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
Gammon – how to cook and some yummy ideas!
One of the most frequently asked questions I am asked at this time of the year is ..... How do I cook the gammon? Gammon is cooked in 2 stages The first, to cook the [...]
Salted Caramel Mustard
Last Christmas I gave you the recipe for the Traditional South African sweet mustard that we enjoy with smoked and cured meats. Traditional Mustard Recipe I love that mustard but this year thought I would [...]
Festive dessert – Rolled Fruit Pavlova
Christmas and Festive Feasting is less than a month away! I am sure you have also starting scribbling down a few menu ideas. Every year my menus are becoming lighter and less ‘traditional’ in the [...]
Artichoke, Avo & Chick Pea Salad
A couple of nights ago friends popped around for a light supper. The weather was uncomfortably hot so I decided to keep the meal really light. Mark grilled a few chicken kebabs on the braai [...]
Blueberry galette, inspired by my visit to the US.
Blue berries are native to the US On our recent holiday to the United States we spent some time in Maine, New England and Vermont. Seeing the ‘fall’ (the autumn) has been a bucket list [...]
Milk Tart with glazed mandarins (naartjies)
Everybody is writing about Heritage Month in South Africa so I have decided to jump onto the bandwagon before it leaves town! As the wintry rainy weather persists (thankfully) in the Cape my appetite still [...]
Cape Brandy Pudding
Cape Brandy Pudding or Tipsy Tart? Both names are appropriate. When I was a kid I rather liked the ‘naughty’ idea of eating Tipsy Tart. Needless to say the dash of brandy had no ill [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Salted Caramel Mustard
You need 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 can caramel 20ml hot English mustard powder 30-50ml good quality red wine vinegar 15ml flaked salt To prepare Combine all the above ingredients. Mix well to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt or vinegar if desired. Let the mustard stand for a [...]
Pavlova Roll, a delicious Festive Dessert
For the Pavlova you need 125ml / 4 egg whites 15 ml lemon juice 1ml salt 250ml castor sugar 15ml boiling water (for coffee flavor add 15ml good quality instant coffee or espresso) 15ml cornflour It is important to set the oven and prepare the baking tray before you begin mixing. Swiss roll pan 36x25cm. [...]