Archive for March, 2011

- Mar 31, 2011 -

The Pesto Princess fairytale

I’m lucky to be a journalist. Meeting all different kinds of people: it’s about music, art or food. I was excited to meet the Pesto Princess, her products: pestos and sauces are well known in South Africa. I wrote this piece for capetownmagazine.com. Tomorrow, you get a recipe on how to make your own pesto at home.

Some call it pesto, I call it magic green happy-making stuff

What a lucky day it was when I met the Pesto Princess. There’s no industry behind the company, but a person, a lady, a princess. “I’m just an ordinary woman. Someone’s mother, someone’s wife. I had a totally different career; I was a classical musician and an opera singer.”

Kathleen Quillinan is a character. When you meet her, the Pesto Princess logo, the name, the vision – all make sense. For me, pesto is magic stuff. You might know it from Fruit & Veg City or Pick n Pay – yes, they made it that far. Within 10-years, the small pesto-making kitchen has become a factory, but has remained truly artisan. It’s time to uncover the princess behind the product.

Capetonian Kathleen Quillinan doesn’t have any professional culinary training. Her first passion was always music, her second passion is food, and her third passion people.

“I was halfway through life and needed cash. I taught opera and music and was at a point of being empty. It was time for a change.” After going back to college to train her own voice, Kathleen didn’t have a salary anymore. She was also married and had a 6-year-old child. “I needed some pocket money to get by.” So she started cooking, since she wanted to do something quiet. Jam, Greek yogurt cake, bottled peppers, deli products and … pesto. Selling her goodies at the veranda of her son’s Waldorf School in Kenilworth, she found that everyone came back for the pesto. “It kept me liquid” she says. And as people were encouraging they asked her “Why don’t you sell this to a shop?” Naturally ambitious and fearless, Kathleen did it: jumped off the edge and … made it.

Hey pesto!

Starting to sell pesto at Fruit & Veg City Access Park, in Kenilworth in ‘98, the product looked homemade with its handwritten labels and got accepted by the manager, who cautiously took some on consignment. One week later, all the little pesto jars were sold out. This lead to selling to another Fruit & Veg and then to another one, and so on. The first restaurant that became a Pesto Princess partner was Mr. Pickwicks on Long Street. It all happened by word-of-mouth. Everything was made by Kathleen in her kitchen in Observatory and her char, who became her pesto-assistant. The team grew quickly and soon took over Kathleen’s whole house. In 2002 Kathleen had her second child and it became impossible to work from home.

From 2004 on, Kathleen and the Pesto Princess team (12 people) rented premises in Diep River and enjoyed the luxury of bigger fridges and even employed a food technologist. Until then, Kathleen still taught singing and gave accordion gigs with her husband to keep up the cash flow for making the pesto.

Since then, a lot has happened. The Pesto Princess bought her own premises in 2008 in Muizenberg. And today, Kathleen and her team of 30 produce 7 tons of pesto a month and are found at all major retailers: Pick n Pays, Checkers, Spar, Fruit & Veg City, Melissa’s and at many selected delis in the Western Cape. Starting off with sweet basil pesto, five other flavours of fresh pesto also developed [Thai (coriander and chili), Greek (with feta and olives), Rocket & Walnut, Red (sweet red peppers and sun dried tomatoes) and Aubergine & Olive] plus five exotic sauces. All products are free of preservatives, that’s why you have to look out for them in the fridges of the supermarkets.

Based on an Italian recipe, which Kathleen Quillinan industrialised, the pesto is still filled with hand-processes: peeling the garlic, destalking the basil and grating the Parmesan or Pecorino.

“Our ambition is to have a pesto in every fridge in South Africa”

“Where we’re at now, a good idea and product has turned into an ethical business. Our ambition is to have a pesto in every fridge in South Africa.” Pesto Princess Foods, known for consistent high quality, has the vision of building the brand into a much loved household name, maintaining the quality while at the same time increasing the output. And to remain a trend-setter and trend-spotter.

Through all these years it was her staff that kept Kathleen going. “We have a nurturing staff-environment, where people with no experience can work, with no education – we give them a chance.” The next step has already been taken, after much prompting from loyal Pesto Princess groupies: to go national. Ten years in the Western Cape, now the Pesto Princess also sells her products at Pick n Pay’s nationwide and hopefully soon at all major retailers all over South Africa. With lots of loyal followers this might quickly happen. Feedback from a guy saying “Man, this is the closest thing to world peace” or a lady saying “You should have heard me scream when I found you at my local Pick n Pay”, this is more than just a product.

Some call it pesto, I call it magic green happy-making stuff.

by Antonia Heil

Guess what? We watched the Pesto Princess make pesto in her kitchen. Watch the video and find the recipe here.

Find Pesto Princess Foods at Saturday morning markets at: Neighbour Goods Market, Woodstock; Porters Estate Market, Tokai; Willowbridge Slow Food Market, Durbanville; Stellenbosch Slow Food Market, Oude Libertas.

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- Cape Town, food, Food Cape Town -

- Mar 31, 2011 -

Kelloggs Smacks

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.. I grew up with it and bought it for the first time in years. Still flippin yummy.

