Indholdsfortegnelse for Christmas 2025 i Woolworths TASTE

IT'S BEEN A YEAR. I share our wonderful columnist Sam Woulidge's description of it as “overwhelming”. And as Christmas races towards us, trailing fairy lights, I just hope it will be gentle. This year's extra anxiety might be because, thanks to the guilt that comes with parenting an only child, I finally became something I never thought I would be: a dog person. What we didn't know when we brought our puppy home was that Dachshunds will bark at a passing breeze, turn into Cujo at the whiff of a bone, and won't leave the house if it is drizzling. Winter was a challenge. “We didn't know Dachshunds bark at a passing breeze and turn into Cujo at the whiff of a bone” There were also two car accidents (both…

THE GRAND OPENING Consider this our early present to you: a meticulously curated gift selection to help you nail Secret Santa at the office, Christmas Eve with the in-laws – and every other unwrapping in between THE TOP TIER Premium cast-iron cookware, real-deal Spanish charcuterie and designer cheese curlers are guaranteed to please the select few that made it onto your extra-nice list R 1000 PLUS THE BEST GUEST Spoil the food nerds in your life with EVOO that looks even better than it tastes, panettone straight from the source and Fairtrade coffee to sip in the afterglow of the grand opening THE NEAR & DEAR Pave the way for a peaceful family holiday with some fancy shortbread for dad, a special gift set for gran and a couple of DIY…

Norwegian langoustines (R999/kg) Harvested using pots and traps – the most sustainable of fishing methods – the sweet, sea-fresh flavour and delicate texture of the meat needs minimal embellishment. Pan-fry with butter, garlic and a splash of brandy, then flambé as you bring them to the table. Norwegian brown crab (R1 399/kg) Considered a responsible seafood choice due to selective trapping that safeguards young and eggcarrying crabs, it's also a pretty damn tasty one. Boil with a splash of white wine and a bay leaf, then toss the meat with ClemenGoldzested browned butter. Our Best Ever smoked and dry-aged salmon (R3 499 for 1.25 kg) Norwegian salmon, hand-cured with sea salt and sugar, then hung and smoked over oak, makes for an impressive centrepiece. For extra credit, carve dramatically at…

Semi-hard 1. Oak-smoked Stanford by Klein River Farmstead Cold-smoking this four-month aged cheese using oak shavings from old wine barrels imbues it with the flavour that has twice won it the title of Best Smoked Cheese at the World Cheese Awards. Semi-hard 2. Overberg by Klein River Farmstead Hand-produced using pasteurised cow's milk, this five-month-aged, washed-curd, Gouda-style cheese has a creamy texture and rounded, savoury flavours on the palate. Semi-hard 3. 10-month matured Gouda by Lactalis Thanks to slight crystal development, this Gouda has the typical, slightly crunchy mouthfeel of an extra-matured cheese, with a sweet, nutty flavour and creamy finish. Blue 4. Botham's Cremezola blue cheese by Fairview This full-fat, semi-soft blue mould cheese is matured for four-and-a-half months, giving it a sharp, spicy taste that's tempered by a…

Make a honey syrup by mixing equal amounts of local honey – we like Woolies' seasonal fynbos honey – and boiling water. Allow to cool. Combine 2 T of the honey syrup* with 2 T gold rum and 1 T fresh lime juice. Pour into a champagne glass or a tumbler (with ice) and top with icy cold Méthode Cap Classique or sparkling wine. Garnish with a slice or twist of lime. Serves 1 * The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and can be used in other cocktails such as a honey daiquiri (rum, syrup, fresh lime) or a bee's knees (gin, lemon juice, syrup). Enjoy!…

“Cherries are popping up everywhere, from fashion fabrics to homeware embossing and in food, they are being used in ways that combine their sweetness with their unique acidity and depth. Perfect in retro-classic desserts – think upside-down pineapple cake studded with Maraschinos or a collapsed chocolate riff on a Black Forest – and they're great in cocktails too, bringing sweet-tart balance to festive favourites like glazed gammon and roast duck. However you use them, cherries are having a moment, and we're here for it.” CHERRY CORDIAL “This refreshing cordial is perfect for summer spritzes, mocktails and cocktails – add to chilled MCC or whisky sours and negronis.” Makes 2 cups EASY GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes ripe cherries 1 kg, stoned sugar 200 g lemon zest 2 t lemon juice ¼…

