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
Fig Tart Tatin
At least once a year I need to make a Tart Tatin! It is usually my go to dessert in autumn when apples and pears are at their best. This time I had to use [...]
Curried eggs – use the left over pickled fish sauce
I'm sure you have also looked at the delicious saucy remains of pickled fish and thought, 'I can't possibly throw this out!' Pickled fish recipe here! You cannot throw this luscious spicy sauce out! [...]
Pickled Pears
I love the concept of slightly ‘savoury’ fruit flavours with salads or as an accompaniment to cheese. For this recipe you can use any pear variety, but I always prefer the Beurre Bosc for cooking [...]
A tale of all the salsas, featuring Salsa Verde
I love salsas…. Not only the dance, but the sauces! A few weeks ago I wrote about a delicious Mango Salsa (recipe here) Mango Salsa Salsa, is simply a sauce originating from Mexico, [...]
Baked Yoghurt Dessert
Move over panacotta ….. once you have enjoyed baked yoghurt you will agree with me! A couple of years ago a friend served baked yoghurt for dessert. It was one of the most delicious desserts [...]
Mango Salsa
Originating in South America (it is said from the Aztecs) this chilled ‘sauce’ is synonymous with Mexican cuisine. In Mexico and other South American countries this cold sauce is served as a ‘dip’ with tacos, [...]
Vitello Tonnato
When you visit Piedmont in Italy virtually every restaurant serves Vitello Tonnato. In summer it is a popular main course dish or it is served as an antipasto course. The view from this charming [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Fig Tart Tatin
For a 23-24cm tart, serving 8, you will need About 1kg small firm black figs, stem removed and halved 125ml dark brown sugar 75ml butter 10ml ground cinnamon 50ml honey 5ml sea salt flakes Optional: a few sprigs of thyme, preferably lemon thyme or grated zest from half a lemon 1 roll of frozen puff [...]
Curried Eggs using Pickled Fish sauce as a base
To make the curry sauce for 6 eggs from scratch you need 1-2 large white onions, peeled, sliced into 4mm thick slices 20ml canola oil 10ml curry powder 1cm ginger root, grated 1ml chilli flakes 5ml turmeric 1 small fresh red chilies, finely sliced - optional 1-2 small bay leaves - optional 150ml white wine [...]