Notes From My Nest

Bliksem Biltong Muffins!

2011-10-25T17:53:00.002+02:00

Let's face it – the savoury muffin would be no where without cheese. Mature cheddar, Gruyere, Danish blue, Parmesan... whatever your poison, you can't go wrong with the texture and taste of crumbled salty, feta.

Inspired by the Rugby World Cup (and the fact that she was entertaining guests at 8 in the morning for the games, when chips 'n dip didn't seem appropriate), my good friend Narina (of The Crazy Aunt Co) experimented with biltong muffins – a sure-fire, proudly South Africa party pleaser!

1 egg
Approx 3/4 cup milk
1 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1ml cayenne papper
1/2 cup biltong powder (available from a biltong shop, alternatively finely chop the biltong)
1 cups mature cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
Onion sprinkles and chopped chives (optional)

How to make:

Beat the egg lightly in a measuring jug, topping up with milk to the 250ml measure. Sift the dry ingredients together, stir in grated cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the muffins, and the biltong. Mix in the liquid ingredients to create a thick batter. Mix lightly and quickly, and finally stir in the crumbled feta so it doesn't totally disintegrate. Spoon into well-greased muffin tins and sprinkle with onion/chives as desired. Bake at 220C for 10-15 minutes until golden. Game on!

Hi, I'm back

2011-10-25T16:50:00.001+02:00

So much time has passed. A lot and nothing has happened in that time, but I'm excited for what's to come. I'm also excited to be blogging again, and be able to purge the blog drafts that have been piling up in my brain for months!

This beautiful print is by photographer Sharon Montrose. Her site, The Animal Print Shop, showcases, and sells, her exquisite images of animals. I can't find a favourite, but I think the raccoon rates high up!

Barcelona Beauty

2011-06-30T14:27:00.003+02:00

It's a rare and beautiful thing to find a man who can shop for you. I am proud and humbled to say I have found one such anomaly. On a recent business trip to Barcelona, The Boyfriend returned with a bounty of brownie points. (Bearing in mind, that aside from sizes, I didn't give him any guidance.) Whether you're interested in fashion or not, I think you will appreciate the never ceasing wonders of the modern man!

Zara is one of my favourite stores to visit overseas. Above, a soft cream tee with repetitive butterfly
print & a longer-length, black knit vest, great for layering in winter.

These delightful lingerie sets are from a store called Intimissimi, an Italian brand that offers
beautiful & feminine underwear, basics, pyjamas and more.

Turquoise & cerise pink (short) tunic dress from Zara.

And The Shoes: a pair of authentic, hand-made wedge espadrilles from the renowned
La Manual Alpargatera shop, near the Las Ramblas in Spain, that put espadrilles on the international
fashion map. They're such a beautiful stone/dove grey – feminine and really versatile.

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

2011-06-27T17:37:00.001+02:00

Images by Baby_Birdie
Recipe courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180C. In a small bowl, combine and sieve the flours and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, stir in the ingredients until incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into a muffin tray filled with cupcake cases, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Butter Icing

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add four cups of sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about three to five minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about two minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. (I didn't, so my icing was a little smoother on top of the cupcakes when it had hardened.) If desired, add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days (though I haven't tried!).

Cooking For Kylie: Volume 2

2011-06-27T17:11:00.001+02:00

[Alternate header: Why I'm Not Cut Out For Catering]

Last week was a blur of shopping, prepping, chopping, washing, drying, stirring, baking, washing, chopping, packaging, selling, baking, tasting, shopping, prepping, washing... and repeat! Monday's menu involved macaroni & cheese, mildly-curried butternut soup, bran muffins and chocolate brownies. Tuesday night I shopped and prepped, preparing spaghetti and meatballs, minestrone soup, bran & cappuccino muffins and brownies. This was by far the toughest night with every pot we own bubbling on the stove, the meatballs in the oven, the brownies and muffins lined up to be baked and the sink piled to the rafters.

