The Lollipop July 2012

Some of the Lollipops Catering staff with Dali Tambo at the People of the South promo shoot 30 June 2012

Greetings and salutations my fellow Americans…………..oops, wrong newsletter!

Howzit Everyone

Is it cold enough for you yet? Just think, the longest night has passed, means summer is on the way back. Okay we still have to get through cold, cold July and windy August but summer is just around the corner and then it is a downhill run to the end of the year (or am I getting a little ahead of myself here)
The June AuthorTalk with Sarah Graham was fabulous and very entertaining, what a lovely book bitten. is. And our Fetish and Kink Market absolutely rocked this month. Around 120 people came through the doors during the 3 hour event which went of fabulously. I had my doubts about the weather because the start of the day was gloomy and very wet but by lunchtime the sky had cleared, the sun was out and the day was magnificent! If you missed it in June then make sure you are here for 27 October! Our bonus AuthorTalk with ex Bok coach Peter De Villiers really was smash hit. Who would have thought that Peter was quite so engaging, quiet so charming and really funny actually. It was a real treat to meet him!
Big, big month happening at Indulgence this July so I am just going to plunge right in (speaking of plunging remember we have some fabulous plunger coffees for you to try out, R28 for a plunger full of robust delicious Colombian, Indian or African coffee!)

The July Calendar first:
5th Dinner at Indulgence (The first with some give away gifts on the night)
12th Dinner at Indulgence
14th AuthorTalk with a French twist
19th Dinner at Indulgence
21st Rocks and minerals talk with Justin Glanvill
26th Dinner at Indulgence

Home comforts and fabulous food

Dinner at Indulgence:

Your favourite coffee shop is opening on Thursday nights for dinner. Dinner is a three course set menu with a set starter and desert and 3 choices for the main course. The cost per head for this first evening is R100 per person. We know it is chilly so we are going to warm that patio up with heaters, a barrel fire and blankets if you need them. Your cars will be safe our car guard will be outside braving the elements. What more could you ask besides fabulous food? If this initiative proves popular then we shall start opening on more and more evenings! So help us make this happen please! As we are not licensed at this point in time please BRING YOUR OWN or BYO 🙂
The Thursday night menu will change from week to week so watch this space for a new weekly email with the menu on. There is a FB event posted if you would like to have a look :
http://www.facebook.com/events/429645730400592/

Booking is essential!
After some in depth thought, a huge challenge, in my case this is how dinner is going to happen………………..just to reiterate ……………
There will be one starter, choice of three mains and one dessert and the cost………….R100 per head! Dinner is from 6pm, no service after 8.30pm………….hope you are all still going to come.
The menu is as follows:
Leek and potato soup
Red Thai chicken curry with jasmine rice/beef and baby onion casserole/Potato and chickpea curry with rice
Dessert is warm chocolate brownie and cream

The latest offering from Amanda Coetzee, her second book Redemption Song

AuthorTalk:
This month’s author is a foreigner, she comes all the way from England via Rustenburg and is coming through specially to chat to us about her book that is only launching in July, so this one really is hot off the press. This is Amanda Coetzee’s second book, her first is called Bad Blood. Her second book, Redemption Song, a crime thriller, is the one she is coming to tell us alllllllllll about. This is a special AuthorTalk for a couple of reasons, one being the book only launches in July, the other being that it is the French holiday Bastille Day. I know that means absolutely nothing to any of us but it is just one more reason to eat fabulous French style food. So the lunch specials for the 14th of July will be the mussels in cream, wine and garlic with home baked brown bread, deep fried Camembert with berry coulis and a toasted bagel, French onion soup with a cheese crouton and a hearty seafood stew!
Redemption Song:
She thought she would stop breathing. Looking back, she wished she had …Dark, enigmatic hero Harry O’Connor, aka Badger, is on long leave from the London Metropolitan Police Force, living once more among the Traveller community he grew up with as he heals physically and mentally from the strains of his last case. When social worker Emily Meadows calls with news of a mother and daughter trapped in the clutches of a brutal Albanian warlord named Jak Kraja, Badger sets off on a mission to free them. When Badger tries to escape with his charges, things start to go horribly wrong. As Kraja’s net tightens, Badger turns to former police colleagues and the mysterious Albanian Traveller community for help. Badger must pit every ounce of his skills, wit and strength against a wily enemy and his henchmen as a thrilling race for survival unfolds.
About the author:
When she isn’t writing crime thrillers, Amanda Coetzee works as a deputy headmistress. She grew up in Bedford, England, and now lives in Rustenburg with her husband and son. Redemption Song is Amanda’s second novel after her acclaimed debut crime thriller Bad Blood.