BEEF RIB ROAST WITH BÉARNAISE “There are a few things everyone should know how to make, and this recipe features not one, but two of them. A good steak (even if it's a roast), and a béarnaise sauce. Mastering these techniques will leave you feeling like a top chef.” Serves 10 EASY Preparation: 40 minutes, plus overnight chilling time Cooking: 1 hour 45 minutes beef rib roast 4 kg sea salt and freshly ground rainbow pepper, to taste rosemary 3 sprigs For the béarnaise sauce: white wine vinegar ¼ cup bay leaf 1 peppercorns 10 fresh tarragon 1 sprig, plus 2 T chopped shallot 1, thinly sliced free-range egg yolks 3 ghee 180 g, melted salt, to taste 1 Remove any excess fat from the rib roast, or ask your Woolies butcher to do this for you. 2 Place the…

FOOD IS MEMORY and often serves as a repository for the stories we carry. This couldn't be truer for Tasmin Reed, the head chef and co-owner – with her partner Nick Melvin – of Melfort restaurant on Marianne Wine Estate, just outside Stellenbosch. The restaurant is named for her grandfather's farm in Mazowe, Zimbabwe, where he cultivated fruit and vegetables, raised livestock and, most importantly, where the family gathered to enjoy the fruits of their labour around the table. The Mazowe farm is no longer in the family, but the memories of that place – and what it meant to Tasmin and her family – are deeply ingrained in who they are. And these collective memories are the golden threads of the story she's telling at the new Melfort. “I was…

”Women of a certain age like to walk up – up hills, up mountains. We need the ardour and the reach. Every day that I walk with my dog, Mojo, on the mountain or in the forest, I know this to be true. This kind of walking upwards is not necessarily about striving to reach the top. It is more about letting go of daily preoccupations, treading with a meditative rhythm and looking up. Beholding! As I look to the splendour before me, I gain perspective on what is true and essential. Mostly, living is about love and listening. When I look upwards, I know that it is possible for us to live simply and well. We need vegetables. We need to make our own and be less dependent on…

FLORENTINE-AND-BROWN BUTTER ICE-CREAM SANDWICHES “The Florentines and ice cream can be made two days in advance, so all you have to do is assemble the sandwiches after lunch – or let everyone have fun making their own.” – Abigail Donnelly Serves 6 A LITTLE EFFORT GREAT VALUE Preparation: 25 minutes Baking: 15 minutes For the brown butter ice cream: butter 100 g milk ¾ cup vanilla pod 1, seeded  brown sugar 100 g salt a pinch free-range egg yolks 6 cream 2½ cups For the Florentines: cornflakes 50 g slivered almonds 100 g  glacé cherries 100 g, chopped condensed milk ½ cup, plus 2 T 1 To make the ice cream, place the butter in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until nutty and brown. Allow to cool. 2 Add the milk, vanilla seeds,…

@WWTaste Each week, we drop pro tips, smart kitchen hacks, Woolies' new arrivals, and our muchloved meal planner. In November, that planner is in the hands of deputy food editor Khanya Mzongwana, who's cooked up a budget-friendly menu that proves canned ingredients mean big flavour. This isn't a “use what's in the back of the cupboard and hope for the best” line-up. Khanya has created recipes such as sardine rigatoni with blistered tomatoes, and sweetcorn chilli pakoras with curry mayo – it's comfort food with serious flair, plus it's kind on your wallet. She's also sharing her go-to hacks that make getting dinner on the table a little more joyful. And naturally, this menu is exclusive to newsletter subscribers, so sign up or miss out.…

“POMMES ANNA” POTATO STACK The OG: “Anna's potatoes” (pommes Anna) first made its appearance in the 19th century at Paris's Café Anglais. The update: Woolies' version is portioned into rectangles with a waterjet cutter, which ensures maximum crispy, golden edges when baked. FREE-RANGE BEEF WELLINGTON The OG: Created in 1815 in honour of the Duke of Wellington and brought back with a bang in the 1960s by the White House Kennedys and Julia Child, the Wellington had a resurgence in popularity during the pandemic, when it became the special-occasion food delivery of choice (who knew?). The update: Made with free-range beef fillet, topped with mushroom duxelles and encased in latticed all-butter puff pastry, the Woolies remake goes from freezer to oven to “Ta-dah!” in an hour. CAESAR SALAD The OG:…

1 PANETTONE STUFFING Whether you serve it with roast turkey, porchetta or to yourself by the bowlful, this is the stuffing that keeps on giving. Chop and sauté leeks, onions and garlic, then add diced portabellini mushrooms, followed by the meat from a couple of pork bangers. Stir through dried cubes of panettone. Add flaked pecans or almonds if you like, too. 2 PANETTONE ICE CREAM Purists can crumble panettone into a vanilla custard base while the ice cream machine churns. Or you could whip a tub of Madagascan vanilla in a stand mixer (with the paddle), fold through panettone cubes and refreeze. Either way, it's next level. 3 PANETTONE CROQUE MONSIEUR Put that leftover gammon to good use the morning after with that other French breakfast classic. Butter and toast slices of…