Thursday was a colleague's birthday and I'd agreed to make brownies, chocolate cake and a baked lemon cheesecake. Now my colleagues are like family, so I wasn't sure what to charge and we agreed upon the round figure of R150 – R50 an item. Turns out I severely undercharged – just three ingredients for the cheesecake cost R55. So we settled on vanilla cupcakes. I didn't end up making money, but the birthday was a success and I have two more orders for birthday goodies for office mates. That evening, I made chicken curry and bacon and lentil soup for the following day. We had guests for dinner, and I made chicken pie and enjoyed the temporary respite from "the project".

Friday came & went, and I handed out the last of my meals and counted out my earnings. I most certainly didn't make millions, or recoup enough to cover my time, but I covered costs and made enough for a Kylie ticket. The brownies proved supremely popular and were the easiest to make and manufacture, so I'm going to keep those up. I learnt the cost of my time; became truly aware of the expense of ingredients and my unwavering decision not to cut corners with poor produce; basked in the pleasure of having a project outside of work and the joy I get from cooking; tested my boyfriend's patience (and washing up skills); and let go of a great project not because it failed, but because of the reality of its execution. Along the way, I got some feedback on a few of my recipes. I'll be sharing a few of the most successful ones (like the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes!).

Cooking For Kylie

2011-06-17T10:53:00.001+02:00

I grew up moving to "The Loco-motion", singing "I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky...", thinking love was Jason & Kylie's "Especially for you", grooving to "Slow" and belting out "Aaalll the Loversss". Well, the pint-sized Princess of Pop responsible for this journey is coming to Cape Town! I'm a firm believer, that in order to get big acts to keep coming to our shores, we have to support them. I'm also a believer, that the likes of pop divas Madonna, Beyonce, Shakira and Gaga - Kylie included - provide the most dazzling, entertaining and fun concerts, even if you're not their biggest fans.

But alas, the ticket prices for this tiny dynamo are not so petite... and it was with a sparkly tear, that I gave up on my dream of "Spinning Around". But a good friend and colleague of mine, known fondly as The Fashion Pixie, Azeez, suggested we try and make a plan to go together. I love a challenge, and we set about generating dazzling ideas of how we could get to the concert, from selling all the grooming products in our office's storeroom for "charity" obviously, to clearing out our wardrobes and having a garage sale. On the more rational, if a little old-school, suggestion of someone to have a "bake sale", the "Cooking For Kylie" idea was born.

The premise: we offer soup, comfort food and baked goods to our colleagues. The execution: so as not to be exploiting work premises for our tuckshop, people can order two days in advance and the delicacies will be delivered to their desks. On Monday, I'm bringing in samples: roast butternut soup, macaroni cheese, muffins and chocolate brownies and we'll go from there. (We all know that people like to test the wares before committing to anything.) We already have our first order - a colleague's birthday on Thursday. So you can tell what I'll be doing this weekend! Wish us luck!

Bloggers Get Together

2011-06-09T16:51:00.000+02:00

It's been a little while since I've been able to blog, and where better to get inspiration, joy and support than from fellow bloggers. For the Cape blog community, the lovely Betty Blake has organised a bloggers meet-up at El Burro on Thursday the 30th of June. Find out more and RSVP on Facebook here.

See you there!

Comfort-food Cornbread

2011-05-22T21:18:00.002+02:00

I'm taking a cooking course. I go weekly, at least, or whenever I possibly can. I experiment, learn as I go and let food – and cravings – be my guide. The curriculum involves inspiration from fellow bloggers and challenges from cookbooks and food magazines, one in particular being Taste Magazine. The visuals in Taste are always beautiful, the products seasonal and luxurious. And, while I regularly feel intimidated by the sheer craftsmanship of the recipes, the results are consistently delicious. And the more I test and challenge myself, the more accomplished I become.

Mariana Esterhuizen, owner of her self-titled restaurant in Stanford, is one of my teachers. Her columns offer reliable, South African comfort food with a story. Her cornbread in a skillet (Jan/Feb issue 2011) went superbly with a spicy tomato soup – great for the upcoming chilly winter. But I can imagine it will be just as good a side with a summer braai.