This is a regular AuthorTalk so pretty please remember to bring along some books, at least one to swap and one to donate. Please bring along books that are actually worth having. By which I mean in good condition and not just good for recycling. It is all well and good to bring along books that you no longer want but they do need to be books that someone else may want to read and it doesn’t help if they are falling apart. (My soap box moment!) The author will start at 2pm promptly.

Justin Glanvill and the late fabulous Finn who Amiga terrorized at Emmarentia Park relentlessly. Poor guy didn’t know what had hit him with this older woman!

Mineral Talk:
On the 21st of July Justin Glanvill, a very well respected local geologist will be coming along to talk to us about rocks! Not the ones in your spouse’s head but those you find lying on the ground, in the ground and cascading down the side of a mountain. Justin is going to talk about the local rocks, minerals and crystals of South Africa. He is bringing along some samples and you are welcome to raise the “fracking” topic with him as well. I have asked him to bring me a handful of diamonds and rubies with a (s)pot of gold but so far my pleas are falling on deaf ears! Please join us for this free talk on Saturday 21st July at 2pm. Bring along a few of your rocks that you would like identified or you find interesting and would like to show the rest of us. Adult show and tell, no take your mind out the gutter now! 2pm and the regular menu is available! That is Justin in the pic with his boy Finn, who sadly is no longer with us. He was huge friends with Amiga and she used to terrorize the poor youngster all the time!

What’s Coming up?
That pretty much wraps up June at Indulgence Cafe but before I go I have to tell you a bit about events in August because before you blink it will be here and I won’t have dangled the carrot yet! I have no doubt that you are in some shape or form aware of who Jenny Crwys-Williams is, what I am not sure about is if you have heard of the events she organizes called The Bloody Book week. What happens is that Jenny brings together a whole bunch of writers both fiction and non-fiction to talk crime writing. Most are local writers and journalists but some hail from over the seas. Well this year, your very own Indulgence Cafe had been chosen to host a couple of the events to in the first week end of August we have Trevor Corbett, Andrew Brown, Michael Connelly and Jeffrey Deaver coming………….you read that right, I promise! So watch this space and keep an eye out for the advertising for The Bloody Book week which is just starting to happen and make sure you have booked your spot for at least one of the two events we are hosting!
Also happening in August is our Rhino talk and that is shaping up very nicely with a couple of guest speakers, some ceramics, some art and very possibly someone from the Lawrence Anthony Foundation to talk about him, his work and his last book, The Last Rhinos. Very exciting stuff happening around here

Feel free to follow us on twitter @indulgence_cafe
or follow Amiga on twitter @amigafriedman

We have a couple of pages on FB that you are really very welcome to go and like. There are always pictures, jokes and interesting tidbits being posted to them
find them at:
facebook.com/theindulgencecafe
facebook.com/lollipopscatering
facebook.com/lollipopscakes

Thanks so much for spending the past 20 minutes with me! Please make sure you introduce yourself because we cannot wait to feed you
Happy week end and stay warm!
Love ‘n Lollipops
Mandi

A few pics from the past month: Fetish Market Pictures are courtesy of Adele Horn Pet Photography

Picture care of Adele Horn of Adele Horn Pet Photography http://www.adelehorn.co.za

Picture care of Adele Horn of Adele Horn Pet Photography http://www.adelehorn.co.za

Picture care of Adele Horn of Adele Horn Pet Photography http://www.adelehorn.co.za

Picture care of Adele Horn of Adele Horn Pet Photography http://www.adelehorn.co.za

Picture care of Adele Horn of Adele Horn Pet Photography http://www.adelehorn.co.za

Hellllooooooooooo Kitty Cupcakes

Mountain climbers do it differently

Ex Springbok coach Peter De Villiers chatted to us about his career and his book, Politically Incorrect

Sarah Graham chatting to us about her blog and her fabulous cookbook, bitten.

Hello All My Sh…

Hello All My Shivering and Cold Friends!

 

We were basking in a glorious late summer most of the way through May when suddenly Jack Frost stamped his foot and said enough of this. So winter has finally descended on us. We are lucky in Johannesburg that even though it is blisteringly cold in the mornings and evenings the sun comes out during the day, the skies are blue and we have the luxury of shedding a few layers of clothing. (Just thinking to myself that that’s all fine and dandy whilst I write this letter but guaranteed the day after I send it gray skies will clog the skies are far as the eye can see. Hope not!)

Remember last month I said you weren’t invited for Mother’s Day as I was going to be cooking prawns for my mum at home, well we did eat fabulous prawns, just not at home. Decided after a really busy week at work to take mum to Tsunami at Rosebank and eat there. It was     delicious. I did, just after we sat down, call the manager to ask him if our waitress was fabulous with a smiling face as I really wanted my mum to have a fabulous Tsunami  Mother’s day experience. Lo and behold when our waitress ventured back to the table a few minutes later she was the proud winner of the Miss Radiance and Smiles completion and the service was 100% perfect!

Amiga met the food critic Spiced Weasel a few weeks ago and she asked if I would show everyone the picture of these two famous personalities together. It is a great pic after all and they are both very good looking.

 Given that it is a little on the chilly side and your blankets, woolens, gloves and heaters are on now, why not consider a little soup! Our freezer is starting to fill up with a variety of soups. In stock at the moment are Oxtail, Leek and Potato, Sundried Tomato and Butternut. In buckets of just over 1 liter they are a fabulous steal at R40 for vegetable based soups and R50 for meat based ones! Also in the freezer are a variety of meals for you to stock up on and take home. Just pop in the oven or the microwave and in a handful of minutes you have a meal fit for the Royal family to eat! Reasonably priced as well.

 

How are you doing? Anything fabulous happening in your life that you think you should be shouting from the roof tops and telling the world about? No? What boring lives you lead! Let me invite you into my parlour and make your life just a little bit more exciting this coming June!

What is happening at Indulgence this month?

 The calendar at a glance:

9^th AuthorTalk with Sarah Graham

14th Pieter De Villiers& Gavin Rich with Politically Incorrect

23^rd Fetish and Kink Flea market

 

In some breaking news, Indulgence will open one evening a week from the beginning of July. To start this experiment off we are going to open Thursday evenings from 18h00 till about 21h00. There will be  simple 3 course menu available, with a choice of 3 starters, 3 mains and three desserts and this menu will change weekly to generate some excitement! There will of course be a choice of a red meat a white meat or fish and a vegetarian dish. We will also suggest to you what wine to drink with each week’s menu, which you are welcome to bring along with you. We are in the process of applying for a liquor license but these things take a longggggggggggggg time.  The cost of the meal is as yet undetermined but will definitely still be less expensive than eating in a fancy restaurant or steak house. The regular menu will not be available at for the moment. We will make the patio toasty warm with the curtains closed, the heaters on, blankets available and car park security! Thursday night cooking will become a thing of the past with our wholesome food available to you in the evenings. What more could you want!

 

 

 

AuthorTalk:

This month’s AuthorTalk on the 9^th of June is a pleasant change. Instead of murder, mayhem, racism, crime and corruption we are having a delightful cookbook for a change! It does look delightful. And of course we are going to be giving one or two away on the day. How can you not want to come and spend the afternoon with us!

Our Author and creator of said gorgeous cookbook is Sarah Graham and the book itself is called “bitten.” …………small b, yes that was not a typo on my part

bitten.

is a fun, funky, relevant recipe book for twenty- and thirty something’s who love life, love food, love their friends, and love to squeeze the last drop from their time and money.

 

It is a collection of simple, down-to-earth and healthy, no-mess-no-fuss recipes that almost anyone can cook. A companion of convenience, the blog-themed writing style ensures that the writer / reader relationship is established right off the bat.

 

bitten. is a quirky cross between a food memoir and a cookbook with un-intimidating recipes.