For smoked cheeses Lightly oaked wines like Pinotage are suited to smoked cheeses. The cheese's creamy, nutty profile complements the wine's smooth tannins. Try: Woolworths 100-year Celebration Pinotage Blend For goat's cheeses Light-bodied reds like Cinsault or Grenache are graceful partners to goat's cheese. Serve chilled to highlight their interplay of texture and flavour. Try: Woolworths Raspberry Grenache For aged cheeses Rich reds pair well with mature cheeses such as 10-month-aged Gouda. Cabernet Sauvignon's dark fruit complements nutty sweetness. Try: Woolworths Signature Cabernet Sauvignon For blue cheeses Lightly wooded Chardonnays enhance the tang of mild blues such as Botham's Cremezola. The wine's vibrant acidity refreshes the palate. Try: Capensis Silene Chardonnay…

Overwhelmed. This is how I felt in 2025. And not in a good way. In the anxious way. It wasn't all the time, sometimes it just simmered. Barely contained, but manageable. And sometimes the fear formed into fury that was hard to contain. Not ideal. But despite this, the year wasn't bad, or particularly unhappy, in fact there were some truly special times with some truly special people. A 45 km walking trail from the Kosi Lakes near the Mozambican border all the way to Sodwana Bay, where the food was prepared by a French Michelin-star chef – think morning pain au chocolat and suppers of home-made pasta and perfectly grilled crayfish. A wonderful trip to Greece, where I ate my sun-saturated body weight in feta. A weekend for two…

Come with us as we follow our favourite private chef, Megan Kate Swan, as she creates a Christmas menu that achieves the impossible: lets you enjoy Christmas. The secret? All the heavy lifting is done ahead, with dishes that practically cook themselves, leaving you to scatter pink strawberries and rose petals around the table, basking in smug-host glory MAKE-AHEAD MOMENT Mix and fry ahead, then simply reheat until crisp on the day. “There's something about the festive season that makes every home feel full of possibility. Twinkling lights, laughter, the smell of something roasting… But even for the best of us hosting can still feel a little ambitious. The thing is, it doesn't have to be. As a private chef, I've learned that real magic happens in what I call make-ahead…

Bougie bite Thread Woolworths' peeled prawns, thinly sliced radishes and lime wedges onto cocktail skewers. Drizzle with lime juice and olive oil, then season with salt. Bougie bite Top a bite-sized cube of 10-month-aged white Cheddar with a green olive and an anchovy fillet. Secure with a cocktail skewer. Bougie bite Top cubes of fresh melon with a small piece of Woolworths' sheep's-milk feta. Drizzle lightly with honey. Bougie bite Top Woolworths' farmer's salted crisps with a spoonful of trout pearls. Serve alongside the cocktail for a salty, savoury match. AGUA “Presented as a glass of water on clear ice, this clarified milk punch is anything but ordinary. Tequila, mezcal, coconut cream, mango, roasted habanero and lime are transformed through clarification, creating a silky, tropical drink with subtle heat and…

“I'm obsessed with letting the people I love know that I love them. And my medium has always been food, whether it's in the form of Uber-couriered containers of fragrant curry delivered to friends who couldn't make dinner in time, leftovers from one of my food shoots or a slice of cake left on a neighbour's doorstep. This Christmas I have decided to make these gifts of food more intentional, so I'm making a concerted effort to make things from scratch that I know my people will adore. The pickled oranges are mouth-wateringly delicious – pleasantly tart, bursting with herby, dill-y sweetness and perfect paired with a mild cheese such as buffalo mozzarella. And then I pickled rosebuds for the first time, and I have to say, I was pleasantly…

“I love leaning into the season (and a theme!) when I'm entertaining, which is what this summer taco party is all about. Featuring fresh flavours, crisp and soft taco options and my favourite zingy, punchy sides, these easy recipes are as much fun to assemble as they are to eat! Taco parties are all about the prep, so once you've made your favourite fillings, salsas and sides, the rest is a (warm summer's) breeze.” – Donna Hay On the Menu Lime and coriander crispy fish tacos Crispy fish tacos with a zingy lime and coriander kick Smoky pork and charred pineapple tacos Gently spiced pork meets charry pineapple Crispy chipotle chicken tacos A baked-until-crisp tortilla filled with cheesy, smoky chicken Passionfruit and coconut three milk cake The spongiest cake soaked…

“A tower of seafood is always a good idea” BEEF RIB-EYE WITH TRUFFLE-AND-BONE MARROW SAUCE “Rich and decadent, this is a real treat to serve as part of the main course alongside the gammon or chicken.” Serves 6 EASY Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: 2 hours For the truffle-and-bone marrow sauce: bone marrow 300 g olive oil 4 T salt, to taste onion 1, halved bay leaves 8 tomato paste 2 T truffle oil 2 T truffle paste 3 T (find this at specialty delis) cream 1 cup cold butter 2 T beef rib-eye on the bone 1 kg, at room temperature freshly ground black pepper, to taste Woolworths Wagyu fat 6 T 1 To make the sauce, preheat the oven to 180°C. Drizzle the bone marrow with olive oil, season with salt and roast for 45 minutes. 2 Place the roasted…

