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
Salmon or Trout with a Korean Glaze
Salmon or trout coated with a gingery miso glaze and grilled or baked is one of my favourites, but I took this one step further by changing my glaze to be gochujang based. Why gochujang? [...]
Quinoa Salad with a ‘Green dressing’ and Avo
In the summer I try to replace heavier carb based salads with lighter grain salads. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is currently my favourite grain. It has been around in South America for centuries where it was [...]
Summer Salads
Salad savvy and 4 easy salads Salads can be appetizing and exciting or boringly old fashioned! When planning your salad menu consider variation in colour, texture, nutritional balance and flavour. Also consider how the salad [...]
Gammon with a Korean twist and cooked in 30 minutes!
Instead of the usual recipe I decided to use a Barbeque Korean Beef Rib recipe and I cooked it in the pressure cooker. What a success! The Korean flavours worked so well with the smoked [...]
Chilli Con Carne, Chilli Beef
My friends and family will exclaim: “What? She never eats mince!” Yes, that just about correct! After years at boarding school where anything made from mince smelt and tasted of rancid fat and bone-meal, I [...]
Pan fried sausages with fruit and sage
There is something wonderfully satisfying about a pan of grilled sausages! Maybe because it reminds me of casual family suppers. You can use the same recipe for chicken, pork or duck sausages. I found delicious [...]
Creamy Parmesan Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork
I have a weakness for any Parmesan-laced dish, particularly a rich, creamy sauce for pasta. When I say rich and creamy, it must not be heavy and claggy. This creamy parmesan sauce is just that, [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Gochujang Glaze for Salmon, Pork or Chicken
For 6-8 portions you need (this quantity was good for a large side of salmon) 50ml gochujang paste 15ml toasted sesame oil 15ml runny honey or 20ml light brown sugar (you can use dark brown sugar, but I find the colour too dark for salmon!) 5ml finely grated fresh ginger (it must be almost a [...]
Quinoa Salad – Green with Avo
For a 8-10 servings you need 300ml raw quinoa 2ml salt 600ml water 10ml powdered vegetable stock To prepare Place the above in a saucepan and boil for about 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. Drain off any excess liquid and let the grain cool to room temperature. For the dressing is [...]