yummy
Issue 5.8 Aug / Sept
Y UCOPY MMY FREE
FOOD. DRINK. LIFE
THE IN BETWEEN TOPPINGS & TOAST A look at toast and all the possible toppings
MAGIC IN THE MIDDLE Recipes from the Bastard Baker with all the good things in between
MATCHA DESSERTS The elusive superfood made even better Yummy. Food. with Drink.desserts Life 1
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Y TUM S KMEY R P R E M I U M
INTRODUCING THE NEW TUSKER PREMIUM ALE
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enya Breweries Limited (KBL) has a new beer in the ale category under the company’s iconic Tusker trademark. Craft-brewed to achieve a distinct, fuller taste, Tusker Premium Ale is made for beer lovers looking to extend their drinks repertoire and new experience in a beer. Distinct from other beer categories, such as lagers, stouts, malts and ciders, an ale is brewed at higher temperatures resulting in a richer, full-bodied, hoppy finish. Tusker Premium Ale is the first innovation in ale category from the Tusker family in three years. KBL Managing Director Mrs. Jane Karuku said KBL’s desire to respond to changing consumer tastes and preference has driven the innovation of Tusker Premium Ale, the company’s most premium beer brand. “This innovation is the result of a wideranging consumer research looking into trends driving the alcohol beverage market in our industry. We believe Tusker Premium Ale has the potential to satisfy the growing
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group of discerning consumers increasingly eager for new beer categories. The new brand underpins our innovation capability and credentials, which have enabled KBL continuously deliver to consumers a wider variety from which to build their drinking repertoire. As a brand borne out of the iconic Tusker family, we have no doubt that Tusker Premium Ale will be a favourite for many beer fans looking for a fuller, richer taste,” said Mrs. Karuku. The Tusker brand has a rich heritage since its launch in 1922 and is the leading, mostloved beer in Kenya. The previous variant, Tusker Premium Cider, was launched in October 2016 and has been hugely successful in the market. Tusker Premium Ale will bring to five the number of variants now under Tusker trademark; other brands include Tusker Lager, Tusker Malt and Tusker Lite and Tusker Cider. Packaged in a new, stylish, 500ML brown bottle, Tusker Premium Ale is now available everywhere, and should be enjoyed cold and always with good friends!
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VOL 5.8 AUG / SEPT
CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE
53 24
39
46 FINGER ON THE PULSE 12 18 16 23
News and Events: News Feed New Restaurants: New on the block Dinner with: Lynda Nyangweso Dormans Corner: Take a break
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42 FEATURES 39 20 48 24
The Art of: Toast Green Corner: EZ Plants Nightlife: The Perfect Week Home Grown: Chicken Kiev
31 AND MORE... 31 26 42 53
On the Menu: In the middle Special: Macaron history Conscious Foodie: Matcha Nightlife: Shots
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WELCOME NOTE
THE SECRET INGREDIENT No, it’s not love. Here at Yummy, the secret ingredient gets weirder the more we look. Sometimes it’s feta cheese in a white chocolate brownie, sometimes it’s chocolate on a lamb shank or even chilli in a great bite of chocolate. We’re at the point where the secret ingredient is everything around us and brilliant minds who make things come together. There’s a quote from The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl that I always go back to whenever the conversation about innovation comes up, it goes like this: There was once a very great American surgeon named Halsted. He was married to a nurse. He loved her— immeasurably. One day Halsted noticed that his wife’s hands were chapped and red when she came back from surgery. And so he invented rubber gloves. For her. The difference between inspired medicine and uninspired medicine is love. When I met Ana, I knew: I loved her to the point of invention.
Loving something to the point of invention seems simple enough and maybe it sounds way too romantic but if you think about it, things that have been made especially here come from a point of passion. Beer lovers who decide to try their hand at it and voila, Bateleur Brewery is born; A cook who loves her food and wants the best of the best in ingredients and just like that, Greenspoon is formed. A couple who have a passion for baking and a wicked appetite for sweet treats miss the cookies they used to love and then decide to make them at home for themselves and then for others aka The Bastard Baker story. These are only a few of the stories we all know but they’re great stories and they all start from passion to the whirlwind of innovation. In this issue of Yummy, we salute the secret ingredients and the innovation that comes out of it. You can find recipes to drool over courtesy of The Bastard Baker and we go a little kookoo with toast in our special Art of Toast feature. Nrupali Dave explores Matcha Desserts that can’t be matched and Willie Gichora from MUZE shares his perfect week guide for all our energetic and idealistic readers. For the foodies in the house, Juliet Kennedy shares her recipe for Chicken Kiev (A product of magic in The In Between if I’ve ever seen one) AND we also have two new columns that we’re so ridiculously proud of: The Green Corner and a special one that we know everyone will adore: The Lazy Cook. It’s a jam packed issue and I hope you find your passion in between and around our columns! Here’s to love, genius and of course, guts!
Sanaa Mughal
ON THE COVERTHE IN BETWEEN Shot By Kenyan Library Macarons From Fully Baked
YUMMY VOL.5.8 PUBLISHED BY EATOUT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
MANAGING DIRECTOR: Mikul Shah GM YUMMY MEDIA Joy Wairimu MANAGING EDITOR: Sanaa Mughal STAFF WRITER: Lucy Munene CONTRIBUTORS: Juliet Kennedy, Bastard Baker, Josiah Kahiu, Jmwai, Nrupali Dave, Kyle Snow, Willie Gichora PHOTOGRAPHY: Patrick Gitau, Kenyan library, Brian Siambi, Paul Otieno, Jmwai, Nrupali Dave DESIGN: John Njoroge, Brian Siambi DIGITAL TEAM: Fred Mwithiga, Anthony Mbugua, Faith Kanja SALES, MARKETING & OPERATIONS: Wambui Kogi, Daniel Muthiani, Jane Naitore, Angela Omondi, Vanessa Wanjiku, Meghna Patel, Wambui Maina, Ekta Patel, Nyambura Mbugua IT: Erick Kiiya
MANAGING EDITOR
SALES INQUIRIES: 0711 22 22 22
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EMAIL: info@Yummy.co.ke PRINTED BY: Ramco Printing
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YU S OM C IMA YL S C E N E
EAST FM STAR AWARDS
The first ever East FM Star Awards were held this year at Diamond Plaza II on August 3rd. EatOut director Mikul Shah was invited to present two awards sponsored by EatOut; Chef of the Year to Jasraj Jandu from Tribe 44, and Restaurant of the Year to Chowpaty Restaurant. Star performer Taz aka Johnny Zee delivered a stunning performance that brought the house down.
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S O C I A L YS UC M EM NE Y
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCY MUNENE
MULBERRY PROJECT IS BACK The Mulberry Project is back serving up craft cocktails with ingredients of your choice. We took the first opportunity we had to make our way to The Alchemist and indulge in a cocktail or two. Sergio took sweet potato, coconut cream, pineapple and ginger made us a medley of cocktails of which the highlight was the Sanaa, a delightful mix of red pepper, lemongrass and gin!
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NEWS FEED
PODOKA FESTIVAL Brush and blush! East Africa’s first beauty festival is here! Fashion, beauty, make-up and hair enthusiasts will be celebrating the art of beauty like never seen before. This is a one of a kind festival and a first for East Africa that will feature exhibitors, a masterclass from beauty celebrities and a special Battle of the Brushes for artists. Save the date! Trademark Hotel 24th August
JAMESON CONNECTS MOMBASA Party by the Ocean! They’ve brought us megastars such as Tinie Tempah, Ty Dollar Sign and Stefflon Don and now they’re taking the mega party to Mombasa. Experience great music, a good time and fun at the Jameson Connects Party. Worried about whether you’ll be summerbody-ready by then? Don’t stress, just be in the mood for an awesome time! Maasai Beach Bar & Restaurant, Nyali 31st August
ASENKA POP-UP MARKET Secure the bag(s)! Shopping fixes everything, now add a dose of exciting activities for both kids and adults and your Sunday will be made. Enjoy great discounts on selected crafts, fashion pieces, jewellery, home decor, gadgets, drinks, treats and more. Plus, live performances and fun activities for the family. 910 James Gichuru 8th September
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NEWS FEED
MACALLAN NEW SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY The No. 1 Whisky Luxury whisky brand, The Macallan, introduced their new triple cask series of Macallan Single Scotch Malt Whiskey in the Kenyan market. The Triple Cask Matured Macallan series is a portfolio of 12-year old, 15-year old and 18-year old aged whisky. The Macallan is the no. 1 ranked Malt Whisky globally by value.
