Healthy food & fine dining: join our free Herald Cooking Masterclass

The much-anticipated first event of the 2021 Herald Cooking Masterclass series kicks off on Friday March 26 at 5pm with its “Bowled Over: Health Edishion”.

These masterclasses, launched in 2019, create a fun, interactive cooking experience for just about anyone who loves good food and wants to broaden their horizons in the kitchen.

The series is sponsored by Checkers, Three Peaks Wine and Capsicum Culinary Studio, and is hosted online free of charge.

Capsicum Culinary Studio Port Elizabeth campus head Beryldene Bain said participants were encouraged to cook in the comfort of their own homes. They are guided through the selected recipes by the skilled Capsicum professional chefs, who share unique ideas and cooking tips while responding to online questions from the participants.

“This year, aspiring cooks can look forward to exciting food trends, incorporating fusion dishes and focusing on healthy eating, and dishes that are easy to make with the whole family. Our first cooking class will focus on couscous, lentils and chickpeas. The idea of grains is to expand participants’ knowledge of their cost-effectiveness and great health benefits,” said Bain.

Healthy eating meets fine dining

Checkers is excited to sponsor the series for a second year in a row. “If there is one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us, it's that we can still unite and come together to celebrate life. And what better way to do that than through challenging SA to bring fine dining into their homes?” said a Checkers spokesperson. “Thanks to the inroads made by The Herald's virtual Cooking Masterclass, this is now possible — it’s where healthy eating meets fine dining.”

Checkers has responded to consumers’ increased mindfulness of what foods they consume, moving towards a more natural lifestyle and opting for “free from” products.  

“We at Checkers are proud to be part of this wellness mission, bringing our range of fresh produce and quality ingredients to the table. Choosing from our expansive naturally sourced organic ranges like Simple Truth and Forage and Feast, or our expert Butchers premium cuts of Steak House Classic and Certified Natural Lamb, you too can become a master of your kitchen, with a little help from the masterclass chefs.”

Another long-standing sponsor, Three Peaks Wine, has been part of the Herald Cooking Masterclass series since the beginning.

Mount Vernon Wine Estate area manager Chantal Schoonbee pairs each dish in the series with Three Peaks wines, showing how the taste of a signature dish can be transformed in this way.

“We’ve got so many new vintages that have launched this year and we have started using more expensive grapes in the actual bottle, so the value for what you are getting is far more superior than previous vintages," said Schoonbee. “We encourage customers to make sure to buy that recommended bottle of Three Peaks wine for only R49.99 to enjoy it with the perfect pairing.”

For the upcoming masterclass, Schoonbee recommends pairing the couscous, lentils and chickpeas with the Unwooded Chardonnay 2020 Vintage or the Three Peaks Merlot.

“The unwooded Chardonnay 2020 has an attractive nose packed with ripe yellow fruits of peach and citrus, and on the palate you will experience apple and a hint of fig. The Three Peaks Merlot has a red berry on the nose with hints of chocolate. The palate follows on from the nose with cherry, plum and blackcurrant,” said Schoonbee.

A chance to win

Twenty lucky participants also stand a chance to win a bottle of Three Peaks wine and a branded event apron in our lucky draw. The Herald and Weekend Post are also giving away a 12-month complimentary digital subscription to 20 lucky participants.

The details

• Date: Friday March 26
• Time: 5pm