seasonings added. The rich olive groves of the Apennine Mountains make olive oil the chief cooking fat in this region, and are home to the hard pastas like macaroni. Naples is the home of pizza with thick red tomato paste and creamy mozzarella cheese. Sicilians enjoy rich and heavy sweets to accompany the abundance of grapes, citrus fruits and olives found on this volcanic island.

Time to celebrate

Italians love holidays and festivals and every village has a patron saint whose day must be honoured. Famous events and harvests are also celebrated – and food always plays a central part in any day of joy. During Easter, Italians do not eat certain foods, but on Good Friday hot cross buns are a popular snack. Roast lamb is a traditional family meal on Easter Sunday, representing innocence. Bread is considered pure and also contributes richly to Easter celebrations. A sweet bread in the shape of a dove, la colomba pasquale, is popular. Children and adults alike enjoy hollow chocolate eggs, and Easter Monday is a time for the entire family to gather for a picnic.

Another important Italian holiday is Christmas, or Natale, and each of the twelve days of Christmas is celebrated with a unique cookie for that day. Rome itself has a famous outdoor market in Piazza Novona during the nine days leading up to Christmas. Fish markets do a roaring trade for the Christmas Eve meal where families enjoy seven different kinds of seafood: eel, salted cod, squid, and clams among other seafood dishes. Christmas Day is celebrated with tortellini in broth with panettone, a traditional Christmas cake from Milan, for dessert. New Years is a time for cleaning up and throwing out the old and lasagna is a traditional New Years Day lunch.

Food plays a massive role in Italian culture, especially around holidays and festivals, and harvest times themselves are events with dancing, music and lots of eating.

Italian Markets

Each town and village in Italy has a local market near the main square (piazza) or cathedral, where local farmers sell their produce. Vegetable stalls are bright with fresh, colourful vegetables and fruit from the region: blazing red tomatoes, green zucchinis, purple eggplants and dazzling orange carrots are artistically displayed in the summer. In spring and autumn mushrooms of every shape, size and colour abound in the markets, and above these hang bushes of fresh and dried herbs such as parsley, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. Poultry such as duck, geese, chicken and turkey are also on display and depending on the region you may also find wild boar or deer.

Italian ice cream may be the best ice cream in the world. Gelato is milk-based, and granita is a light, syrupy sherbet of ice.

No morning round of shopping is done without a stop at the pasticceria, where pastries can be bought for the mid morning or afternoon snack. In Rome you can buy a sweet, rich ricotta pie, and the south is famous for chewy macaroons.

Cooking Italian

You may or may not know all the ingredients in an Italian dish that you prepare. Have some fun and try something new. Italian cooking also has specific terminology, such as:

Al dente: this literally means “to the tooth” and is the point at which pasta is properly cooked – not too hard and not too soft. The pasta must be firm and tender to the bite.

Learn about the many fine cheeses and variety of pastas that Italian cooking offers. Make cooking about fun, and enjoy your meals with your family and friends – who cares if they turn into long drawn out affairs! This is what it means to really enjoy life, when you don’t feel rushed and you can take the time to savor happy times with those you love and cherish.

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!