NAIVAS AND KETEPA PARTNER UP FOR TEA It’s tea time Naivas supermarket chain and Ketepa Tea have partnered in an aim to boost tea consumption among Kenyan millennials. This will include innovative interactive sessions at Naivas stores and the entire month of August will be dubbed Kenya Tea Month to encourage drinking tea at different times of the day and not just as a breakfast staple.
MORE NEWS
WANJIRU MACHARIA RELEASES COOKBOOK
JAVA HOUSE OPENS 65TH OUTLET
KEROCHE BREWERIES INTRODUCES NEW LAGER
Wellness and nutrition coach Wanjiru Macharia, recently released a cookbook titled ‘My Planted Kitchen’. This is her first cookbook with 70 recipes for delicious meals that’ll help you eat clean, get lean and feel awesome.
The Java House experience is brew-tiful from the minute you walk into their outlet and they’re bringing that experience to more guests whom they consider as a family on Mbagathi Way. It’s time for more lattes, salted caramel milkshakes and more.
There’s a new lager in town and it’s ‘KB Lager’. Made with the state of the art technology with the goal of satisfying customers, this lager by Keroche Breweries will make you crave some more. In good beers, we trust!
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YUMMY LAZY COOK CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS The hardest part of this recipe will be trying not to eat all the leftover chocolate. INGREDIENTS • 1 packet of frozen puff pastry (We recommend Lyons Maid) • 1 packet of cooking chocolate • 1 egg METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 180°C and defrost puff pastry at room temperature for 20 minutes. Roughly chop up two squares of cooking chocolate. 2. Divide the puff pastry into triangles. You should get 4 large triangles and 2 small ones. 3. Place a teaspoon of chopped chocolate chunks onto the widest part of the triangle and roll it up to meet the tip of the triangle. Fold the corners in to make that distinct croissant shape. 4. Brush the tops of the croissants with a lightly beaten egg. 5. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. APPLE ROSE TARTS Give yourself an hour for these. Half an hour for baking and half an hour to put your feet up and slowly enjoy the fruits of your labour. INGREDIENTS • 1 packet of frozen puff pastry (We recommend Lyons Maid) • 2 Pink Lady apples • 1 Bottle of Caramel sauce • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder • ½ cup of Lemon juice
PUFF PASTRY 2 WAYS Introducing the Lazy Cook! We’re here to show you how to make picture perfect food that tastes just as good as it looks and doesn’t take 3 hours to prepare. Pastries are a great addition to any brunch spread and they are great snacks to have when you want to satisfy any cravings. Skip the line at your local cafe and make your own croissants and tarts.
METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 180°C and defrost puff pastry at room temperature for 20 minutes. Cut your apples into 2 large pieces then remove the core. 2. Place the apple face down and cut thin crescent shaped slices. 3. Place the slices in a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. 4. Cut the puff pastry into 5 inch strips. Mix your caramel and cinnamon together then brush this mixture onto the strips. 5. Drain the apples and then add them one by one onto the strips, overlapping each one over the other. Leave the top half of the apple out of the pastry. 6. Once all the apple slices are arranged, fold the lower half of the strip over and roll the strip up slowly to form your flower tart. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.
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DINNER WITH
DINNER WITH LYNDA NYANGWESO This month, Lucy Munene, talks creativity, tofu and parenting with the eclectic and charming Lynda Nyangweso at INTI: A Nikkei Experience.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENYAN LIBRARY
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n experience. That is how I would describe both the restaurant and this month’s interviewee. The stunning INTI was the setting for the night. The interior is a combination of plush flooring, ebony walls and a stunning centrepiece made up of bamboo and delicate vines of maple leaves frozen in autumn colours. Lynda showed up, demurely dressed in black trying not to break her neck as she stared at the detailed interior. We then settled in to try the Peruvian and Japanese fusion food known as Nikkei. In all honesty, the conversation did not properly begin until we had devoured a 6-course meal that included a Caribbean mango ceviche that was the highlight of our dinner. Lynda’s familiarity with some of the dishes took her down memory lane. “You know those days when you’re parents paid for everything? Well, I remember when I first tried sushi, it rocked my world. It was in Downtown Ottowa in this Japanese restaurant. As soon as I had that sushi, everything changed! I started saving up every month to go back. It was worth it.” Sipping on some after dinner coffee, as a table of creatives we got what into creativity means. “To me, creativity means having the freedom to create what you feel reflects who you are,” Lynda explained. “I think it’s a dynamic thing as well because just the way who you are changes is the same way your creative process changes as well. The better word would evolve. I really envy people who are able to find the space to do that then have it reflected in their work then from their work and creativity you can tell where they were in their lives.” This led us into a passionate discussion about being in a rut and trying new things. “Sometimes you stick to your comfort zone and then you realise that you’re stagnating and that you’re in a rut. The worst part is that you never realise that you’re in a rut until you’re out of it. I feel like I just got out of one but that’s a great realisation to come to now that I’m 30.” This is where I presented the cliche “age is just a number” phrase. “For me personally, I had all these goals I wanted to obtain by a certain age then 30 came and nowI’m just looking for affordable rent. I still feel like a kid though and my daughter likes to remind me that I’m her mother and then I remind her that my mother is our mother because I don’t feel like a complete grown-up.” By the time we were finishing our coffees, we had discussed Lynda’s travel plans, her ideas for her YouTube channel and different ways to cook tofu. You can read the rest of the interview on www.yummy.co.ke
Y UE M N W MOY N T H E B L O C K
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o one told me the road to getting married was so harrowing and nerve-wracking. Let no one lie to you, the whole process is terrible and you need to find joy, wherever you can get it. That’s what I did in the days leading to the wedding and after, and here are the spots that are worthy of the name.
OLEPANGI FARM PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCY MUNENE & BRIAN SIAMBI
CONVERSATIONS WITH NOT FRIENDS Sanaa is the managing editor of Yummy. She is also an avid reader and sometimes writer. In this issue, she highlights her favourite experiences so far.
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HERBIVORE GARDEN I love flowers and plants! Not only are they pretty, but it’s also kinda nice to keep something so fragile alive. Plus, I really like talking to plants and having them not talk (Or bark) back at me. With a new obsession for succulents and balcony gardens, keeping plants healthy and happy or even getting new choices is becoming a bit limited. That’s where the new plants shop Herbivore Garden comes in. Based in Gigiri lane, the Herbivore Garden centre is a dream for plant lovers. Designed like a greenhouse with the potential of being a cafe, they have an eclectic and diverse range of plants, flowers and plant care products imported from Holland. From beautiful small lemon and orange plants to orchids of different types and sizes, the garden centre is a gorgeous walk through of green and other colours that make the eyes feel calm. You can find salad, vegetable, herb, fruit seedlings, exotic flowers, succulent’s and many other gardening accessories. Their founder, Suraj Shah, started this project from his family home in Thika where he grew up surrounded by a family who were passionate about farming and gardening. With the green fingers passed down through generations, Suraj is a Permaculture Design Consultant and a passionate herb gardener and he believes that every person is an extension of Mother Nature and therefore people should grow at least a small part of their daily food intake. My favourite part of the whole tour was a real Venus Flytrap (Tiny but deadly) that actually snapped shut when we ran a piece of junk in it. The Herbivore Garden Centre is what I believe a garden should be. If you’re a beginner in gardening or an expert, this is the place for you! BBQ KITCHEN This is one of those places that is simply designed and might make you think that the food is okay but it was far from it. I tried 3 dishes here and none of them disappointed from the spicy chicken curry to the masala fries. The stand out dish, however, was the Poussin Chicken. The heat from the chilli combined with the crispiness of fried chicken is hard to resist and easy to get wrong but the chef at BBQ Kitchen has
N E W O N T H E YBUL M OM CK Y found the right balance of crunch and heat. Paired with a soft and fluffy butter naan and homemade tamarind sauce, my taste buds were in heaven. The interior is inspired by the simple shacks you find at the Coast with wooden pillars and furniture all made from scratch and potted palms adding to the seaside ambience. The food is best enjoyed family-style with hands reaching over for extra naan and loud conversation. JAVA EXPRESS Almost everyone who knows me knows that I am a die-hard Java fan. It’s almost like home at this point and when I found out that they had launched a Java Express, you can bet I was one of the first to have a look. Now, I am convinced all Java’s should be tiny! The coffee is fantastic as always but better than that, all my Java favourites now come in mini sizes - which means, just as tasty, cheaper and a better size for my appetite. You haven’t known happiness until you’ve had a single cappuccino with a mini almond croissant on a cold rainy day. This hidden gem from Java is located on Peponi Road at the Oilibya Petrol Station. Get there early before all the croissants run out! OLEPANGI FARM Olepangi comes as a surprise last-minute addition to this article, but I just couldn’t resist. After very stressful months of wedding planning, the wedding was done which means honeymoon time! We were lucky enough to spend nights at Olepangi Farm in Timau where we met and dined with people around the world and a firsttime culinary experience. Olepangi Farm is run by Clinton and Elizabeth who are gracious hosts, and the farm is exactly that: A farm. It is a family-run lodge that hosts homely cottages, beautiful grounds, horse paddocks, gin tastings and even a beautiful library. Our 3 nights at Olepangi were exactly what we wanted, filled with peace and quiet with the occasional elephant sighting and rainstorms. The holiday was made even better by the concept of communal eating where 3 times a day, we and other residents at the farm, including the owners, sat down together at the same table to enjoy meals together. Meals that came from the mind of the head Chef Joseph and most ingredients from Olepangi’s very own vegetable garden. Communal meals are not something I am used to and honestly hearing that I had to eat and talk with strangers is a bit scary. But I needn’t have worried. Food is a great ice breaker, and delicious food, even better. Conversation flowed easily as meals were served one after the other. That’s another thing that made me happy: We didn’t know
what food was coming! There was no menu, no guide for us to follow. We just followed the smell and trusted Joseph (And I’m glad we did). If you’re looking for a place to read, reconnect, maybe pet a few dogs and horses, Olepangi is for you. If you want a place where you can enjoy good wine, have food that makes you feel alive and have tea brought to you with scones and cream, Olepangi is still for you! P.S: If you see a hulking big dog running at you, don’t panic. He’s big but friendly. Ish. OLEPANGI FARM
BBQ KITCHEN
BBQ KITCHEN
HERBIVORE GARDEN
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G R E E N C YO UR M NM ER Y
ZINNIA These are an explosion of colours. They are a bright addition to any garden, available in peach, bright orange, bright pink, yellow and white, and can also be used as dried flowers. These are also suitable for garden bed or for potted plants.