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing
1 cup maize meal/polenta
1 cup cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper (I used yellow)
4 Tsbp chopped coriander (I couldn't find any fresh, so used fresh parsley)
3 large, free-range eggs
1 cup yoghurt/buttermilk (I used yoghurt)
3 Tsbp olive oil

How to make:

Preheat the oven to 180'C. Grease a (large) cast-iron skillet, with an ovenproof handle, very well with the butter. Sift the maize meal/polenta, cake flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the vegetables and coriander and stir into the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs lightly in a jug, then stir in the yoghurt and olive oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir until combined. Pour into the greased skillet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top has browned and it feels firm. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing straight from the skillet.

Why I Can't Follow You on Twitter

2011-05-06T09:51:00.000+02:00

Your picture is the Twitter egg. If you can't even be bothered (or are so technically inept) that you haven't posted a picture, I can't be bother to follow you.
You are almost or are actually naked in your avatar.
You have not posted anything. This is a give & take relationship.
You have less than 10 followers. I know this is not a popularity poll (okay, it is for some people), so I will make the exception if you are a) new to Twitter, b) my friend or c) or my mother.
Your avatar is a cartoon character. Grow up.
Your tweets are angry/use mostly predictive text or SMS-language/don't make sense/all of the aforementioned.
You swear a lot, unnecessarily in your feed/profile. It's just not smart.
Your picture has not been downscaled so it's warped. (See point 1. Once again, I will make an exception if you are my mother.)
Your picture has been so professionally shot you look like an ad for yourself and this is just one big PR mission.
You have nothing to say. See point 3. Oh, and while I'm into food & post about food I think is worth sharing with fellow foodies, I do not find "I am hungry" or "Eating lunch" valid posts.
You overuse exclamation marks. Okay, I get it, you're a funny guy!!!!!
Your entire page is filled with the same, repeated personal marketing spam.
You don't have a bio.
Your bio is so full you haven't use punctuation or spaces.because.you.are.so.interesting <3
Your bio is unoriginal and there are spelling mistakes. For example, "Lover of caffiene,chocolat and life !!!"
Your feed is one long chat with your friends. For the love of Jack Dorsey (creator of Twitter), pick up the phone.

100 Day Challenge!

2011-05-03T15:43:00.000+02:00

Inspired by a colleague, I've set myself a challenge: I have to do something active every day for 100 days. If all goes on track, August 10 will be day 100!

Today, with the sun out, it looks like it will be a run on the promenade with my new trainers. But the challenge will come when I'm blindsided by late nights at work, cold dark mornings, rainy evenings... and maybe too much red wine to combat the cold, rainy evenings! So I'm using this as my official contract. Wish me luck!

A Day in the Wineland's Hidden Valley

2011-05-02T21:53:00.001+02:00

An autumnal lunch at the Long Table restaurant in Stellenbosch.

One of my most favourite things to do in Cape Town, is to escape to the winelands. Depending which way you're headed, you'll be surrounded by vineyards and mountains in an hour. The area is especially exquisite at this time of year, with the trees and vines turning russet-coloured and the warm, if a little shy, autumn sun catching the mountains. We headed on a strategic mission to taste some wines off the Annandale Road in Stellenbosch.

We began the journey with a tasting at the Ernie Els wine estate, with its robust if a little tight reds and celebrated signature red blends. The beautiful weather highlighted the green terraced gardens and the golden vineyards that the tasting room and restaurant overlooks. While only offering red at the moment, the estate plans to launch a white wine range. The hot Stellenbosch region isn't optimal for white varietals, so white grapes will be purchased for the task.

Next was Rust en Vrede, conveniently down the road! With the lush overhanging trees, deep shadows, hills of vineyards, established cellar and lazy farm dogs, you immediately relax sitting on the terrace. The estate produces renowned delicious, full-bodied red wine exclusively, which is naturally why we made a stop there for a tasting on our way to lunch.

We ended at Long Table for a late, bistro-style lunch. Sold on the lunch specials, the standard menu offers something for everyone with hearty portions. Very full (and rather lazy!) after a full lunch and wine, we skipped dessert and decided to use the drive home to digest our lunch and have some rhubarb and apple crumble when we got home instead.

The roast tomato soup starter, with it's impressive
spider web of cream. (Unfortunately it turned out to be a decorative distraction:
the temperature of the cream actually cooled the soup a little too much.)

