The Old Biscuit Mill

One of my favorite things to do in Cape Town is visit the Saturday morning Design Goods and Neighbour Goods Markets at The Old Biscuit Mill. A former, uh,  biscuit (cookie) mill built in the late 1800s, the village-like complex now houses shops, galleries, farm stalls and cafes, as well as day and night markets, festivals and events. It's a must. (As is a visit to the Mill's website, which does a much better job than I of explaining it.)

The key to the Saturday markets is to arrive early. They officially open at 9 a.m., but it's best to get there as early as 8; the purveyors will still be setting up their stalls, but by 9:30 it's a mad house through which you can barely move, let alone get a decent photo -- or the pastry you've been coveting since you arrived.

And now I'm going to positively bomb this post* with photos because talk is cheap, a photo is worth a thousand words, and you're only here for the photos, right? 

*I know: I need to build galleries for photo heavy posts. Someday...

The Design Goods Market

Here you'll find designers selling clothing, accessories and toys for children, animals and the young at heart. My favorite stall is Petite Pois, where spunky children's clothes are sold out of a customized 1970s Mini. I couldn't resist getting a Rainbow Brite-ish outfit (top left corner of the photo below) for my friends Jake and Reagan's daughter, Piper. You can see Piper rocking the outfit -- and some other stuff I picked up for her -- here. (And, as Reagan would say, don't be jeal'!)

I really, really, really wanted one of these dolls, but I just couldn't justify it.

 Nor could I justify hauling this tipi back to America. (Sniffle.)

The Neighbour Goods Market

Words can't describe the awesomeness of the food and drink you'll find under the two giant tents at the Neighbour Goods Market. I've been stuck for hours trying to write something to do it justice, so I'll just tell you to bring your appetite and a big bag for hauling your goods home -- if they make it that far.

Something you don't need to bring, however, is a lot of cash. I'm making a huge generalization here, but compared to America, quality food is more affordable in South Africa, and not just because of the favorable exchange rate. Similar to what I observed in Europe, in South Africa fresh, local, organic, expertly crafted food isn't the luxury it is here.

Communal tables made from old doors.
I fell in love with the funky old striped refrigerator in the background on the left.

Bread, glorious bread.

A hummus platter bigger than my head.

The biggest spring rolls I've ever seen (about 3x5 inches each).

Veggie struuuuuuuudel.

Whipping up fresh Hollandaise for rosti Benedict.

With an exchange rate of about 7 South African rand to one U.S. dollar, these pies are about $3.50.

Veggie curry wraps.

Mushroom skewers at the Funky Fungi stall.

I loved the Bay Kebab stall because my maiden name is from the Dutch word, schoner.

The Bay Kebab truck. Brilliant.

$3!

Beer at 9 a.m.?

I prefer coffee.

Savory tarts.

Sweet tarts.

Apple galettes.

Giant apple strudel (about $2.50).

Carrot cake muffins with lime icing at Tina Bester's Queen of Tarts stall.

Lemon meringue tartlets at Queen of Tarts.

Milk tart (melktert). Very South African, very delicious.

"Really brilliant biscuits" at Dunk.

Artistry at Martin Senekal Confectionery Design. The sweet potato peanut cake was mind blowing.

Well, friends, that's about all the photos this little blog can handle. Thanks for scrolling -- I hope it didn't give you a finger cramp.

Miller Union

We're back from our fun, busy, fun, busy, fun weekend in Atlanta. There's so much to tell you about, I'm going to tackle it chronologically. Sounds boring, I know. I'll try and make it fun (not busy).

Before I begin, you should know:

1. I love the South.

2. This was my husband's first visit.

3. He now loves it, too.

When my husband picked me up from the airport on Friday afternoon (he had arrived in Atlanta the day before, for business meetings), I was ready to chew off my arm. This was due in part to a long, foodless flight, and was only intensified by reading Atlanta Magazine's "Best New Restaurants" issue while I waited for my husband to make his way through Spaghetti Junction, the thought of which made me all the more hungry. (Mmmmm...spaghetti.) We proceeded directly to Miller Union on the recommendation of some Twitter folks. (Thanks, Tweeps!)

Miller Union has been heavily (and positively) reviewed in the press, and was just awarded Restaurant of the Year by Atlanta Magazine. It's also just our sort of place: the locally-sourced menu is in tune with the seasons, and as Atlanta magazine so aptly puts it, it's "a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n'roll, with a generous dash of hip hop."

We weren't able to get a reservation (bloody Restaurant of the Year frenzy), so we had appetizers at the bar while we waited for an elusive table to open up. The bartender was delightful, and didn't judge us too much for the nerdy photography and hand modeling.



Although we didn't have cocktails, we liked the Miller Thyme moniker.



Doesn't my husband make his beer look positively tempting? He's an excellent hand model.