LEMON BALM Lemon balm is one of those zero calorie herbs. It is used in traditional medicine, most commonly used in tea. You can use Lemon balm to make flavoured jellies or to spice up your dressings or dips. Lemon balm is also an antiinflammatory and gentle sedative that can help relieve mild insomnia, depression, and tension.
THE GREENER SIDE OF LIFE EZ plants are the exclusive distributor of Plantech Kenya LTD in Naivasha of potted herbs and potted garden flowers. They supply a range of herbs & flowers beyond the below. They participate in various farmer markets, pop- up exhibitions, supply to supermarkets, garden centers, florists, restaurants, schools. They also do deliveries to your doorstep.
LEMON VERBENA Normally used as a medicinal plant for centuries to help relieve muscle spasms, reduce fevers, as well as increase appetites. Lemon verbena is citrusy and light lemony in taste. It is commonly used in marinades, salad dressings and dried and steeped to use in teas. VIOLAS Violas are garden flowers as well as edible flowers. They can be sprinkled on salads, desserts such as cakes and puddings and in drinks. Their flavour is delicate and perfumed. They can be deadheaded grown blossoms and can be trimmed back if too long.
MINT Everyone knows mint. It’s been used for years, including peppermint and spearmint. It aids in digestion, skin care and weight loss. Use it in your tea, cocktails and in your condiments for that extra kick.
LAVENDER Lavender is known to reduce stress, improve mood, soothe bloating and promote better sleep. Fresh lavender can be dried and used later, to make tea salads or in flower arrangements, infuse in oils for soothing and softer skin
CHIVES Chives are the perfect addition to soups, dips, baked potatoes and omelettes. Due to its tender nature, it is best to add them at the last stage of cooking to maintain its flavour and texture. CELOSIA These are a unique show stopper and the name is derived from the Greek name meaning burning, for their “flamed like flower heads”. They are full sun flowers, suitable for garden beds or pots. They come in various colours such as maroon, dark pink, light pink, orange and yellow.
OREGANO Oregano is a herb rich in antioxidants. It can be used fresh or dried and is best paired with tomatoes, also meats and vegetables. When dry, it can also be used to make fresh pesto with some fresh basil,
Zoya Verjee 0790202982 ezplantskenya@gmail.com FB & IG: EZPlants
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D O R M A N S C YO UR M NM ER Y ACCROSS 3 The dense, creamy layer that forms on top of milk after it has been properly heated and aerated using hot steam. 8 A term for the layer of foam found on the surface of a shot of espresso coffee 9 Dormans coffee blend of natural East African coffee dark-roasted to deliver a typical continental taste 10 Coffee from a single farm or from a specific part of the coffee farm
DORMANS CROSSWORD Send a picture of your completed crossword to social@ dormanscoffee.com and info@yummy.co.ke to stand a chance to win Dormans merchandise.
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1 Often used to describe the fruitiness of coffee 2 A process used by professionals to sample and evaluate coffees 4 Ice cream (traditionally vanilla) “drowned” with a shot of espresso 5 Short for decaffeinated 6 The classic, egg-timer shaped glass vessel, which is used to filter and make coffee 7 The name of one of Dormans coffee “______ Fair trade” that is described as truly sustainable on the packaging
AUDIO PODCASTS FROM KENYA (FLICKHIVE) Calling all film enthusiasts! You can rest easy knowing there is a podcast out there that shares your love for films and is recorded right here in Kenya. The Flickhive are on a quest to find Movies worth your Time and Money. They provide the latest Movie Reviews, Tv Series Reviews and Podcasts. Find their latest podcast on their website: https://www.flickhive.com/
If you have been on a journey of learning and unlearning then this is the book for you. Through each chapter, Rachel takes us through a lie she has been telling herself such as “I will start tomorrow” and tips on how she unlearned those things. “If you really cared about that commitment, you would do it when you said you would. What if you had a friend who constantly flaked on you? How to overcome this? Start with small goals, be careful with your commitments (i.e. stop saying yes to every plan) and be honest with yourself about what commitments you’re flaking. Book available on iBooks and Koolstuff.shop
VIDEO SHORT FILMS UNDER 15 MINUTES You may want to grab a tissue for this one. In under 10 minutes, you will sit with the main character and feel his love, loss and desperation as he struggles with accepting the loss of his wife as his neighbour becomes that light at the end of the tunnel pulling him away from despair and closer towards hope. Watch After You on YouTube.
KENYAN MUSIC (SAGE CHEMUTAI) When Sage Chemutai starts to sing on a track, you will want to pause and start it all over again. Her harmonies, melodies and well-produced tracks are complemented by a smooth alto that takes you through themes of trust, love and everything in between. Do yourself a favour and get better acquainted with her music during your next coffee break. Listen to her music on SoundCloud.
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YU H OM MM E YG R O W N
STUFF IT
Greenspoon founder, mother and entrepreneur Juliet Kennedy considers the challenge of chicken breast and stuffing it.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENYAN LIBRARY
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H O M E GY R UO MW MN Y
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few weeks ago, I read a fabulous ode to the chicken breast, a muchmaligned cut from this humble yet crucial bird. The chicken breast is a cut to love – but decades of overcooking, bashing and beating the thing into submission for schnitzel, and cutting it into slithers to be dunked in egg wash and breadcrumbs for chicken strips have flung it to the bottom of the pile when it comes to cookery writing. I’m here today to ask you to reconsider this point of view. As a piece of meat that has enough flesh that you can stuff it with something scrumptious, it has great potential for diverse application. As long as it is cooked correctly, chicken breast should be both tender and moist. Not dried out. It stands up well to some strong flavours whilst still being tasty in and of itself, making it as good a pairing for a strong chicken curry as for a light salad with just a little lemon zest, drizzle of olive oil and some greens. Now I’m going to ask you to take a step further and suspend your disbelief as I delve into the seventies, when Chicken Kiev was
all the rage alongside free love and bell bottoms. When you consider how much garlic goes into that delectable melting filling, it’s lucky that it was a decade of free love. This breadcrumb crusted delight once came with a health and safety warning for the risk of hot butter splattering over unsuspecting guests as their knives cut through the chicken. However, on this occasion I’ve included a sufficient quantity of herbs so that shouldn’t happen! Watch out though! CHICKEN KIEV FOR TWO INGREDIENTS: • 2 free range chicken breasts • 50g butter • 1 tbsp each of fresh tarragon, parsley and chives • 1 tsp lemon zest • 75g plain flour • 1 egg, beaten • 50g breadcrumbs mixed with salt and pepper • Green salad to serve
DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat the oven to 180. 2. Blend the butter with the herbs. Add the lemon zest. 3. Cut into the chicken breast carefully. Start at the thick end with your hand over the breast and insert a sharp knife as far as you dare to create a cavity which you will fill with the butter mixture. Seal up the end of the chicken as best you can by pushing the butter in. 4. Dust it with flour, then dunk it into the egg mixture, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Now it’s ready to cook, and you can put it aside in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it, or cook immediately. 5. Heat some oil in a frying pan, and lay the chicken breast in when it’s nice and hot. You want to hear the sizzle. Cook until golden on one side, and then gently flip over onto the other side. 6. Once both sides are golden, put it in the oven for around 20 minutes. Serve with chips and a green salad with dressing.
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THE MACARON
W PILLOWY DELIGHTS In celebration of The In Between, we’re crowning the Macaron the most delicately balanced dessert out there that represents invention as well as history.
e dare anyone to find a dessert more elegant and graceful than the Macaron. It’s one of those baking delights that are nice to look at and fun to make, even if you don’t like the taste of them. Surprisingly, most people think the macarons’ origin is from France, but history tracks back the origin of the Macaron to Italy when Catherine de’ Medici supposedly brought the maccherone to France in the 16th Century. However, origins aside, the French have played the most integral role in pushing the Macaron to what it is today and the first recipe of the Macaron can be traced to France in the 17th Century. Perfect when done right and notoriously easy to get wrong, the Macaron consists of two meringue pillowy cookies brought
together by a smooth filling. In recent times, the Macaron flavours have gotten more exciting- You can get Matcha Macarons, Mint flavours, caramel flavours and even alcohol flavours. Here at Yummy, In celebration of the delicate balance between ingredients and taste, we have heralded the Macaron as our focus of transforming innovation and celebrations of the magic In Between. Partnering with us in this celebration and in the cover of this issue is the new bakery in town, Fully Baked located at Sarit Centre. Founded by a Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef, Fully Baked is an all new, all eggless, dessert cafe that brings to you a variety of cakes, cupcakes and exquisite french desserts all paired with a perfectly made cup of Blend AFRICA coffee and specialty teas from The East India Company. The space is creative and colourful and has some playful macaron stools where kids can decorate some cookies while mum shares a Mille-feuille with her friends. Their menu is ever-changing with the addition of fun new flavours- you will always have something new to try. All enjoyed in an exciting ambience, with creative interiors. The most recent addition to the menu is the Eggless Macaron. Being an eggless cafe, the Fully Baked team have managed to perfect the eggless macaron, and in a variety of flavours to boot!! These tiny desserts are like drops of heaven that must be devoured in an instant.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENYAN LIBRARY
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Y VU I SMAM Y
THE ULTIMATE VISA BURGER GUIDE Nothing makes us happy like burgers and what people can do with them! With so many options out there, allow Yummy and Visa to pick your favourite burger spot!
BALKAN GRILL HOUSE The simple setting of this restaurant means there is enough elbow room for you to get comfortable and dig into the star of their burger menu, the Balkan Burger. Eat like a champion in the presence of other champions framed along their wall. Try their Balkan Cheese Burger as well that is made using their homemade buns. BIG SQUARE Square burgers, crunch fries and epic milkshakes are what comes to mind when we think of Big Square. Whether you’re eating in or ordering takeout, you can rely on Big Square to fill that burger itch you’ve been having. Their sauces make each burger taste even better and their squaremade recipes are made with love and can be traced back to old family secrets. BREW BISTRO Located at Fortis towers (Westlands) and Piedmont Plaza (Ngong Road), this local has been favourite for beer and burger lovers since its inception. Always at the front of innovation, Brew Bistro has never been predictable. From building your own burger to their Carnivore/ Herbivore burger menu, you can always expect a surprise from them whether it’s samosa wrapped beef burger or even a watermelon burger. BURGER KING THE HUB There is a reason the name King is in their name. Their burgers are unmatched and that includes the Big King burger and Whopper which both include flame grilled beef patties. The restaurant is set up so that you can either cuddle up in a booth with your burger or relax on the patio as your kids play
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around in their playground. CHARLIE’S BISTRO Meet Charlies, your new spot for burgers and so much more! Located in the CBD and now in Kileleshwa, they recently launched their new burger menu that makes your visit even better. You can look forward to wholesome, juicy burgers that are perfect for a night out or even for one of those bad days when you need a pick me up. COFFEE CASA This cleverly situated restaurant is home to great coffee, delicious food and Instagram worthy decor. You can’t pass up on trying a burger here. All year round they serve up creative, mouthwatering burgers that are yet to disappoint. Take advantage of their other offers as well including Milkshake Mondays. J’S KAREN If there’s one thing J’s has down, its burgers. The variety alone might throw you off but don’t worry, there’s more than one day in a week so that means you can go there every day and you wont run out of burgers to try! Add on the rooftop terrace and amazing cocktails and you have yourself a great afternoon. KILELE NYAMA At this roast house you get more than just great decor and good service. Go hungry because the portions at Kilele Nyama are just as generous as the view. Don’t hesitate to bring a friend because sharing is caring and you will definitely want to share both the ambiance, burgers and cocktails with all your friends.
MAMA ROCKS What started as a food truck is now paving the way for experimental burgers with fresh new flavours. Mama Rocks changed the burger game and it’s only getting better. With their classic truck at The Alchemist and new sit in restaurant in Kilimani, you can enjoy your gourmet burgers to your fill. Look out for crowd favourites like the Mango Masai and TIA as well as their new hot sauces! NEWSCAFE Known for its cocktails, Newscafe doesn’t shy away from bringing the house down with their burgers. You may know them for their Monday burger offers, but we know all week round, you can enjoy a Newscafe burger! Big portions and exciting fillings make your experience exciting, no matter your pick. Newscafe has 3 outlets: Sarit Centre, Adlife plaza and Rosslyn Riviera. ROZINA’S This family-owned restaurant from Mombasa is now in Nairobi. Located in Westlands, Rozinas is home to simple but delicious meals. You can look forward to their Mombasa burger made with cheese, chillies and their very own house special sauce. Sometimes, a simple burger is all you need. If you’re feeling more adventurous, give the rest of their menu a try! SAVANNAH Located in Upper Hill, Savannah isn’t just your regular lunch time stop. Their burger menu consists of the classics like Beef burgers, Chicken burgers and even a Veggie burger, but on top of that, give their unique Savannah Burger a try! The Savannah Burger is made of creamed mushroom, an egg, beef bacon, and caramelised onion. It’s one of those that just stick with you long after the meal is over. SAX AND VIOLINS This comfortable lounge is located inside the Waterfront Mall in Karen and is one of a kind. Inside you will find simple tables all facing a stage filled with instruments that are expertly played every weekend as patrons enjoy their meals. Enjoy well seasoned, savoury burgers as you take in the view of the lake to the sounds of soothing jazz. STEERS Steers has a special place in many Kenyans hearts. We all know the joy of ordering a
#PayWithVisa
Y U VMI M SA Y King Steer burger with that special BBQ sauce that can be so addictive. Steers is still one of our top spots for a quick and dirty burger that fills you up and leaves you smiling for the rest of the day. With their wide menu and select classics, we can;t mention burgers without raving about Steers! You can find Steers in South C, Muindi Mbingu Street, Donholm and on Ngong Road. THE LOCAL GRILL Located in Village Market, The Local Grill stands out as ‘The’ meat place in Nairobi. With extensive knowledge of their meat cuts and careful selection of every item on their menu and suppliers, you can be sure to experience a burger at The Local Grill that knows how a burger should be. This steak house brings their A game with their burger menu from the cheesy beef burgers to bacon topped burgers that can make anyone weep. THE SHACK NAIROBI You can’t say burgers without including The Shack Nairobi. Their spot at Magharibi Place has been serving up expertly cooked burgers since they opened. Now that they have a new spot in Karen, there’s no excuse to not try their iconic Shack Powerhouse or the Cuckoo Shack. THE TAVERN Located at King’s Post on Rhapta Road, this swahilli style inspired beauty is a hidden gem that deserves more attention. With three levels that suit whatever night/ day you’re having, you can look forward to Cajun burgers (Fish & chicken) that embody our love for burgers, as well as the classics. Enjoy the ambiance and good service while you dive into their burger menu. UNCLE NENE’S They may not have a physical store but that has not stopped anyone from ordering their simple but flavourful burgers. Their burgers come with seasoned fries and coleslaw but you have the option of making it a double or trying something different with their French Toast burger. VENTANA The decor is a mix of jazz fusion and African glass art with hints of Moorish culture as well. Go for their chargrilled mini beef patties or their veggie burger with beetroot, spinach onion on a brioche bun with family and friends. You won’t be disappointed.