A delicious seasonal salad: greens, pomegranates, figs, Gorgonzola and
Parma ham with a bright, fresh dressing.

The terrace of the restaurant is in the shadow of huge trees and
looks onto the vineyard and beautiful mountains.

The pork belly main course served on polenta with seasonal veg.
As can so often happen with pork belly, it was under-seasoned, so the gravy
was an important component of the dish.

Yip, the portions are not small! The oxtail served on risotto with veg.
The risotto was a creamy, subtle base that worked well with
the rich meat and the (slightly too) salty gravy.

The City Bowl Market

2011-04-28T13:32:00.001+02:00

Hope for the City Bowl's foodies: a weekly food market for city dwellers in Hope Street. Saturday April 16th saw the launch of The City Bowl Market at number 14 Hope Street – the beautiful unmistakable red-and-white building. The impressive facade opens onto a large, well-lit hall with old, arched windows letting in the Saturday sunlight.

At the entrance, you're greeted by a vibrant fresh produce stand, a bright array of flowers and a plant table selling lavender, herbs and succulents. Stalls offering bread & cheese; olives & pâtés; curries & samoosas; fish cakes & smoked snoek; cupcakes & brownies; and yes, of course, coffee, surround the hall's perimeter and the hay bales and trestle tables in the centre. Musicians perform on the stage upfront, while the upstairs level, overlooking the hall, holds the bar – and the attention of most of the boyfriends/husbands dragged to the market!

The beautiful Easter flowers available at Saturday's market.

This last Saturday, I decided to walk to the market in the week autumn sunshine. I picked up cheese, 60% rye bread, hand-made chorizo, very reasonable fresh veg, flowers, springbok biltong and the most delicious double-chocolate wheat-free brownie I have ever tasted! But most refreshingly, I didn't break the bank and I came away with fresh ingredients to inspire me to whip up some delicious meals and to challenge myself to cook with things I wouldn't normally have come across – exactly what you want from your local market.

Some of the amazingly inexpensive produce from the green grocer stall.
These are the shallots that inspired the onion tartlet recipe!

Winter Roast Tomato & Spicy Chorizo soup

2011-04-27T13:01:00.005+02:00

I have a passion for tomato soup. Roasted (see my simple roast tomato soup recipe), creamed, spicy, as a base to another ingredient, you name it, tomatoes are an incredibly versatile soup complement. I find spicy chourizo, with it's rich, fatty exotic flavour is the perfect partner to a warm tomato soup on a cold winter's day, with a robust glass of red wine.

I'm also very partial to layered textures and flavours. The humble bean is a wonderful carrier for the spiciness of the sausage and the richness of the roast tomato. I chose to add baked beans to this soup, as there's something childishly comforting about the soft, subtle flavour they impart. The sweetness of their sauce also compliments the tomato and spice. The butter beans on the other hand, provide respite in their large neutralness, balancing the more intense flavours. And, in my opinion, on a wintery evening, you want the satisfaction of a home-made soup simmering on the stove, but you also want to be able to reach into the store cupboard for your ingredients.

Ingredients:

10 roma tomatoes, halved and deseeded
Olive oil
Pinch of salt & sugar, respectively
Dried mixed herbs (if you have fresh, opt for a tspchopped origanum and a tsp chopped thyme)
225g courizo sausage
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 glass of red wine
1 large garlic clove (or two small ones)
3 small red chillies, for a medium heat (adjust to suit your palette)
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tin cream of tomato soup
1 tin baked beans
1 tin butter beans
Salt & pepper


Fresh chillies, garlic, an onion and the hero of the soup: the chorizo. This is sausage-maker Rudi's Portugese Chorizo that I picked up at the City Bowl Market.

How to make:
Heat the oven to 200˚C. Place the halved, deseeded tomatoes in a roasting pan/plate. Douse with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, the herbs and a little sugar to counter the tomatoes' acidity. Pop in the oven to roast for about half and hour till soft and oozing.

Ripe Roma tomatoes, halved with their seeds removed,

being prepared for roasting in the oven.