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- food, remember -

- Mar 30, 2011 -

Anyone Else But You – Michael Cera and Ellen Page

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♬ My favourite song of all times…

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- MUSIC -

- Mar 30, 2011 -

Desiree & Christiaan, Simondium Country Lodge

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What an eye-catcher of a wedding we were part of last weekend. Desiree and Christiaan got married at the super cute and vintage-y country lodge in Simondium in the Winelands. Hearts, flowers, games and picnic-chill-zones everywhere.. a feast with a touching ceremony and lot’s of love. All the best for you guys! Was awesome being part of your wedding party! More pix here.

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- photography, weddings -

- Mar 28, 2011 -

Katja & Mike from Berlin got hitched in Cape Town

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Des shot this cool beach wedding last week… German fellows got married here…

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- photography, weddings -

- Mar 28, 2011 -

Marius Koen – a real artisan (jeweller, goldsmith & designer Cape Town)

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A story I just wrote for www.capetownmagazine.com. I’m lucky to live in this creative city! Have a great week y’all!

A Capetonian goldsmith and designer talks about his craftsmanship

We’re lucky to live in an inspiring and creative Cape Town with all of its craft and food markets as well as the artists and designers. Visitors enjoy the artisan part of it – in the foodie way, but also in many other ways, for example, in jewellery making. I met up with Marius Koen, a goldsmith and designer from Cape Town. You might not know his name, but you might have seen his pieces in jewellery shops in Cape Town and surrounds without knowing who the artist behind it is.

Marius makes durable products made out of gold, silver, gemstones, metal, wood et al. He calls himself a jewellery-engineer and makes not only rings and neck pieces but sunglasses, watches (featured in onesmallseed magazine) and bangles too, some out of ebony and olive wood.

“I see myself more as a jewellery-engineer, than a pure goldsmith“

“Artisan means to me having the freedom and not producing the same things, not being monotonous. Every time I make something, it’s a process of discovering ingenuity. I’m a maker. I like the mechanic part of things.” says Marius while also explaining that certain processes of jewellery can be done by machines, but the finish has to be done by a human. “No machine can see a certain unique characteristic and incorporate it. The goldsmith’s art is such an old profession that will never die.”

What does the word, artisan mean goldsmith-wise? I gleaned this from Wikipedia: “Artisan jewellery dates back as far as 7000 BC, when gold and copper first began to be sculpted to adorn the human form, and the practice continues today. Although rarely price-competitive with machine-made items, artisan handmade jewellery is prized for its uniqueness, variety, and beauty. Thousands of jewellery artisans exist around the globe.”

“My dad wanted me to become an architect, my mom just didn’t want me to be weird.”

Artist Marius Koen was born in Goodwood, Cape Town, grew up in Joburg and went to the National School of Arts. That’s where he learnt the basics of the goldsmith’s art for two years and decided to take on this profession. “I used to love drawing patterns,” he says, “to see how things become more 3-dimensional while cutting them out, and the pieces becoming longer-lasting, more solid – that’s what fascinated me.”

Marius’s cousin Ricus, who is five years older, studied in Stellenbosch to become a goldsmith and was the person that had the biggest influence on Marius’s career. After high school, Marius moved back to Cape Town, had a workshop, played around making all different kinds of things, but didn’t make any money. So, Ricus found Marius a job at the Adriaan Du Toit Classique Jewellery Studio in Franschhoek, where Marius ended up staying for four years. Marius watched Ricus and owner Adriaan and learnt step-by-step to become a goldsmith.

There was this one time that Ricus was out of the studio and Adriaan asked Marius to make a chain. “I wanted to impress him. I have never made something like that before. I did it, and it worked. Adriaan du Toit’s attitude was ‘I can think of three ways of making it. What can you come up with?’”

Marius saved most of his money to buy tools and set up a small studio in his one bedroom flat and did a few freelance works. After four years of intense training in Franschhoek, Marius moved back to Cape Town and set up his own studio to do freelance works only and that’s what he makes his living off of today.

Marius makes classic jewellery for ‘Prins and Prinse Diamonds’ in Loop Street, solid, heavy and more feminine jewellery for ANPA jewellers in De Waterkant and Kalk Bay and has also worked for Uwe Koetter Jewellers in the past. He knows exactly what international visitors want. “German clients go for the cleaner lines, the English are into stones and Americans like more bulky and visible jewellery.” Marius is inspired by nature; he’s outside every day with dog Quini on his skateboard. “You find stars in flowers.”

Marius has worked with all kinds of materials: warthog teeth, antique materials, gold, silver, plastic, anything. “If it’s a plastic ring you want, I’ll make it.”

‘This is darme beautiful.’

For Adriaan du Toit, Marius made African bangles out of olive wood. For his own range, he makes wooden sunglasses – definitely an eye-catcher. “I make sunglasses out of ebony and olive wood. Ebony is the most dense and expensive wood you can work with. It’s also is long-lasting and a natural phenomenon.