Everywhere You Want To Be
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O N T H EY U MM EN MU Y
CAUGHT IN THE
Middle
We’re the Bastard Bakers: we don’t do healthy, we do happy! How many of us have struggled with guilt over the years because of what we eat? We put ourselves under so much stress by constantly worrying about what we’re eating. As a society we’re being fed information on what’s good for you and what’s not. But the truth is the only thing that matters is whether or not we are happy. We’re not saying eat like a pig all day. Practice a little balance and you’ll be fine. We’ve got 4 recipes for you that highlight that balance with a little something in the middle!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK GITAU
thebastardbaker
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YU O N MTMHYE M E N U
DEEP FRIED FETA WITH HÄAGEN-DAZS We love coming up with unique flavour combos. It’s the most fun! And who’d have thought - cheese and ice cream? INGREDIENTS: • 1 packet feta cheese cut into strips • 1/2 cup cornflour • 1 cup breadcrumbs • 2 eggs • 1 tbsp lemon • Salt and Pepper to taste • Häagen-Dazs Cookies and Cream Ice Cream DIRECTIONS: 1. Whisk the salt pepper and lemon in with the eggs. 2. Dip the Feta in the egg cornflour and breadcrumbs and repeat the process for all the strips. 3. Fry for 2 mins until golden brown. Sprinkle with Himalayan sea salt and devour with Häagen-Dazs cookies and cream ice cream!
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ON THE MENU
FUN FACT Häagen-Dazs offers real indulgence with just four ingredients: real cream, milk, eggs and sugar, no preservatives or artificial flavouring. It doesn’t get more real than this.
MU Y O N T H EY U MM EN
FUN FACT The Häagen-Dazs salted caramel ice-cream is made of salted caramel swirled through and pieces of salted caramel brittle and is inspired by a classic French dessert flower of salt.
HÄAGEN-DAZS COOKIE SANDWICH Ok, so most people choose the wrong cookie for an ice cream sandwich. It needs to be a little soft so the ice cream doesn’t drip down your face and explode everywhere. And you really don’t want a cookie that’s too fancy pants either. A nice, simple well-balanced cookie is what you need. This cookie is just that. INGREDIENTS: • 225g butter • 300g sugar • 2 Large eggs • 300g all purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking powder • Häagen-Dazs Salted Caramel Ice Cream DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC. 2. Mix butter and sugar until incorporated. 3. Mix in the eggs. 4. Add flour and baking powder. Mix it all up. 5. Make balls with the mix, smooth and round as possible. 6. Bake for 6 mins. Turn tray and cook for another 6 mins. 7. Once ready, scoop up some Häagen-Dazs salted caramel ice cream and wedge it between two of those delicious cookies and serve fresh, otherwise it’ll be a big ol mess.
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ON THE MENU
GRILLED CHEESE WITH BEER-INFUSED WHITE SAUCE
Everyone loves a grilled cheese sandwich but it needs to be DONE RIGHT. This is the DEFACTO hangover cure. INGREDIENTS: • 1/4 Cup Beer • 1/2 tsp Chilli flakes • 1/2 tsp Garlic • 100g Butter • Salt & Pepper to taste • 2 tbsp Flour • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper • 1-2 cups Milk, depending on the thickness DIRECTIONS:
This is just to make you feel better after indulging in a grilled cheese sandwich. Tell yourself and your friends that you ‘ate a salad’. But if you have to eat a salad make sure it’s BADASS: INGREDIENTS: • 1tbsp Fresh lemon juice • 2 tbsp Olive Oil • 1 tbsp Sugar • Salt to taste • Mint Leaves • 1/4 tsp Cardamom DIRECTIONS: 1. Mix together oil, lemon, sugar, salt and cardamom. 2. Pour over chopped watermelon and add fresh mint leaves. 3. Let it marinate for 5 minutes. Serve as you wish!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABAH JABEEN
1. Melt the butter, garlic, chilli flakes, salt and pepper in a pan. 2. Slowly add the flour and whisk it in. 3. Add the beer and simmer for 1 minute. 4. Add milk slowly and stir continuously. 5. Make your grilled cheese toast in a pan with butter on each side. You can use either white or brown bread. 6. Finally, drizzle the white sauce and sprinkle cayenne pepper and garnish with spring onions.
WATERMELON MOJITO
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QUICK BITES
ZUCHINNI
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FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD
MY FIRST FESTIVAL
M
In this issue of Yummy, Noam Orr of Baraka Events looks back at his first festival!
y first festival did not happen in my home country. Instead, it was held 4,602 kilometres away in the small town of Boom. Let me take you back to 2013 when the most played song on the radio was the late Avicii’s Wake Me Up. I was seated at a friend’s house in Eilat my home town getting ready to go out on a Friday night and like all good pre-game parties, we needed music. My friend chose the Tomorrowland Festival’s after movie from 2012 and that’s when I was hooked. From the music to the throngs of people dancing along to sets played by the best 100 DJs in the world to the intricate stage setups. All these things bring more than 400,000 people to Boom every year for 3 days. The demand is so high that tickets sell out almost as soon as they are released. That’s how our Friday night out turned out to be a night in as we binge-watched all the Tomorrowland Festival after movies. With the music still playing in my head as I went
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to sleep that night I promised myself that I would be a part of those 400,000 people one day. I can’t say that I actively planned to go for the festival that same year but as luck would have it, my friend and I were able to get tickets! The festival gods had smiled on us and we were not about to let that opportunity go to waste. We were the envy of people in my city but that did not dampen our excitement. A month before the festival we dove into preparations. We spent hours in the gym making sure we were fit enough to dance for 3 days. Any other free time was spent working on costumes (how else were we going to stand out in a crowd of half a million people and make it to the after movie if we didn’t have eye-catching costumes?). The days leading up to the festival felt like the longest days ever but we made to the big day. Once we got off the bus, we walked 1 kilometre to the gate lost in a swarm of
beautiful people from all over the world. The air was heavy with excitement! The energy was infectious and all around the smiles on peoples faces let you know that you were in for a magical experience. Close your eyes for a few seconds and imagine that concert you went to then double the number of people, the energy and the excitement. Faint claps turn into syncronised louder ones that get faster and faster then the music starts. You open your eyes to an underwater city surrounded by pulsing spotlights and fireworks as a lone figure stands at the top, playing their biggest hits. Now imagine this over and over again for three days. It is overwhelming and breathtaking. I have been able to experience this every year (don’t ask me how I get ti ckets, it’s a secret!) however until the day I die, I will never forget the first one.
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ART OF
THE ART OF TOAST
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK GITAU
In the age of experimenting, the simplicity of toast makes it the best canvas to create. In this series, we celebrate a breakfast and brunch staple that we have double-tapped, pinned and taken screenshots of. In partnership with Brown’s Cheese, Lucy Munene and Patrick Gitau take a dip in the creative pool and create unconventional versions of this old school favourite.
More Cheese, Please! Cream Cheese, Wilted Spinach and Brown’s Ricotta Cheese, Brown’s Ricotta Cheese and Bacon, Brown’s Ricotta Cheese, Wilted Spinach and Tomato, Proscuitto, Cucumber, Brown’s Chilli Cheddar, Tomato and Greek Yoghurt, Sunnyside up egg, Cracked Black Pepper and Brown’s Greek Yoghurt, Cream Cheese, Ham and Brown’s Chilli Cheddar On Multigrain Bread (from left to right)
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ART OF
Unicorn Toast Raspberry puree and Brown’s Greek Yoghurt spread & Blueberry puree and Brown’s Greek Yoghurt spread on White Bread
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ART OF
Sweet and Sour Brown’s Greek Yoghurt and Strawberries & Cream Cheese, Kiwi, Raspberries and Blueberries on Dark Grain Bread
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YU C OM NM S CY I O U S F O O D I E
MATCHA MAGIC!
