Beth once asked me a few years back what my super power was (they were watching something about super-heroes I think). I replied with the suggestion that my ‘super power’ was growing children, because in all fairness, while we do parenthood willingly and with all our heart, we all do need to admit that their … More Mystery Basket Magic
Thursday morning, and I have just finished a cup of tea and breakfast. Breakfast was an exciting South African Feurte avocado on toasted baguette. I know I shouldn’t be buying fruit and vegetables that costs the atmosphere gazillions of a carbon footprint, but the idea of a perfectly ripened Feurte avocado from home was just hard to resist. I’m … More The Work Blog
I’ve just dragged a lonesome sweet-potato out of my veggie-bin; scrutinised it with a suspicion normally set aside for delinquent children, and with an indignant ‘hurumph’ peeled it and chopped it for dinner tonight. It has been 15 years since I first came across an orange sweet potato. Back home, sweet potatoes have that purple-y … More Potato v Potato
During one of my countless visits to Facebook today, I happened to come across a Ozzie video advert encouraging families eating around the same table. It was a really schmaltzy piece, and I shed a tear for the 5th time today (don’t ask). I am incredibly grateful that we have managed to achieve this in … More Gaenor And The Need To Write a Recipe (Book)
Growing up, strawberries would grow in abundance in our garden every October, and not one year would go by (that I can remember) that I would not have a Hot Milk Sponge Cake made by Mom, and it would be covered in garden-grown strawbs’s. Mom would always use a butter icing over it, and later … More Baking and Mom’s Sponge Cake
Last week marked my two year anniversary of not working, and it’s raised the question “Do I still introduce myself as a chef (de cuisine) if people I meet ask me what I do”? Two years of not waking up at 5am, two years of not driving to work under the dawn light with music … More Recipe of the week
ORANGE. My least favourite colour. Well, it use to be. After 15 months of European living, I am a little more partial to it: It was interesting how it snuck into shops and markets a few weeks ago, before the weather changed, and the orange-ness was an extension of summer heat. My friendly boulangere though, … More Another changing of the seasons
SAUCISSE ET HARICOT COCO-ROUGE RAGOUT One of the packs of meat I add to my meat trolley every month in Germany is a 1kilogram pack of Bratwurst Sausages. Like back home, sausages here are popular on the braai (although unlike SA, they are just about the ONLY meat that gets braai’d, as steak is not … More Budget Meals: 102
THE MEAL GENRE, NOT JUST CHEESE If you ever have a little moment, complaining about food shortages, and the lack of variety on your fresh fruit and vegetable shelves, stop and think back to our ancient ancestors. In biblical times, the residents of Jerusalem did not have individually irrigated watercress plants growing out in the … More Raclette
Life can be funny sometimes, in a way of odd co-incidences. Earlier this week, I was invited to join another family to have brunch this morning at a new café in Kruteneau (a ‘quartier’ bordering the Petite France ‘quartier’). Since its Victory Day here in France, it’s a public holiday-or ‘jour férié’ as it is … More Cafe Bretelles
About 4 books ago, or 4 weeks, if I am to be honest, I was reading a book called Black Roses by Jane Thynne. It was written from the perspective of an upper class British 20 year old girl who runs away to 1933 Berlin to become an actress. In the story, the author describes … More Alsacienne Asparagus
I may be a retired chef, but I do not spend every day and night preparing gourmet meals for my family. Â Â For one, gourmet gets expensive- salmon; foie gras and oysters are not exactly priority on my shopping list. For another, I don’t exactly see Alex and Beth happily sitting down to a … More Chicken Soup for the Soul
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 