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
Chicken Tikka, not quite Caesar, salad!
It's fascinating origins It is thought that chicken tikka masala was invented by an immigrant Pakistani or Bangladeshi chef in England in the late 1960’s. By the 1980’s it was so popular it was the [...]
Spanish Paella, a delicious one pot meal
Paella (pronounced pa-ee-ya) One of the joys of travelling is eating traditional dishes. Once I have experienced a dish in its original environment it is often difficult to replicate the flavours and textures. In Spain [...]
Pissaladiere – onion foccacia from Nice, perfect for the week-end!
It's a French number ..... When visiting Nice and the surrounding area in Southern France you will most definitely taste a slice of Pissaladiere as it is a real traditional staple in that area. In [...]
Pineapple fluff – a retro dessert
Do you day dream about nostalgic foods from your past? I do! During the past 2 weeks I have had a stream of house guests, including two sets of cousins visiting from the UK. As [...]
Grilled grapes for your cheese platter
You simply have to try Grilled Grapes at least once! It was a cool evening and needed to add something interesting to the cheese board. I had read about baked grapes, but not wanting to [...]
Grape sauce for fish or poultry, my version of classic Veronique
It’s peak grape season It is amazing how our tastes in food change according with new developments. Some of you may recall when table grapes usually had tough skins and huge bitter pips! I do, [...]
Watermelon feast time!
Versatile watermelon to celebrate summer! I always feel that summer is in full swing when there is an abundance of watermelons in the shops and markets! We buy mainly from supermarkets, especially when you can [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Chicken Tikka Salad
For 6 people you need I use 9 skinless chicken breasts, each sliced horizontally into 3 flat slices When catering for a crowd I bulk up the salad by adding celery, cubed pineapple and more cucumber, and using pasta as a base, then, you can use 1 breast per person 100ml canola oil f frying [...]
Paella
To serve 8-10 generously you need For the herb blend 250ml chopped parsley Grated zest of 1 lemon Juice of 1 lemon 2 large cloves garlic crushed 30ml olive oil For the paella 750ml chicken, vegetable or fish stock (do not use cubes) About 5ml saffron threads or turmeric 10ml sweet (dolce) paprika 5ml salt [...]