I had lunch with a South African friend last week and we somehow alighted on the topic of the lure of a certain shopping emporium in South Africa- let’s call them ‘W’. There was that social media post that they put out a couple of months back, nudging the expats and immigrants across the world, … More Discovering Foraging On My Back Door.
The day I celebrated my 33rd birthday was also the day that my younger born child bestowed this world with all her drama and glory. This was no special coincidence, there was no great honour for either of us to be blessed with sharing eachothers’ birthdays. Nope, it was a convenience for both my gynaecologist … More Recipe: Tarte Flambée
2022. The days continue to grow more bizarre. I remember 2 years ago when we first heard of Covid in China, and we were warned that a pandemic was on the way I was on sick-leave recovering from stress injury, and almost as soon as I returned to work after a fortnight off, ready to … More Recipe: Creamy Butternut Gnocchi with Ham Crisps
Privileged is the person who can enjoy being alone with nothing but flighty musings to occupy their thoughts. I may have mentioned recently that I had read something about Proust’s Madeleine that was repeated as a striking coincidence later to my personal seasonal ramblings. No, don’t be impressed or jaded- I’ve not personally read Proust … More A Sweet Trip Down Memory Lane.
I started this entry a month ago, as confinment restrictions were lifted. Finally, France is offically open (except for the borders) and the terraces across the city were full yesterday evening. Towards the end of last week I started seeing adverts on social media for local restaurants that are now open for customers to order … More Recipe: Malva Pudding
Sunday’s. What’s with a Sunday? Late morning wake up calls. Sleeping in, or perhaps a little morning nookie. Long punishing solo runs pounding the high road or by ways. A dawn cycle with a cycling buddy to the village down the valley. A round of golf with your high school mates. Painting, drawing, reading, writing. … More Recipe: Roast Spatchcock Chicken, Baby Potatoes, Broccoli & Tomato.
Hello there my lovelies! How are you all doing? I wish that you could be here with me right now- the weather is as grey as a sink of dirty dish water, but the trees in my garden have turned yellow and dropped those leaves like a yellow-ochre carpet. I wish you were here on … More The Second Wave.
My dear friends, I trust this month of September has been treating you well. I am currently only working half time so I have launched an Instagram page sharing my food journey. It includes some stories, and some recipes where I can fit it into that medium, but sometimes it’s not possible, so you can expect … More Recipe: Miso Pork Belly with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach
All over the world there is sh*t that divides people. There are the big divisive subjects: sex, religion, racism, politics, culture. The ones which, arguably, lead to the biggest problems: terrorism, fear, injustice, inequality. In the lesser divisions, generally fought no less fervently, one could list sport or social media, school systems, sneaker brands; although … More The Polarisation of Food
Okay, so I lied last week when I bragged about my OnePotWonder lunch for the family. The truth is I am not a typical ‘1 pot wonder’ kinda-woman, particularly when it comes to writing up the recipes. What I am good at is fairly adept at creating meals from leftovers and a scratch of gnarly … More (Almost) One Pot Wonders
Perhaps I should rather title this post Recipe: My Take On An Empanada, because the recipe I’m furnishing you with today is possibly not true to the Galician version of this pastry, and I don’t want to tread on toes for culturally appropriating something that is not mine to appropriate. A quick Google and Wiki … More Recipe: Empanadas
One of my peeves about South Africans who have elected to live outside their homeland is when they lament the absence of certain homegrown treats that they can’t get. The list is endless: Cream Soda,NikNaks, Ghost Pops, Peppermint Crisps, Ouma Rusks, Mrs Balls chutney, the list goes on and on. Oh, and Biltong and wors, … More Not Mrs Balls
Another recipe quickie. This has been put on my meal plan every other week since we have been home. It’s quite adaptable if you know what you like to eat and can mix it up depending on the contents of your fridge. Last year I discovered quinoa after spending quite a few shopping hours with … More Recipe: Quinoa Salad
Good morning friends! I’m going to cut to the chase this morning, and try to keep this one short and simple. I made fishcakes this week- a first for me. Well, a first for a very very long time. We don’t eat much fish here at home. If I can get my hands on some … More Recipe: Fishcakes
I feel like I have written this blog post up already over the nearly 7years I’ve been here. Going through my archives, I see that I haven’t, but I do know for certain that I have posted photos on Facebook every single Easter that we have been here, sharing my homemade Hot Cross Buns. I’m … More Recipe: Hot Cross Buns
Day 16, and the fairies in my head are beginning to lose the plot. Despite the last weeks worth of evening walks in the most golden of gin hours, they (the fairies) have chosen to bemoan the dry papery wind that is howling over the wheat pastures from the beckoning Rhine. I’ve run out of … More Recipe: Grilled Vegetable Salad.
I saw a post on Facebook early last week that made me scratch my head in disbelief. At first I couldn’t decide if it was a tongue in cheek article, or if it was genuine display of solidarity. It was a local Strasbourg blog where the authors shared their admiration for the continuation of work … More Recipe: 4 Bean Salad
If you remember, I spent 12 years eating food at boarding schools. 1980′ and 1990’s government boarding schools mind you; not private boarding schools with a veritable buffet selection, but a ‘eat what we put in front of you‘ selection. At HHS (Howick High School) where the food was literally 100 times better than RPS … More Recipes for Lockdown: Chicken Curry
If you’ve ever been a guest at the Netherby table surrounded by the youthful members of Die Vrot Kol, you may shake your head in wonder that I ever became a chef and have as much of a love for food as I do. With tales originating out of Richmond boarding school, tales of cold … More Memories of the Culinary Kind
Who ever would have figured that I would be flipping burger patties in my 22nd year of being a chef, and at the age of 40, with a hubby and 2 kids under my belt? Yes indeed, I am a burger-flipper these days. (Even I am sitting here shaking my head in irritable disbelief, that’s … More Thoughts on a French Kitchen
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 