Winter has officially come to Cape Town so to be encouraged out of hibernation takes a bit of persuading…unless of course you come with wine and food.
On a cold, wet and miserable day in the Mother City, I was invited to spend the day cooking and drinking with Boland Cellar to celebrate their 75th birthday, as well as international Chenin Blanc day, in an interactive food experience with quirky, hands-on chef Jade de Waal in her well-stocked Food Jams kitchen with its retro decor and killer playlist.
Boland Cellar has been making wine since 1941 and they have immense passion for Chenin Blanc which has won them numerous awards and accolades. But the bling isn’t everything, most important for Boland Cellar is making great Chenin that they can share with wine lovers and nothing pairs better with wine than epic food; the beauty of Chenin is that it pairs well with so many dishes, proven by the delicious recipes that we got to cook up at Food Jams.
Food Jams is the ultimate in music, food and fun and was created by Jade initially as a get-together with friends but it quickly became a popular monthly experience featuring new recipes for guests to follow with a big glass of wine in hand and some lekker tunes playing…..and who doesn’t love cooking with wine….and sometimes putting it in the food.
This collaboration was spot on and the media present were placed in groups (dependent on the spoon you got), with each group attempting one of Jade’s yummy recipes whilst tasting the latest Boland Chenin.
With so many different menus, the cooking smells were intoxicating and I might have had some cheeky sneak tastes of a few ingredients…especially the salmon.
After all the excitement, a cat nap was definitely in order….as well as a glass of Boland five climates chenin blanc which is a steal at R37
About Boland Cellar
Founded in 1941, Boland Cellar in the beautiful Paarl Valley is one of South Africa’s oldest producer cellars and a regional specialist with a history of cultivating and crafting internationally acclaimed wines.
Prime vineyards across various climatic zones guarantee consistency in style and quality year after year and using grapes from different terroir, microclimates and soil-types combined with science and dedicated craftmanship, give Boland’s celebrated winemaking team the advantage to create wines of both high quality and distinctive character.
About Jade
On the 4th February 2010 Jade invited a number of friends over to try out new recipes and get to know each other – showing them how preparing a good meal can be just as fun as eating it. And so Food Jams was born.
Beyond Food Jams, Jade has become involved in food markets around Cape Town, curated for exhibitions and become a household name in South Africa after her appearance on SA’s first season of Masterchef.
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