In the meantime, brown the chorizo. Lightly coat the base of a pot with olive oil (the chorizo will release its own fat) and fry the sausage on a medium heat.

Frying off the chorizo. When you're browning meat,
it's always best not to overcrowd the pan.

Brown the chorizo gently and remove, setting aside on a paper towel. Use the oil that's left in the pot to saute the onions. When they begin to stick, deglaze with the red wine.

Onions sweating and reducing in red wine used for deglazing;
browned chorizo resting on a paper towel; and roast tomatoes out of the oven.

When the wine has reduced, add the chopped chilli and garlic. As they become fragrant, stir in the roasted tomatoes along with all their oven juices and the chorizo. Allow the flavours to meld before adding a cup of vegetable stock. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

The roasted Roma tomatoes and chorizo simmering in the onion, red wine,

chilli, garlic vegetable stock goodness!

Remove the tomatoes from the simmering stock mixture and place in a blender. Some will have disintegrated, which is fine, but try to get all the skins which can become stingy and chewy. Blend with half a tin of tomato soup to a rough texture, until all the skins are combined. Add this tomato "sauce" back to the pot, with the rest of the tomato soup and stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the tin of baked beans in its sauce, and the butter beans, rinsed and drained. Stir in the final cup of stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste, serve and enjoy!

Winter's best: a hearty, spicy, velvety tomato soup.

Phyllo Onion Tartlets

2011-04-25T22:24:00.004+02:00

I find translucent onion bathing in a hot pan of butter immediately awakens my senses – and appetite! The smell is incredibly evocative for me. It was the basis of so many delicious comfort foods when I was growing up, from Bubble & Squeak* on the weekends, to a wholesome vegetable soup or savoury mince for bobotie**.

On Saturday's City Bowl Market, I picked up an enormous bag of shallots. Inspired by a delicious-looking onion tart in the Eat-In magazine, I got to work caramelising the finely chopped shallots. When they were almost ready, I made a blue-cheese roux, which I poured over the softened onions in individual Le Creuset ramekins. Topped with a few layers of butter-kissed phyllo and baked until golden in the oven, the results are rich, layered flavours, and a combination of creamy cheese, sweet onion and crackling phyllo.

Ingredients:
Makes 4

100g butter
2 tsp sunflower oil
15 - 20 shallots (depending on size), finely sliced
Half a glass of white wine
1 tbsp thyme
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 tbsp flour
100g blue cheese
salt & pepper to taste
phyllo pastry

How to make:
On a medium heat, melt about a tablespoon of butter with the sunflower/canola oil in a pot on the stove. Once it's begun to smoke, add the onions and allow to sweat for about 10 minutes. When the onions begin to stick, pour in the white wine and deglaze, allowing them to simmer and soften in the wine for approximately another 10 to 15 minutes. Once the wine has evaporated, add the sugar, pinch of salt and thyme stirring well. Turn the heat to low, stirring occasionally. The longer the onions cook, the softer and sweeter they become. At this point, turn the oven on to 180ºC.

After the onions have been cooking for about 45 minutes, begin the cheese sauce. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan on medium heat. With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir in the flour to form a paste. Turning the heat down a little, add the milk, little by little, stirring well after each addition to avoid lumps. Crumble the blue cheese in and continue to stir until it's melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grease the the top edges of the ramekins with butter/cooking spray so that the phyllo comes away easily when you're eating the tartlets. Fill the ramekins with the onion mixture and pour the cheese sauce over the top. Unroll two to three sheets of phyllo. Following the instructions on the packaging, keep the phyllo moist so it's manageable as you cut it in half and then quarters. Drape, fold and tuck one of the quarter sheets in each ramekin on top of the onion-sauce mixture. Melt the remaining butter and gently brush each crumpled sheet (it's more like a dabbing action so as not to tear the phyllo), before repeating on the remaining layer(s). Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the phyllo is golden and crispy.

Serve warm from the oven with a glass of buttery wooded Chardonnay or Pinot Noir to compliment the tartlets' richness.

* Traditionally a British meal made of leftover vegetables, predominantly potatoes so it's a bit like one big rosti.
** A South African, traditionally Cape Malay, dish of curried mince meat baked with an egg-based topping.