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hree years ago, I visited the United States for the first time. Being a foodie on Instagram, my intention was to at least try to keep up with all these picture-worthy food trends that were blowing up my newsfeed such as the rolled ice cream, liquid nitrogen ice cream, giant Lad Lard Donuts and of course a cup of matcha tea in New York City. I began my journey and unsurprisingly, as I made my way through the streets of New York, I didn’t have to walk too far before stumbling upon one of a dozen cafés in Lower Manhattan specialising in the matcha Japanese green tea. You know when you find something and suddenly you start to see it everywhere. That’s what happened. Next thing I knew, it was trending on social media and even celebrities were talking about it; it was the current trend and rose in fame as more and more people tried it. My first sip of matcha was rather astonishing. It was an earthy and bitter-
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tasting product. I wasn’t too sure if I liked it or not but once I added a little sweetness in the form of some raw honey, it tasted divine. I was intrigued by the flavours and knew at that very moment I wanted to take some powder back home and experiment with it. Three years later, I am still experimenting with matcha, creating new and different recipes, mostly matcha desserts which is the perfect way to balance sweet and savoury. So what is Matcha? It’s a special type of powdered green tea that is mostly grown in the southern regions of Japan. Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea, but it is farmed differently. About one month before harvest, farmers cover their tea plants to avoid direct sunlight. This boosts the chlorophyll levels in the leaves turning them into that distinct green colour. This delicious vibrant green tea contains three times the amount of antioxidants that are found in regular green tea making it an antioxidant powerhouse.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUPALI DAVE
Nrupali Dave, Assistant Head of Marketing at Tribe Hotels Group, also known as Le Little Gourmand online introduces us to matcha and shows us 3 ways to use it in desserts.
C O N S C I O U S FYOUOMDMI E Y RECIPES Matcha Tiramisu INGREDIENTS • 3 large egg yolks • 1/3 cup sugar • 2 Tablespoon Uva Wines Moscatel De Setúbal • 1 Browns mascarpone cheese • 360 ml heavy cream • ½ cup water • 2 tablespoons matcha powder • 24 ladyfingers METHOD For the custard: 1. In the heat proof mixing bowl, add egg yolks, Moscatel De Setúbal and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and start whisking with a handheld electric mixer. 2. Set the bowl over the saucepan of barely simmering water and continue to beat the eggs. Keep your instant thermometer handy as you will be checking the temperature of the egg mixture. To consume Tiramisu safely, heat the egg yolk mixture until it reaches 71 ºC, about 10 minutes. 3. Cook, beating constantly, until the custard is light and thick. 4. Once the custard reaches 71 ºC, immediately remove the bowl from the saucepan and set in the large bowl of ice water. Let it cool down for 1 minute to quickly stop cooking. 5. Put the mascarpone in another large bowl and soften it with a silicone spatula. Gradually fold the custard into the mascarpone. 6. Gently fold in until just smooth (the custard will be grainy if over mixed). 7. In a large bowl (you can reuse the bowl from ice bath, but make sure it’s completely dry), beat heavy cream until foamy, and gradually add sugar. 8.Beat until the medium peak forms. 9. Gradually fold in the heavy cream mixture into the mascarpone mixture. Fold in the mixture until well combined.
To assemble: 1. Combine the hot water - 80 ºC and matcha powder and whisk until there are no lumps. Transfer to a flat-bottom container that fits ladyfingers. 2. One at a time, quickly dip both sides of the ladyfingers in the matcha mixture until soaked but not soggy. Place them on the bottom of an 8-inch-square/rectangular baking dish, arranging 2 rows of 6 ladyfingers each. 3. Dip the remaining ladyfingers in the matcha mixture and place them on top of the custard. 4. Top with the remaining custard, smooth out the top and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap to cover the cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. 5. Before serving dust with matcha powder and indulge! Matcha, Pistachio and Rose Ice Cream INGREDIENTS • 2 Avocados • 1/4 cup maple syrup • 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk or any other kind of milk (almond, regular milk) • 1 teaspoon sea salt • 2 tablespoons matcha powder • 1/4 teaspoon lime juice • A handful of pistachios METHOD 1. Peel avocados or cut them in half and remove the pit, scraping out the flesh. 2. Smash avocado meat with a fork until no lumps or place in a blender. 3. Add all of the other ingredients and blend on medium until you get a nice smooth consistency. If you don’t have a blender, you can mix them by hand. 4. Take it out of the blender and pour it into small ramekins. Freeze it for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. 5. Finish it off with some matcha powder, a rose bud and pistachios
Matcha Naked Stacks For the Vanilla Sponge INGREDIENTS • 225g unsalted butter • 4 large eggs, at room temperature • 1⁄2 cup milk, room temperature • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour • 1/4 cup cornflour • 2 teaspoon baking powder • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar • 3/4 teaspoon salt METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 180ºC 2. Butter 2 x 20cm. Line the base with baking paper. 3. Place wet ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. 4. Place dry ingredients in a bowl and use a handheld beater on slowest to quickly whisk. 5. Add 1/3 of the butter, then put the beater whisk in the butter, and mix using slowest speed. Once the butter is incorporated a bit, speed up and whisk for 10 seconds. 6. Add another 1/3 of the butter then repeat, then add remaining butter and repeat again. It should look like wet sand. 7. Add half the wet mixture, beat until incorporated. Add remaining wet mixture, then beat on high speed until almost completely smooth. 8. Divide between cake pans, smooth surface (it levels out in the oven), then bake for 25 minutes. 9. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes then remove cake from pan Once the cake is cooled, using a medium sized round cookie cutter, make small round cutouts For the Matcha Cream Cheese Icing INGREDIENTS • 1 Browns Cheese cream cheese • 1/2 cup butter softened • 1/2 cups powdered sugar • 2 tablespoons Matcha Powder • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence METHOD 1.Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy and there are no lumps. 2. Slowly beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons matcha powder until smooth Stir in vanilla essence 3. Pipe the icing on to the small round cutouts 4. Stack the cutouts. 5. Garnish with flowers of your choice
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THE BUTCHER
CREATIVITY IN THE BUTCHERY Meet Kyle Snow, regular steak lover and self-proclaimed meat man. In this issue, he explores the world of innovation and meat!
I
nnovation is the most constant and critical aspect in both the restaurant and butchery. In a butchery, as a business, certain cuts can be valueadded by good, clean butchering. The easiest example of this is how beef trimmings and off-cuts will become mince meat, taste great and sell fast. This is the principle we apply as we select each cut, its also why there is very little uniformity between different butchers, what they do and what they call their cuts. Having said that, there is a constant in butchering which is the improved ability of getting the cuts without wasting too much beef. We are uniform in that the cuts will all be there and the better we use our knives and the cleaner we work the more effective we can be as butchers. The main work in the butchery is uniformity, but what separates a good and bad butchery is what they are able to do with ‘the rest’, or how they can present each cut in the most amazing ways. If anyone has seen a butchery
in France (on my bucket list) you will know what I mean. Clean cuts, beautiful beef, neat roast rolls and freshness are the virtues of a French Butcher. Creativity is an essential tool in the restaurant as well, especially when we connect it to the butchery. Contemporary restaurants are often fitted out with a ‘Demo Kitchen’, where chefs can experiment with new menu items or specials before they are created. It is in this creative space where we ourselves test out burger patties, where different lamb breeds are tasted for comparison, briskets are rolled, short-ribs are smoked, and where our experiments can come to life. A Demo Kitchen truly is the chef’s playground because it is a designated creative space. We don’t do service from our Demo-Kitchen and it is uncluttered, with just a grill, a table and a smoker as the equipment available. It’s simplicity that must go with creativity, otherwise the same creativity could become a logistical and
practical hazard. You will never get a slip in the DemoKitchen and we always look forward to the days when myself and fellow South African and Executive Chef Bulelani Dabula can freestyle and see what happens. Our Pairing events or Beef Experiences bring out a whole new element. In this we experiment with Alcohol and deserts as well as tweaking menu items to have more flair, or to be more in line with the pairings from our partners. It’s a constant task and the greatest pleasure as we know that the crazy ideas that slowly form in the brain will have to come to fruition at some point. So the crazy thoughts like ageing beef with whisky, honey, coffee, or maybe even fruits have to become a reality eventually. 90% of our restaurant specials have been born in the Demo-Kitchen and it’s creativity and innovation that keeps a restaurant relevant and appealing.
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S WM EM E TY S P O T YU BIG SQUARE
BRINGING ALL BOYS TO THE YARD Milkshakes are no longer just milkshakes! In this issue, food photographer Jmwai shares her top spots for over the top milkshakes! j.mwai
STRAWBELICIOUS SHAKE AT COFFEE CASA I’m a come-lately convert to all the goodness abound at Coffee Casa. This could be the cutest coffee house you’ve ever been to… its almost cuddly. The ambiance is effortlessly uplifting and quite intimate. I was there on my best-shakes-in-town exploration; and Coffee Casa is home to some incomparable ones. The ‘Strawbelicious’, as the name suggests, is an enticing jamboree of strawberry sweetness in a glass. Strawberry ice cream with cookies and real strawberries, topped with strawberry marshmallows, white chocolate drizzle, and strawberry syrup. Their ‘I Feel Good’ shake is quite popular. Strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, a brownie, waffle pieces,
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choco chips, sprinkles and chocolate syrup go into making this beauty. The brownie and waffle toppings are made in-house; which enables them to create perfect shapes for the best taste and presentation. Be sure to take advantage of their buy one get one free Monday offers. THE GREEN GOBLIN AT BIG SQUARE LAVINGTON CURVE Everything is a treat at Big Square, but my personal favorite by far is their Big Square Green Goblin Megashake. Barista Ndungu was kind enough to take me through the process of whipping up their Green Goblin Megashake. This green sight for sore eyes was an idea conceived by former operations
COFFEE CASA
SWEET SPOT manager Ricky as part of the restaurant’s unique range of mega shakes. It is made of Vanilla ice cream, milk, mint syrup, blueberry sauce, garnished with blueberry and mint syrup, topped with mint chocolate and oreo cookies. If this doesn’t sound like a party in your mouth, I don’t know what will! This shake goes well with any of the Big Square burgers. Other mega shakes in the menu are; Berry Mallow, Fudge Surprise and Cherry Cola while other shakes are strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, mint, bubblegum, oreo, vanilla and frappes.