We munched on the bartender's recommendations: the Feta Snack (a dip made with local Feta and buttermilk, served with local veggies) and Country Pork Terrine.

The Feta Snack was light and fresh and hit the spot on the warm afternoon. The Country Pork Terrine, made with the Benton's Country Ham, was nice, but I was more impressed with the pickled okra and house made mustard. I slathered the okra with mustard and it was goooood.

By the time we finished our appetizers a patio table had opened up, so we moved outside.

As is our usual practice, we ordered two mains to share: the Grilled Heritage Pork Tenderloin with Okra, Corn, Beans and Tomatoes, and the Grilled Mountain Trout with Bacon, Local Potatoes and Vidalia Vinaigrette.

The pork tenderloin was flavorful, juicy and slightly sweet. The accompanying vegetables, however, were lackluster, and the corn was tough. The opposite was true for the trout dish: the fish was anemic and bland, but I couldn't get enough of the potatoes and bacon in their tangy vinaigrette. I love me some salty and sour.

And sweet.

For dessert, we shared the Peach Shortcake and the Fudge Brownie with Caramel Ice Cream.

As much as I hate to tell you this, the desserts were lame. The shortcake biscuit, though light and fluffy, was over salted, and the peaches, though beautiful to look at, were hard and unripe. The brownie was not fudgy at all, but rather dry and flavorless. The house made caramel ice cream was nice, though. As was the service and atmosphere. One of Miller Union's owners, Neal McCarthy, stopped by our table for a chat as we were finishing dessert. In a word, he's spiffy, what with his British accent and perfectly-tailored suit and impeccable but decidedly unpretentious manners.

All in all, it was a lovely evening and I would visit Miller Union again. Up next: grassroots drag racing, a giant chicken and a pretzel the size of my head.

Kickass Chicken Pies

When my husband and I were in his home town, Cape Town, in March, we met an old friend of his for an afternoon snack at Jardine Bakery, the walk-up takeaway counter at the side of Jardine restaurant. The boys sampled a few sandwiches, and I went for a "Kickass Pie": a stunning muffin-sized (and shaped) chicken and mushroom hand pie.

Hand pies are ubiquitous in Cape Town, and I sampled as many as I could reasonably get away with while we were there. But Jardine's were a clear standout. The buttery, flaky crust gave way to chunks of mushroom and chicken in a tangy, creamy sauce that tasted of creme fraiche, lemon, thyme and nutmeg.

I forgot to take a photo, but the image at left (from Google Images) approximates Jardine's Kickass Pies.

I've always made individual chicken pot pies for my husband. Stored in the freezer, they can be popped into the microwave for a quick lunch or a savory bite with afternoon tea. So when we returned from Cape Town, I set out to recreate those Kickass Pies from Jardine.

However, in an effort to cut down on the fat and empty calories in my pies, I decided to make single-crust pot pies in 12-oz ramekins (the perfect size for my 6' 5" husband). You, of course, could make smaller pies in, say, 8-oz ramekins. And you could make these gluten- and/or dairy-free by making the appropriate substitutions.

Kickass Chicken Pies
Makes 6 pies if using 12-ounce ramekins

Ingredients
4 6-oz boneless, skinless free-range chicken breasts
salt & pepper
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, chopped
1 lb button and/or crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium free-range chicken broth or stock
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 ounces creme fraiche
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pie crust*

*If using store-bought pie crust, you will need about 1 1/2 9-inch rounds. (For my most recent batch of pies, I used Wholly Wholesome Organic Whole Wheat frozen pie shells from Whole Foods, which I thawed, then cut and cobbled together.) If using homemade, you'll need enough for 1 1/2 single-crust pies.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a half-sheet jelly roll pan with aluminum foil.

2. Generously season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes (or until internal temp of thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees/they are cooked through/juices run clear), turning over after the first 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop or shred into bite-sized pieces.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, saute the leeks in the olive oil (seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper) until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are also mostly cooked and have released their liquids.

4. Add the flour to the middle of the saute pan and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the chicken broth and simmer, stirring, until the mixture begins to thicken.

5. Add the creme fraiche, thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutmeg and chopped/shredded chicken. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is well-combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Set the chicken mixture aside to cool (if you assemble the pies while the chicken mixture is hot, the crust will get soggy).

7. Heat the oven to 400 degrees or to the temperature specified on the pie crust package (or your pie crust recipe). Cut the pie crust to about 1/2 to 1 inch larger than the size and shape of your ramekins. Spoon the cooled chicken mixture evenly into the ramekins and cover with the pie crust, either draping it over the sides or tucking and crimping it against the insides of the ramekins. Poke holes (or cut a small hole in the middle) in each crust to vent. If desired, brush the crust with an egg wash.

8. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and flaky and the filling is bubbling. Serve immediately or, to freeze for later, cool the pies completely, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze.