FRESH FROM THE BLOG
From the Kitchen
Preparing food in my home has been my foremost passion. I thrive on reading and researching what is fresh, locally produced and delicious, designing a menu, preparing it and serving it in the most beautiful and appetizing way possible. The joy that I have in sharing beautiful and delicious food with our friends and family cannot always be expressed in words….. but, I will try to do so!
I will include what is new and on trend in both ingredients and equipment, and of course who is influencing and tantalizing my palate via books, blogs or restaurants. There is so much to share and write about.
Dining In & Out
Enjoying food prepared by others is part of our pleasurable indulgences! We are privileged to be surrounded by some of the best restaurants in South Africa, but we don’t only dine out at so-called fine dining establishments. I am always seeking the best we can find, be it a burger, fish and chips or a hearty curry. I am not an enthusiastic baker, but a cozy coffee shop with unusual pastries and delicious cakes attracts my attention.
This is not a forum for reviewing occasions or restaurants, but it is one for sharing new experiences, flavours, textures and environments that inspire.
Travel & Adventure
The joy of retirement is that we are able to often slip away to local places of interest for a few days. At least once a year we try to get away to an interesting international location. Gourmet tourism fascinates us. Our trips are carefully planned to explore the food and wine of the area. We also enjoy the environment and cultural experiences, and of course these factors often impact on the local cuisine.
I usually bring my travel taste experiences back home and they often impact on my cooking style.
Wine & Accessories
My husband Mark, and I share an interest in wine. We both have independently completed various Certificates and Diplomas in Wine and only recently reduced our wine book library to about 1600 books!
We belong to a number of wine tasting groups, where we have the opportunity to formally taste and explore many wines and styles. We regularly spend a few informal hours tasting what is new in the magnificent Cape Winelands. In addition to this, we always taste and study the wines wherever we travel. We even found a rather delicious Chenin Blanc in Thailand!
Here I will share some of these vineous adventures with you.
From the Garden
My inspiration in the kitchen often comes from the garden. I am motivated to start cooking when I harvest a bowl of freshly picked tomatoes or a handful of crisp spinach, herb or kale leaves, but more about that as the seasons progress.
The flower garden also impacts on our meals as I always stroll around the garden to see what is available before I plan my table setting. Other than on the roses, I do not use insecticides, so edible flowers are used.
I love visiting gardens on my travels. The formal gardens of Europe and the exotic Asian gardens fascinate me.
LATEST FROM THE BLOG
Mushroom Miso Soup
As the days are becoming cooler my appetite for hearty soups increases. Soups can easily be a source of hidden calories in the form of rib sticking carbs or lashings of cream so I’m always [...]
Biscotti with Pecans and Chai Spices
It’s a complete fluke that I took to baking on Sunday 17th May 2020…. World Baking Day! Biscotti, another memory from Italy. These crisp biscuits originated in Tuscany where they are traditionally dipped in a [...]
Grilled Tuna Steak with Sauce Vierge
Light, fresh and healthy! I feel that oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, yellowtail or tuna all deserve a fresh light sauce. As you know my choice of flavour usually veers towards [...]
It’s time to harvest your olives!
In April / May we harvest olives in the Southern Hemisphere! When I designed my Mediterranean style garden 20 years ago I enthusiastically planted 3 olive trees. They do look beautiful and with the pencil [...]
Lemon Curd Cake
It’s citrus season and everyone is looking for lemon recipes! This is one of my favourite cakes as it bridges the boundaries of cake and dessert. It is super moist with a delicious curd-like layer [...]
Creamy Rice Pudding with Indian Flavours
Perfect for cooler weather..... I happened to have an extra cup of cooked white rice so I threw the calorie counter out and made rice pudding! This recipe is far from the traditional ‘English’ style [...]
Appam, a Light, Lacy Rice Flour Pancake
When we visited India about 8 years ago we spent a few days at a lovely resort on an Island in the back waters of Kerala. The island was planted with spices and we went [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Mushroom Miso Soup
For 4 servings you need 20ml butter or oil 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped 200g chopped brown mushrooms 1 clove garlic 20ml chopped parsley 500ml mushroom stock (I use 2 Porcini stock cubes mixed with 500ml water or Woolies Mushroom stock in Tetrapack or Woolies concentrated Mushroom Stock Sachets) 500ml vegetable stock [...]
Biscotti with Pecans and Chai Spices
For about 60 thinly sliced biscuits you need A large baking tray lined with a sheet of baking paper 500ml self raising cake flour (if you don’t have self raising add 10ml baking powder) Extra plain flour for shaping 250ml castor sugar 3ml salt 5ml ground cardamom 10ml ground cinnamon 10ml ground ginger 2ml ground [...]