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
Hearty winter soup with delicious variations
As soon as winter arrives I haul out my pressure cooker and it lives on my kitchen counter until springtime! In an effort to eat as healthily as possible and to avoid unnecessary carbs one [...]
Beetroot with Orange and Jalapeño
Cooked beetroot salad is quintessential South African. I think everyone who grew up here had sliced or grated beetroot salad at least once a week! My mom cooked beetroot in the pressure cooker and one [...]
Bao – steamed Chinese buns, with Barbeque Pork
Bao or Baozi (Chinese) are deliciously light steamed yeast buns that serve as a vehicle for various fillings. An ancient street food that is on trend today! With their origins in China they have spread [...]
Almond and Apple Cake – Gluten Free
Frangipane....? I have a weakness for Frangipane this is a rich mixture of butter, sugar, eggs and ground almonds. It is usually used in tarts in combination with fruit. The tart base is usually a [...]
Cauliflower with Lime & Coriander Dressing
This is one of those recipes that evolved when I wanted something to cool down a rather spicy Portuguese Chicken Peri Peri and I didn’t feel like the proverbial green salad! I had [...]
Spiced Tipsy Cake
Wintery weather always brings out the craving for something spicy and boozy I love cakes that double as dessert so this year I have made a Spicy Tipsy Cake. The recipe is loosely based on [...]
Apple and Pecan Bake for Dessert or Breakfast
When the wintery weather came along I had an urge to make a baked apple dessert. I love an apple cake, apple crumble and pie, so this time I created something that covers all those [...]
LATEST RECIPES
Hearty vegetable soup
For approximately 2 liters you need 1kg chopped vegetables: cabbage, carrot, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower (I buy a 500g stir fry mix and a 500g cabbage and carrot coleslaw pack) 1 large white onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped A handful of fresh soup celery leaves and stems from the garden or 3 celery stalks, finely [...]
Bao – Chinese steamed buns
Makes approximately 12 buns You need 500ml cake flour 10ml baking powder 15ml canola oil 5g dried yeast ( ½ a sachet in SA) 50ml castor sugar 150ml warm water To prepare I prefer to mix the dough in a food processor, but you can also use a bowl mixer with a dough hook. As [...]