Chef
LOUISNEL
Learn the kitchen lingo
Learn about the different types of spices & culinary herbs
Ciabatta, Focaccia, Pane Toscano
Fettuccine, Linguine, Gnocchi
Traditional, Oxtail, Lamb, Seafood
Crème Brûlée, Panna Cotta, Koesisters
Minestrone, Pasta e fagioli
Salads, Ratatouille, Veggies
I use quite a bit of kitchen lingo in my recipes. But never fear, I have created a handy list of kitchen terms to help you learn the lingo.
Learn how to create an artisan loaf of bread at home. From traditional Italian bread to easy slapdash loaves made from scratch.
Browse Recipes
Learn how to make a classic South African potjie. From preparation and layering to fail-proof cooking tips for the perfect potjie.
Learn to make fresh pasta, gnocchi, and risotto at home! From making hand-rolled pasta shapes to using a pasta maker.
Learn to make fresh pasta, gnocchi, and risotto at home! From making hand-rolled pasta shapes to using a pasta maker.
Learn to make mouth-watering desserts. From easy-to-make sweet treats to showstopping desserts for special occasions.
Learn to make mouth-watering desserts. From easy-to-make sweet treats to showstopping desserts for special occasions.
Learn to make handcrafted beer, wine and liqueur. From South-African favourites, like Pineapple Beer, to more exotic beverages.
Learn how to make authentic Italian and South African side dishes. Boereboontijes to fried antipasto, fresh salads and veggies.
Learn to make soups, stews and sauces from scratch. Hearty beef stews, Italian soups, homemade broth and more…
Learn to make soups, stews and sauces from scratch. Hearty beef stews, Italian soups, homemade broth and more…
A collection of all my favourite recipes.
A collection of all my favourite recipes.
This bread is easy to make but will impress the hell out of your friends and family. Unlike the local bakery, my oven does not have a steam option. Steam is vital in the first few minutes of baking bread as it keeps the surface of the bread moist and allows for proper rising. Using a casserole means that the bread bakes using its own steam, problem solved.
This Cape Town favourite brings back memories of working at the Castle of Good Hope. I would sneak away whenever I had a chance to buy a half dozen of these delectable treats. The various stalls on the Parade would showcase their koesisters and people would line up to buy them.
Limoncello is a lemon liqueur mainly produced in the South of Italy. The origins of Limoncello is open for debate or argument. Generally, grain alcohol is best for Limoncello, but here in South Africa it is not available in stores, so grab a bottle of your favourite vodka.
Orecchiette literally translates to little ears and you can see why. They look hard to make, but you will find with a bit of practice it’s easy and rewarding. I roll the orecchiette on my homemade gnocchi paddle, to give them a grooved shape, but you can simply use a flat surface as well.
There are plenty fresh pasta recipes on the internet and almost all of them call for Tipo ’00’ flour, which is fairly hard to find in South Africa. I am not planning on moving to Italy any time soon, so I make my pasta dough from a mixture of all purpose and semolina flour in a 50/50 ratio.
Potato gnocchi is more a potato dumpling than a pasta, but we regard it as such anyway. Gnocchi originated in Northern Italy where the climate is perfect for growing potatoes. The potatoes are important here. Gnocchi should be soft and almost melt away in your mouth, for this we need a good starchy potato.
nothing brings people
together
like good food
Whether fresh or dried, adding herbs or spices is one of the easiest ways to enhance the flavour of a dish! Learn about the culinary uses and characteristics of popular kitchen herbs and spices from around the world.