Introduction

• Attempting to cook and eat hot food when it is 90 degrees in the shade is unpleasant for all concerned.
• So what to cook for a weekend that promises to be hot and heavy?
• I am suggesting that we focus on cool recipes
• Everything below has a chilled or a frozen element.
• They all have a local is lekker aspect.
• And they are all unashamedly boozy.
• They all look posh but are actually simple.

Chakalaka Martini
I am so proud of having invented the chakalaka martini. I honestly feel if I never create anything again I can die knowing I made a contribution to the universe!

Ingredinets (makes 1 litre)
1kg ripe tomatoes
1/4 small red onion
1 clove garlic
1 small chilli
1cm fresh ginger
5 drops tabasco
1 peeled carrot
1 red pepper
60ml gin

Juice all ingredients together and strain over night through a super fine sieve. Discard the pulp and serve ice cold in martini glasses.

Grappa Sorbet with Minted Crayfish Risotto

The flavour of this risotto is well complemented by the contrasting textures and temperatures of the rich, sweet crayfish and the tart icy palate cleansing sorbet.
Minted West Coast Crayfish Risotto
Ingredients
2 medium sized steamed crayfish
100g butter
1 stick celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 onion chopped
1 handful of flat leaf parsley chopped
60ml brandy
2 litre waters
5 pepper corns
2 red onions very finely chopped
500g risotto rice (preferably Carnaroli)
70ml double cream
45ml chopped mint

Method

• Steam the crayfish for 5 minutes until par-cooked.
• Shell the crayfish, cube the meat and set it aside.
• To make a crayfish stock: Take the shells and pound them into small fragments. Put the shell fragments into a deep pan with half the butter, the celery, carrot, onion, pepper and herbs. Sauté on a low heat until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the brandy and light it with a taper and burn off the alcohol. Once the flame has died pour in the water and simmer the stock for 1 hour. Cool and strain
• You will end up with an intensely flavoured stock.
• In a separate pan sauté the onions in the remaining butter.
• Add the rice and toss together until the grains are coated with butter. The grains will be shiny and hot.
• Add a ladle of hot crayfish stock. Stir gently until all this stock is absorbed. Then add more stirring constantly for about 10 minutes until the rice is half cooked.
• Add all the cubed crayfish meat, stir and resume the cooking process.
• When the risotto is creamy, tender but the grains are still firm in the centre, take it off the heat stir in the cream. Adjust the seasoning, stir and cover.
• Leave the risotto to rest for 3 minutes.
• Add the mint, stir well.
Serve with grappa sorbet

Grappa Sorbet

Ingredients
Thinly paired zest and juice of 3 lemons
140g granulated white sugar
570ml water
30ml Grappa
½ egg white

Method
• Dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the zest and one tablespoon of Grappa boil for one minute.
• Remove from the heat and cool completely. When the syrup is cold add the juice and the remaining Grappa. Strain and discard the solids.
• Pour the liquid into ice trays and freeze for at least 24 hours.
• Remove the ice blocks from the freezer and process the cubes in a food processor for about 10 seconds. Add the egg white and process until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer into a bowl, cover and re-freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Cooks Tip:
Do not be tempted to add more alcohol to this sorbet. Alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water and those ices that are very high alcohol will not set.

Dorah Sithole's Umqombothi wizz from heaven

• Put equal quantities of umqombothi (African traditional beer) and good quality vanilla ice cream into a blender. Wizz up and serve immediately.
• So delicious. So easy. So chilled


If you are too lazy to cook but still want to be cool in the heat?

• CHEAP AS CHIPS BUT MUCH COOLER: Ice block - township variation on ice lollies - frozen fruit syrups in little plastic bags - you nip off a corner and suck.

• FAST FOOD FRISON: The drive thru at KFC sells mango crushers - yum with a capital Y. Like slush puppies but much better.

• SEXY SHIVVERS: the Mr Wippy machine at the Grand strip club in Rivonia. Bubble gum flavoured soft serve and naked ladies what more could you want?

• AL FRESCO SUNDAY LUNCH (feel the wind gently blowing while you eat in the heat) - La Madeleine in Pretoria offers legendary Sunday lunches. R140 per head, 3 courses, kid friendly. Sit in the garden, let the kids run around and savour the best of bistronomy. Menu changes every week but expect the likes of moules mariniere, cucumber soup, chocolate mousse blah, blah, yum, yum...

• CAVIAR COOL: What could be nicer than a treat of caviar on crushed ice with ice cold vodka. Di Botha's company Black Book Caviar, trades only in sturgeon caviar (as opposed to the roes of salmon, lump fish and other species often passed off as 'caviar'). She is also the sole CITES registered caviar trader in Southern Africa which is important in the face of the sturgeon's threat of extinction in the wild and the proliferation of poached caviar in the world markets. Those wishing to indulge can contact the caviar queen directly by e-mail di@blackbookcaviar.co.za or through her web page www.blackbookcaviar.co.za

• PRETEND ITS COLD EVEN IF ITS HOT: UK Emporium in Boksburg offers those who can’t live without Bisto gravy or a tin of mushy peas a way of pretending they are in an English winter. Desperate for haggis, Cumberland sausages of Jaffa cakes? This shop offers English comfort food to keep you thinking of the cold. Tel: 011 826 3917 o/h, Cell: 083 455 5610 a/h