Comfort Foods CTIA Chefs and Staff Are Eating During Lockdown and What They Can’t Wait to Tuck into After

Sep 14, 2022 | Articles

Comfort Foods CTIA Chefs and Staff Are Eating During Lockdown and What They Can’t Wait to Tuck into After

Not ready to dive into your two weeks stash of beans just yet? We can hardly blame you. With COVID-19 cases soaring across the globe, many are concerned about how they will feed themselves or their family – especially on dried “NASA” type foods.

As we slog through the second week of lockdown, we’ve entered a unique time, especially for those that have young children or vulnerable elderly at home. With more than one week still to go, we must do many things out of the ordinary, including what we eat. But rather than panic, you can enjoy it by getting creative in the kitchen with the help of Chefs Training & Innovation Academy.

At CTIA, we believe that a vital component of creating new and exciting recipes is “inspiration.” And in such unprecedented times, everyone needs a little inspiration, especially in the kitchen. That said, we asked a few of our “inspired” lecturers and chefs to both share their comfort food recipes and the things they can’t wait to tuck into once lockdown is over. Here’s what they had to say:

“After quarantine, I’m looking forward to going down to Kalk Bay, sitting at the harbour with the girls and eating calamari. Or something nicer, like sushi at Sevruga in the Waterfront with half-price cocktails.” – Chef Sam Marshall

Find Chef Sam’s Rich, Decadent Vanilla Baked Cheesecake recipe at the bottom of the blog.

“What I mostly look forward to is taking my friends to the botanical gardens for a picnic (selection of cheese, meats and fresh fruit) with a nice glass of wine, just enjoying nature and amazing company.” – Corlene Snyders, National Principal.

Find Corlene’s Smoky Harvest Tomato Soup with Mozzarella Crostini recipe at the bottom of the blog.

At CTIA, we’re the leading Culinary and Hospitality Academy in South Africa, with campuses in Centurion, Durban, Cape Town, and Mpumalanga. With over 10 years of Excellence, and with exclusive partnerships with BHMS in Switzerland, Placement International (headquarters in New York, USA), and the NH Hotel Group in Europe our alumni work in some of the top restaurants worldwide, while others have earned recognition as food bloggers, food stylists, authors, and entrepreneurs.

CTIA WILL BE CLOSED NATIONALLY FROM 18 MARCH UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 

As we hunker through lockdown, we have our students’ best interests at heart and will continue teachings through webinars while we encourage the practice of quarantine to minimise the spread of this virus. Should you need to reach us, we are still contactable on email and telephone.

Chef Sam’s Rich, Decadent Vanilla Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients

80 g        Egg Yolks
625 g      Cream Cheese
250 ml    Cream
250 ml    Castor sugar
30 ml      Flour
1 packet  Marie Biscuits
50 ml      butter, to bind
1             vanilla pod, sliced and deseeded
10 ml      vanilla essence

Instructions

  • Blend the Marie Biscuits until fine and add enough melted butter to bind.
  • Place in the lined base and freeze until solid.
  • Paddle the cream cheese until smooth add the sugar and the flour, mix for 30 seconds slowly, mix 30 seconds fast and add the eggs and half the cream. Scrape down and add the rest of the cream along with the vanilla essence and vanilla pod.
  • Bake at 175°C for 45 minutes then 160°C for 30 minutes.
  • Leave to cool before cutting.

Corlene Snyders’ Smoky Harvest Tomato Soup with Mozzarella Crostini

Ingredients

1kg cherry tomatoes/ other tomatoes
1 small peeled onion (rough chopped)
3 large garlic cloves (rough chopped)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut in half
1 small beet, peeled, cut in half
1 small turnip, peeled, cut into eighths
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ tbsp chipotle peppers, chopped
85 g of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 ounce tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt, for garnish
Fresh basil for garnish

Mozzarella Crostini:
1 loaf of French bread
250 g fresh mozzarella
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

1) For the Soup:

  • Place tomatoes, onion and garlic on baking sheet, toss with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Bake on 350°C for 30 minutes. At the same time place the turnip, beet and red pepper in a tin foil boat, and add 1 tbsp of olive oil, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Roast on 180°C for 45 minutes.
  • After cooked, remove skin from the beet and peppers and chop. Add all the vegetables to large pot on stove. Add chicken stock, chipotle peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked paprika, and tomato paste. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Use a food processor to puree the ingredients until completely smooth.
  • Garnish with fresh basil and Greek yogurt.

2) For the Mozzarella Crostini:

  • Preheat oven to 350°C.
  • Slice bread into ¼ inch slices (20 slices).
  • Brush one side with olive oil and bake (oil side up) on parchment-lined baking sheet for 5 min.
  • Slice mozzarella into thin slices (about 10), cut in half width-wise so they fit the sliced French bread. Place cheese on each slice of bread and then bake for 6 minutes.
  • Mix 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 minced garlic clove. Heat in the microwave, 20-30 seconds.
  • Add chopped basil to oil/garlic mixture, drizzle on the baked Mozzarella crostini. Serve warm with the Smoky Tomato Harvest Soup.

Enjoy!

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