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 and Pork Terrine with Mango Salsa
Terrines and pâtés are some of my favourite foods, particularly in summer when they can be enjoyed al fresco with a glass of vino! My love affair with this style of food developed when we [...]
Tomatoes Provencale
The most successful vegetable from my garden is tomatoes! Every time a tomato does not look as fresh as I would like it, I toss it into the garden. It either adds welcome organic matter [...]
Red Potato Salad
A couple of years ago I found red and purple potatoes in our local supermarkets. At first I was intrigued by the exotic colours but what made them really special was the lovely buttery texture [...]
Gravalax update – Summer 2019 & 20!
I can’t do the summer or the Festive Season without preparing a batch of Gravalax! I am not partial to smoked foods so this is my alternative to smoked salmon. The texture and the uses [...]
Tiramisu with a twist, perfect celebration dessert!
Tiramisu, one of Italy’s favourite desserts! Most of Italy’s traditional recipes date back for centuries, but this iconic dessert is fairly young. In the 1960’s a chef in the Veneto region prepared it and it [...]
A recipe from Tuscany – Gorgonzola Sauce
At last we have summer weather in the Cape! This dish was inspired Italy and easily be accommodated in a summer or winter menu. When we were in Tuscany one of our closest villages [...]
A Taste of Tuscany – food, wine & friends!
We have frequently visited France where we always choose to spend time in a self catering establishment where we can shop at the local markets and cook our own meals. When we planned our Italian [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Tomatoes Provencale
To serve 4-6 people you need 3 or 4 large ripe tomatoes 15ml olive oil 15ml butter 2-3 cloves garlic, finely crushed About 30ml finely chopped parsley 100ml good quality olive oil About 20ml finely shredded basil Salt and milled black pepper To prepare Slice the tomatoes into 10-15mm thick slices Heat the [...]
Pork & Chicken Terrine with Mango
To serve 20 starters or 8 main courses you need About 8 pieces dried mango (or dried apricots) 50ml orange juice 1 white onion, finely chopped 1-2 garlic cloves, finely crushed About 10ml thyme leaves, stripped off the twigs 100ml white wine 500g pork mince 2 skinless chicken breasts 3ml salt 5ml coarsely ground pepper [...]