Woolworths OBE spanakopita, R399.99 for 1 kg.…

Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP Aged Drizzle onto your favourite cheeses or slices of seasonal fruit, or make a balsamic mule by shaking with whisky, ginger beer, fresh basil and ice. TOSS CHILLI CRUNCH WITH POTATOES AND ROAST Miso Tasty sweet-and-savoury miso glaze Spread on salmon sides, then finish with spring onion and sesame seeds after grilling, or use to glaze chipolatas for a quick cocktail snack. Woolworths pitted green olives with tangerine and chilli For instant aperitivo vibes, blitz these pitted olives with orange zest and capers, and spread onto crostini. Or simply pop one or two – with a bit of the brine – into your dirty margarita. Maille wholegrain mustard Whiz into home-made mayo, whisk into salad dressings, or combine with honey and cider for a quickfire…

Find these recipes at taste.co.za.…

My family once ate Christmas lunch at a prison. It's a memory I treasure. But first, I want to clarify that no one in my family was incarcerated. We are law-abiding citizens – but we're also citizens who choose not to cook on Christmas Day. My mom makes the same declaration every year: “We cook for ourselves most of the year, so on Christmas Day, we rest.” This powerful statement from the family matriarch holds our family's Christmas tradition together. The mandate is clear: put down your own pots and pans and find a place that hosts a buffet-style lunch on Christmas Day. That could be a hotel, a casino, a game lodge or, on this occasion, an actual prison. On Christmas morning, we don our meticulously curated outfits, bundle…

The day before Start with the desserts and chilled dishes Pistachio-and-rose tiramisu Make the syrup, whip the mascarpone and cream, assemble the layers, then chill overnight.  Potato-and-Gruyère gratin Slice the potatoes, layer with the cream and cheese, bake covered halfway, cool, refrigerate.  Radish-and-grape butter terrine Layer the butter, radishes and grapes, season, press and chill overnight. Marinate and prep the proteins Lamb shoulder Rub with garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, then marinate.  Prawn toast Blend the prawn mixture and chill. You can also fry in advance and reheat the next day. Overnight cooking ▶ Lamb shoulder Slowly roast the marinated lamb overnight. Early morning on the day Protein and finishing touches Roast trout Roast the fish, prepare the salsa verde and vinaigrette, then cool.  Finish the potato gratin Add…

“There have always been so many big feelings around brunch, with people either hating the concept (why, guys?) or being completely obsessed with the idea of a breakfast that could go on until well past lunchtime. I'm in the latter camp; I'm a millennial after all, and like most things in pop culture, it feels like brunch belongs to us. To me, a good brunch requires a little love and, if you care deeply about the experience, at least some level of effort. Like the lamb dhania Scotch eggs for example, which are such a rewarding, tasty thing to make – and will make you very popular with your guests. Plus, I had to start this menu with mabele or ipapa emuncu (sour porridge); this was me and my grandmother's…

CAULIFLOWER-AND-DATE ATCHAR “Atchar is traditional – but I like to give my version a playful twist. Cauliflower brings crunch, dates add a gentle sweetness and together they become something you'll want on everything from bread to beans. Even my kids approve, and that's saying something!” Makes about 1 litre EASY GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes medium cauliflower 1, cut into small florets (about 600 g) mustard oil ½ cup (or use vegetable oil) black mustard seeds 2 t fenugreek seeds 1 t cumin seeds 1 t ginger 1 thumb, grated garlic 4 cloves, crushed green chillies 2–3, sliced (or to taste) ground turmeric 1 T paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder 2 T salt 2 t (or to taste) white vinegar ½ cup lemon 1, juiced pitted dates 75 g, chopped 1 Blanch the cauliflower in boiling salted water for 2…

On the only occasion I've attempted a peek through the doors of Belcanto – Lisbon's constant on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list since 2019 – they were hastily shut in my face. This by its front-of-house team, as it ushered in a twinset-and-pearls American couple, both fawning in accents not unlike Parker Posey's in The White Lotus in their excitement at finally being there. For many foodies, Lisbon is synonymous with Belcanto, the establishment at the apex of executive chef José Avillez's empire. Last year, Portugal achieved its highest tourism figures to date, welcoming close on 32 million visitors and generating over €25 billion in revenue. Naturally, the decade-long tourism boom has resulted in the rapid growth of restaurants across Lisbon. From the narrow streets of the historic Alfama…