ROCO MAMAS
STRAWBERRY FREAKSHAKE AT URBAN EATERY A fairly scorching afternoon led me to Urban Eatery, the up market and remarkably appointed restaurant at Delta towers in Westlands. Its alfresco verandah setting and awesome interior makes the restaurant swanky enough to be one of the city’s best choices for dining. It is here that Barista Makau introduces us to ‘Strawberry Freakshake’. He described it as a shake that can double as a dessert; and that it makes a delicious accompaniment for their seafood delicacies. Strawberry Freakshake is a blend of stunning flavours; strawberry ice cream, fresh milk, whipped cream, strawberry sauce topped by rainbow smarties/sprinkles, ice cream cone, marshmallows and butter cookies. Other shakes in their menu are; Double Chocolate, Cappuccino, Vanilla bean, Chocolate coffee, S’mores, Banana nutella and Oreo nilla. DEATH BY CHOCOLATE & SWEET SURPRISE AT ROCO MAMAS My five stars, and a tad more goes to Roco Mamas for their wonderful hospitality, tasty casual ambiance and of course their sublime milkshakes. Roco Mamas, located at the Village Market, chose two awesome milkshakes to effortlessly make my day. The first one was ‘Slow Death By Chocolate’. Vitalis, their kitchen manager and the person charged with ensuring top notch quality, tells me that besides their secret sauce made of assorted Belgian chocolates, this milkshake is created with Vanilla ice cream, Nutella, Oreo grams and pasteurized milk. The vanilla remains completely pure and undiluted, which might be one of the reasons this milkshake is too divine. Shake number two is ‘Surprise Me’; and boy were my taste buds amazed. The Barista, Naomi, had the freedom to make this however she pleased. Another favorite in the menu and great for birthdays. My specific surprise included milk soft serve and assorted syrups (chocolate, strawberry & blueberry). You can also dab into their other shakes; Peanutology and Candilicious.
URBAN EATERY
COFFEE CASA
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NIGHTLIFE
THE PERFECT WEEK Willie Gichora is a nightlife enthusiast and the co-founder & manager of MUZE Club, Westlands. In this issue, he gives his guide to the perfect week!
N
ight after night after night after night! Sometimes the stars align and everything comes together for that perfect week of nights-out, when you can paint the town red for days on end. If you’ve got the time, money and stamina, Nairobi can be a great playground for the quintessential party animal. Though it might seem that there are more options than ever, mix it up with old and new favourites to archive party bingo. Let me be your guide, as we seek out the perfect week of events, venues and club nights. Get set, ready, GO!
Tuesday
Now that you’ve recovered from the previous weekend and spent Monday getting everything in order, it’s time to get started. Nice and easy though, so we’ll try to be “polite” on Tuesday. As “polite” as you can be when you’re at The Alchemist (Westlands) for movie night on Tuesday. There’s bound to be an interesting independent movie showing so sit back, order a beer and let’s get started. One or two or three drinks later, the movie is done but you’re not. Head over upstairs and enjoy the 10pm - Midnight Happy Hour. Leave at your leisure but remember tomorrow’s another day.
Thursday Wednesday
Hump-day! Now we’re talking. Although, you’ll have to try your best not to get derailed because Wednesday night can be tricky for the uninitiated. Tapas (Westgate) is where it’s at on Wednesday nights. The vibe is set right by music from Foozak, one of Nairobi’s pre-eminent DJs and they’ve got a specialty cocktail menu for the night served up in part by Marek; music business by day, mixologist by night. Once you’ve got your drink (my recommendation: Mexican Sour), find your spot & cheers to a great time! The program runs officially until 10pm but the DJ have been known to extend his set, if the vibe is right and the vibe is always right. So come ready to have a good time.
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You’ve made it this far but now, it’s time to set it up a notch. All roads lead to J’s Westlands on Thursday as the rest of Nairobi starts its weekend. It appears no one can escape the magnetic pull of J’s on a Thursday night and the live music, food and ambience make it an easy choice for revellers. Since this joint keeps on going until the wee hours of the morning, I recommend arriving between 9 and 10pm. You can catch the tail end of the band’s performance as you get your drink and after you can head to the Secret Garden for music by J’s resident DJs. Resistance is futile when it comes to J’s on a Thursday, so buckle up and enjoy a great start to the weekend. You’ve earned it.
NIGHTLIFE
Saturday Friday
Furahi-day! You’ve made it this far, 3 nightsout in a row and there’s no stopping us now. It’s time for Hip-Hop Fridays at The Alchemist. After celebrating the 1st year anniversary of this weekly event in May, DJ Kace is not slowing down, if hosting Nasty C is anything to go by. The music will be on point as new and old Hip-Hop favourites play all night long. It can get crowded and I recommend getting a spot on the deck and for more privacy moving over to the new upstairs bar. It’ll keep going until the early hours, so if Hip-Hop is your thing, stay on and party to your heart’s content.
It’s been an exciting 4 days but now it’s SATURDAY! Having spent the day recovering (let’s be honest), get ready for an amazing Saturday night at MUZE Club, Westlands. With high concept events, the best of Kenya’s electronic music talent and occasional international DJs and musicians, MUZE is where you’ll want to be on a Saturday night. Enjoy their late night happy hour and music from Africa’s #1 club sound system. Dance the night away with like-minded people and stay on until early morning when the party ends, reluctantly. Did I mention that the kitchen stays open until morning, so you can satisfy your cravings before heading home.
Monday
Recover. That’s what you’ll have to do on Monday after 6 nights-out in a row. It was worth it though as you’ve criss-crossed Nairobi and experience the best that the city has to offer. That’s the perfect week for me; curated music, great food and good vibes all over Nairobi. You just have to know where to look. Go Hard or Stay Home; what will you do?
Sunday
If you’ve made it this far, then we’ve got the perfect way for you to end this gratuitous party crawl: Gondwana at Captain’s Terrace. Enjoy panoramic views of Nairobi’s national park synced to great music by the resident DJs. Arrive by late afternoon/early evening (5pm - 7pm) and in no time, you’ve been dancing like its your first night out. Yummy. Food. Drink. Life
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WINE PICKS
EASY DRINKING
14 HANDS HOT TO TROT RED Predominantly a blend of Merlot and Syrah grapes, this balanced red wine offers aromas of cherries, red currant and tea and flavors of cherries,
This month’s wine picks are all about rich flavours and balance. In these whites and reds, you’ll find both fruity and floral flavours all balanced out to smooth and velvety finishes which make them easy to drink.
ripe berries and plums on the palate. Coupled with soft and velvety tannins, this smooth easy-drinking stand alone wine finishes with hints of toast and mocha. Price 1750. Available from California Wines by Rose.
THE DRY LAND COLLECTION -
Phone no: +254700004499
JOSEPH’S LEGACY 2015
californiawineskenya.com
This South African red blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, Malbec has a complex nose of black pepper, cherry, plum and surprisingly
THE DRY LAND COLLECTION -
biltong! On the palate it is
COURAGEOUS
structured with notes of cloves,
This barrel fermented Chenin
spice and a slight chocolate
Blanc is made in a rich and ripe
finish. Fantastic pair with
wooded style. The result is an
grilled steaks!
aromatic and textured white wine with aromas of citrus,
Price 1895 Available from: The
pear and pineapple. The wood
Wine Shop. Tel 0718 003326.
maturation on the palate gives it
Thewineshopkenya.com
a vanilla and litchi flavour with a crisp rounded finish. This wine can be kept for up to 3 to 5 years from vintage. Price 1895 Available from The Wine Shop. Tel 0718 003326. thewineshopkenya.com
DARLING CELLARS 2017
THE WOLFTRAP WHITE
This fruit forward South African
BLEND 2017
blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and
This South African white blend
Merlot has a good combination
of Viognier, Chenin Blanc and
of dark fruit and structure from
Grenache Blanc has a clear
the Cabernet Sauvignon and red
honey white colour with aromatic
berry fruit from the Merlot. On
green and floral flavours. On the
the palate it is smooth and dry
palate flavours of peach, melon
with well balanced tannins.
and green apple are followed by crisp refreshing spice.