Marius’s own designs go under his company name ‘Darme’. It’s Afrikaans slang. You can say: ‘This is darme beautiful.’ or, ‘It’s made by darme Marius.’ With the idea of one day employing other goldsmiths, he wants to give recognition to the craftsman who made the piece. Too often the person behind a piece is forgotten.

“I don’t just want to be a goldsmith; I want to be an artist and be to sell my works. I want to make more of my own designs and have a shop at some point. I don’t just want to make a sale but also to make others happy.”

by Antonia Heil | photographs by Desmond Louw
Marius Koen (goldsmith & designer) | +27 (0) 72 196 3002 | marius@darme.co.za

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- art, Cape Town -

- Mar 27, 2011 -

Tian Tang Design – Come and Draw table

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I found Tian Tang Design in one of my favourite German mags… if I would have a child, I’d get this..

“Come and Draw table aims at promoting children’s improvisational drawing in public places such as kindergartens and waiting areas. The tabletop is composed of layers of colorful paper, conveying ’playfulness’ and ‘drawing’. The round paper can encourage to share.”

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- Design, interior -

- Mar 27, 2011 -

The Tiger Mother

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My sister brought me loads of magazines from Europe… lucky me and curious me, I read about the book by Amy Chua “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother“ – very interesting… Do some research on it and read an article by the New York Times.

Amy Chua Is a Wimp

Sometime early last week, a large slice of educated America decided that Amy Chua is a menace to society. Chua, as you probably know, is the Yale professor who has written a bracing critique of what she considers the weak, cuddling American parenting style.

Chua didn’t let her own girls go out on play dates or sleepovers. She didn’t let them watch TV or play video games or take part in garbage activities like crafts. Once, one of her daughters came in second to a Korean kid in a math competition, so Chua made the girl do 2,000 math problems a night until she regained her supremacy. Once, her daughters gave her birthday cards of insufficient quality. Chua rejected them and demanded new cards. Once, she threatened to burn all of one of her daughter’s stuffed animals unless she played a piece of music perfectly.

As a result, Chua’s daughters get straight As and have won a series of musical competitions.

In her book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” Chua delivers a broadside against American parenting even as she mocks herself for her own extreme “Chinese” style. She says American parents lack authority and produce entitled children who aren’t forced to live up to their abilities.

The furious denunciations began flooding my in-box a week ago. Chua plays into America’s fear of national decline. Here’s a Chinese parent working really hard (and, by the way, there are a billion more of her) and her kids are going to crush ours. Furthermore (and this Chua doesn’t appreciate), she is not really rebelling against American-style parenting; she is the logical extension of the prevailing elite practices. She does everything over-pressuring upper-middle-class parents are doing. She’s just hard core.

Her critics echoed the familiar themes. Her kids can’t possibly be happy or truly creative. They’ll grow up skilled and compliant but without the audacity to be great. She’s destroying their love for music. There’s a reason Asian-American women between the ages of 15 and 24 have such high suicide rates.

I have the opposite problem with Chua. I believe she’s coddling her children. She’s protecting them from the most intellectually demanding activities because she doesn’t understand what’s cognitively difficult and what isn’t.

Practicing a piece of music for four hours requires focused attention, but it is nowhere near as cognitively demanding as a sleepover with 14-year-old girls. Managing status rivalries, negotiating group dynamics, understanding social norms, navigating the distinction between self and group — these and other social tests impose cognitive demands that blow away any intense tutoring session or a class at Yale.

Yet mastering these arduous skills is at the very essence of achievement. Most people work in groups. We do this because groups are much more efficient at solving problems than individuals (swimmers are often motivated to have their best times as part of relay teams, not in individual events). Moreover, the performance of a group does not correlate well with the average I.Q. of the group or even with the I.Q.’s of the smartest members.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon have found that groups have a high collective intelligence when members of a group are good at reading each others’ emotions — when they take turns speaking, when the inputs from each member are managed fluidly, when they detect each others’ inclinations and strengths.

Participating in a well-functioning group is really hard. It requires the ability to trust people outside your kinship circle, read intonations and moods, understand how the psychological pieces each person brings to the room can and cannot fit together.

This skill set is not taught formally, but it is imparted through arduous experiences. These are exactly the kinds of difficult experiences Chua shelters her children from by making them rush home to hit the homework table.

Chua would do better to see the classroom as a cognitive break from the truly arduous tests of childhood. Where do they learn how to manage people? Where do they learn to construct and manipulate metaphors? Where do they learn to perceive details of a scene the way a hunter reads a landscape? Where do they learn how to detect their own shortcomings? Where do they learn how to put themselves in others’ minds and anticipate others’ reactions?

These and a million other skills are imparted by the informal maturity process and are not developed if formal learning monopolizes a child’s time.

So I’m not against the way Chua pushes her daughters. And I loved her book as a courageous and thought-provoking read. It’s also more supple than her critics let on. I just wish she wasn’t so soft and indulgent. I wish she recognized that in some important ways the school cafeteria is more intellectually demanding than the library. And I hope her daughters grow up to write their own books, and maybe learn the skills to better anticipate how theirs will be received.
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You can buy the book at Amazon.

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- books -

- Mar 25, 2011 -