 

Besides delicious dishes, bitten. features handy hints for the novice and reluctant cook, cooking and baking tips, and kitchen and baking starter kits. Also included is a useful ‘Meals for a Month’ guide that takes the guesswork out of the eternal question ‘What should I cook tonight?’ Each dish in this nifty guide is complemented with a wine suggestion to help round off the perfect meal.

 

Sarah Graham loves food and cooking, and believes anyone can cook delicious food. She attended the Chefs Warehouse and Cookery School and started a food blog in May 2010. With just over 60,000 unique visits since its inception, Sarah has received feedback from the US to Australia. As a popular blogger, she has featured on the Getaway Blog and Food24. Sarah is the marketing manager of African Impact, a successful and award-nominated voluntourism / gap-year travel organisation.

Sarah can also be found on twitter @foodieliveshere

So please come and join us for this fun AuthorTalk. As always bring along your two books, one to swap and one to donate and in February next year we will donate the entire collection to Animals In Distress. Please be seated by 13h30 and the author will begin at 2pm or very close to it! (dress warm we are on the patio!)

SECOND AUTHOR TALK!! Sudden big score for us! We have managed to book the ex Springbok Coach Pieter De Villliers and the writer Gavin Rich to come chat to us about Pieter’s autobiography, Politically Incorrect! Alas the only day I could book this is on Thursday 14th of June at 13h30. So sneak out of work, and come have lunch with us. R85 will get you in the door, includes a meaty lunch (we will have a chicken and vegetarian option as well.) AND we are throwing in a free and gratis beer to top the whole event off! How can you miss out! Please book with me so I know how many to cater for! 011 782 5063

 Fetish & Kink Flea Market:

On the 23^rd of June we will hold out quarterly market that is not for the faint of heart nor for under 18’s! Our Fetish & Kink Market is really growing nicely, we have some fabulous stores stocking some really “fascinating” items as well some of the more regular things like ladies tights! If nothing else you will see things you have never seen before as well as meet a whole bunch of really amazing people with some very interesting stories to tell! You are encouraged to hang around for a while and enjoy coffee and cake with us or order a meal off the menu. There will be a fire burning brightly in the parking lot to keep you warm once the afternoon sets in, the heaters will be on and the market after this one will only be in another 3 months time, so you REALLY don’t want to miss this one!

2-5pm if you are brave enough! I am hoping that the authors of the Lolly Jackson Book will also join us on the day with some copies of their book for sale and also to add a little more colour to our already exciting event!

 

Future News:

Just a quick heads up about events happening over the next few months. A very exciting thing, well for me at least, was an invitation from Jenny Crwys-Williams to take part in the Bloody Book Week Events the runs. I have requested a few really interesting people and a couple of very well known international authors to grace our doors and regale you with their bloody tales!  So that is very, very exciting but only happens at the beginning of August so hold onto your hats for now.  In July we have our annual Christmas in July lunch on about the 29^th. I think for once this doesn’t actually clash with the 702 Walk the Talk so traffic won’t be so hectic and the roads easier to navigate to here!  On the 14^th of July I am going to attempt a “French “ style meal to tie in with Bastille Day, the day that commemorates the storming of the famous prison, the Bastille in Paris during the French Revolution. This meal in conjunction with an AuthorTalk should make for a really fun event! Justin Glanvill is coming in at the end of July to talk South African rocks and minerals, with a bit on fracking and in August we are having a “RHINO” talk with some fabulous rhino ceramics on sale; proceeds of which with go towards saving the rhino. So great happenings are afoot, don’t miss outJ

 

Please feel free to follow us on any of the following sites:

Indulgence Café     http://www.facebook.com/theIndulgencecafe

Lollipops Catering http://www.facebook.com/lollipopscatering

Lollipop’s Cakes http://www.facebook.com/lollipopscakes

Subscribe to the Lollipops and Me blog http://networkedblogs.com/urqWj

Follow us on Twitter @indulgence_cafe

Follow Amiga on Twitter @AmigaFriedman

 

Love ‘n Lollipops

Mandi Friedman

Lollipops Catering

 

“Food, Passion, Life”

 

Tel: 011 782 5063  Fax: 0866 33 9331 Cell: 082 895 3698

Indulgence Coffee Cafe, 1 Mount Dev, 225 Beyers Naude Drive, Northcliff ext 5

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