Price 1050. Available from MIA Wines. Tel 0721 623474
Price 1620. Available from MIA Wines. Tel 0721 623474
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WINE CORNER
ASK A WINO Is it ok to send back a bottle in a restaurant after I have tried it?
THE ART OF BLENDING
In house oenologist Josiah Kahiu talks wine innovation and the art of the blend.
W
ine making is part art, part science. It can be a highly expensive, complicated and restrictive. While very few people can make their own wine, there is a simpler, more cost effective way to do this in the comfort of your own home - by blending. Simply put, blending is combining wine of different varietals (grapes) to produce one wine which is hopefully better than the sum of all its individual ad parts. When it comes to most of the wine we consume, unless it is labelled as a specific single varietal on the bottle, chances are you are drinking a blend. So how can we make the blending process affordable and something we can do at home? As we said, it is an art. So unless you are trying to blend red and white wine, there is not a great amount you can do very wrong. One of the easiest blends to recreate at home would be the Bordeaux blend. This style primarily combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. To start with, simply buy a bottle of each but make sure they are 100% single varietals. Since you are going to make a wine that is according to your preferences, it is advisable to buy bottles that you actually like or have drunk before. Next you will need a couple of glasses, some
measuring equipment and a beaker or two. Now to get started, it is always a good idea to decide what type of Bordeaux Blend you prefer to make. The two main blends for this would either be a “left bank” blend or a “right bank” blend. For a left bank blend you will want to use 60ml of Cab Sauv, 30ml of Merlot and 10ml of Cabernet Franc, stick it in a flask and swirl it around before pouring it into your glass. For a right bank blend, it’s the same process but just using 60ml Merlot, 30ml Cabernet Sauvignon. Now it’s time to try your creations. For the more Merlot forward blend, you will find it to be more fruit forward and slightly gentle, while the Cabernet dominant bend will be more tannic and have a stronger backbone (for those of you who prefer a stronger wine this is your choice). The effect of the Cabernet Franc in each blend is to add small vegetal notes, creating a more balanced, round mouthfeel. This is just a little start to having your own vineyard and wine cellar in the comfort in your own house. There are many other blends you can try out, so start blending, sticking the wine into old bottles and slap it with your own label!
The short answer is most often yes. People often find this situation complex as they feel that they have to prove the wine is 100% wrong or do not know if the restaurant will accept it back. One thing to always remember is that the anxiety is on both sides. The restaurant would prefer not to take the bottle back (they have little chance of reselling it), especially if the reason is that you simply did not like it. So what is the best way to deal with it? If you think the wine is corked or oxidised - a risk we always take when ordering wine with a cork. The first course of action is to ask them if they think the wine is corked. This usually lets their guard down and most establishments will simply replace the bottle for an identical one. Now comes the scenario when you think that there is simply something funny with the wine, something off you cannot identify. Again, bring it to the attention on your server. Sometimes it could be that the wine just needs to breathe to open up a bit. In many situations, the server may say that it is the smell of that wine if they are familiar with it. If they are not familiar with it they may offer another suggestion. This gives the restaurant the opportunity to either explain why the wine is that way or replace the bottle. The last situation we should all try to avoid is ordering a bottle and sending it back simply because we do not like it. One way to avoid this is to ask for a taste before ordering a bottle. They may have an old bottle to try. If this is not the case, tell your server what you like and they might have a solution. The key thing here to remember is always to be polite. People can forget their etiquette and try to use this as an opportunity to taste wine and send it back - it works maybe once!
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N I G HY TU LMI M F EY
CALLIN’ THE SHOTS This month staff writer Lucy Munene takes a look at the history of the shot glass and some of her favourite shots in Nairobi.
L
DUCK SHOT (COFFEE CASA) You can never go wrong with a layered shot. Not only does it look good but the three layers mean that you’re in for three times the fun. This shooter is similar to the B52 in that it contains a layer of Kahlua and Baileys with the only difference being a golden layer of whiskey. Chocolate shavings are the final addition to this shot and what a delicious addition it is! The chocolate shavings and Irish cream add a sweetness to the coffee liqueur and mask any bitterness from the whiskey which adds a warm finishing touch to this shooter that lingers at the back of your throat.
COFFEE CASA
PUMPKIN PIE (MERCADO) Another variation of the B52 is Mercado’s Pumpkin Pie shooter. The usual Kahlua and Baileys are present (in plenty because this skull is a double shot) with the addition of tequila to give it a telltale Mexican kick. So what brings the heat in this shot? A layer of Mexican orange liqueur is what sets the stage for this flaming shot. Once it is lit, a sprinkle of cinnamon brings the mellow blue flame to life. After all the theatrics, just like the Duck Shot you get a delicious balance of sweetness, coffee and warmth.
intimidating than they are. Both are vodkabased with raspberry liquor however the sparkling wine added to the Mercado gives it a lighter finish making it dangerously easy to drink (you might find yourself asking for two or three more). The Nucifera, on the other hand, is the best of both worlds. It’s a sweet and sour shot that just might be my new favourite shot.
COFFEE CASA
MOUTH WASH (COFFEE CASA) Colour! That’s the first thing you notice about this shot but don’t let the multiple colours scare you into thinking you’re drinking pure sugar. This shooter is just as well thought out as the first two. Vodka is the familiar base here that is mixed with Archer’s Schnapps, orange juice and blue Curaco. Doesn’t that sound like a mouthful? Maybe that’s why it’s called the Mouth Wash. Either way, this shot is a party in a glass.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL OTIENO
et’s start with a brief history behind this tiny glass that puts fear in most people’s eyes when they see it placed in front of them. References to the shot glass can be found as far back as the late 1700s and early 1880s. Sometime after Prohibition ended in the US, is when the shot glasses we use today gained popularity and began to be used as more than tiny receptacles used to hold whiskey. The now popular glass is a feature in bars all over the world and is a staple in many parties, celebrations and nights out. There is no world standard for the size of a shot glass. Different countries have set their own limits but the generally accepted range is 20mL to 60mL for a single shot. Shot glasses also have different shapes depending on the size and amount they can hold. The shot glass we are all familiar with is the fluted shot glass which is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. At the end of the day what makes shot glasses popular is the alcohol that goes in them. We’re all familiar with the standard shots like the Jägermeister based Jagerbomb or the Kahlua based B-52 but around town, we have some restaurants bringing the heat either literally with flaming shots or figuratively with shots that lit a fire in your belly. Here are my top five shooters to have in Nairobi.
MERCADO AND NUCIFERA (MERCADO) These two cocktails look very similar but couldn’t taste any more different. Both are served in Mercado’s signature skull shooter glasses which makes them seem even more
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W H I T E C A P B R U N C H YGUUMI M DE Y
How to Brunch with We all love brunch and brunch definitely loves us back. Whether you’re hosting your own brunch or going out for brunch, WhiteCap has your back on how to make the most out of it.
When you’re going out Do your research Brunch is different everywhere you go so you better know what you’re walking into. Be prepared and know what your fellow brunchers will want too. Make a reservation Brunch has become so popular these days, it’s easier to make a reservation rather than walk away hungry. Send out the reminder texts We all know how bad we are with timing. So send out those texts and reminders and make sure you have the right head count. Be adventurous If you can make it at home with your eyes closed, don’t order it. Listen, brunch is all about the experience and the new rush of taste with every bite. Don’t ruin it with the familiar.
When you’re hosting Plan your menu You might be a brunch expert but making it at home is a different matter. Yummy is your friend, get all the recipes and plan your brunch way before. Self serve bars When you’re busy hosting, you don’t want to worry about the drinks. Set up a small self serve bar and let people play. The spread & butters Nothing will save your brunch and your time like the right spreads. The right jams, butters and pickles paired with cheese and bread can make up at least 50% of the experience. Balance is key Sweet and savoury treats are both key for your brunch. Don’t over do one, no matter how much you want to. Keep it balanced. Embrace your WhiteCap Place your WhiteCaps in beer buckets at your entrance to welcome guests and set up a small beer section with bitings while you finish setting up! If you’re feeling up to it, you can also serve WhiteCap beer cocktails for that extra twist!
EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUPMTION IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH. NOT FOR SALE TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS.
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