I Heart...

2011-04-07T16:09:00.000+02:00

I had to share this gorgeous Sagaform Heart Bowl with Ladle (R495 from YuppieChef). I'm mad about hearts and would love a kitchen with bright red signatures. A girl can dream!

Roast Tomato Soup

2011-04-04T15:32:00.003+02:00

Something magical happens to ingredients in the oven as you roast them. Take the fiery, overpowering, pungent raw garlic clove that becomes sweet and yielding and caramelised after half an hour at a high heat. I adore how a tart, taught tomato relaxes and oozes when roasted, yielding a rich, full flavour.

This is a simple, rewarding soup that makes use of key flavours, gently roasted and blended, allowing the ingredients to do the work. It's a great basic: add chilli or bacon, lentils or onions.

Ingredients:

10-12 ripe tomatoes, halved with the seeds removed
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves (more/less depending on your garlic preference)
3 Tbsp thyme
1 tsp sugar
Salt & pepper
2 cups stock

How to make:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC while you prepare the ingredients. In a roasting dish or pan, place the halved tomatoes and garlic cloves. Coat liberally and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sugar, torn thyme and salt, setting a sprig or two of thyme aside for garnish. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until soft. Blend briefly if you want some texture, or longer if you prefer a smooth consistency, with a half to a cup of stock to liquify. Heat through with remaining stock on the stove top, adjust the seasoning and serve.

We Love Real Beer

2011-03-24T08:27:00.010+02:00

Long weekends are made for afternoon naps, brunch, catching up on reading and friendships, taking in a movie, drinking away the evenings and pretty much doing whatever if it is you feel like... which is exactly what I did this weekend. (Kind of appropriate since the long weekend incorporated a national holiday celebrating human rights.)

On balmy Sunday afternoon, we headed over to The Biscuit Mill for the second annual We Love Real Beer festival. It was an amazing opportunity to try artisinal beers that you don't normally have mainstream access to. Among the list were Napier, Camelthorn, Paulaner, Jack Black, Boston, Brewers & Union, Darling Slow Brew, Mitchell's and Birkenhead, as well as some honey mead. I was not going to pass up savouring the delicious food on offer from Oded's Kitchen to Pete Goffe-Wood's Kitchen Cowboy sirloin sandwiches to the stuffed-pig-on-a-spit Porchetta ciabatta from Jardine Bakery. I left having drained a couple of pints (and claimed a couple of pounds!) completely satisfied. We Love Real Beer is set to grow every year, so watch the blog for the next festival.

And if you're really thirsty, and can't wait till next year, the bottle store Tops (located among some gorgeous shops in the Cape Quarter) stocks craft beers. They make for a cool gift idea. Pick up the We Love Real Beer glasses (for 20 bucks) from &Union. Great excuse to stop by for a beer!
PS Check out photographer Andrew Brauteseth's blog for some images that really capture the atmosphere.

Rotisserie 360

2011-03-18T15:02:00.004+02:00

The smell of crispy-skinned roast chicken, thyme and fresh ingredients greets you at Rotisserie 360 – the hole in the wall lunch spot at 160 Bree St (one of my favourite streets in Cape Town). Open till 6pm, find the most tender chicken (and roast sirloin), delicious sandwiches and piadinis (toasted Italian flat bread), salads (see below) and fresh juices (I had watermelon today).

I had the free-range roast lunch plate, which consists of a piece of chicken and four salads. On offer today were: chickpeas with sumac and spinach in a herb yoghurt dressing; crunchy broccoli with toasted garlic and sesame seeds in a lemon dressing; coconut and mango rice with mint, coridander and chilli; greek salad; beetroot, pear, feta and mint in lemon dressing; coleslaw with almonds in our homemade mayo dressing; baby potatoes with dill, lemon and capers. Needless to say, I couldn't fit in a coffee or pastry!

And guess what?! They do a Take-home Dinner Menu! For more, visit the website.

Eat-In Night Market

2011-03-16T12:44:00.007+02:00

Looking forward to going to the Eat-In market tomorrow night (Thursday 17 March from 5pm) at the Biscuit Mill and consuming lots of local, tasty produce. See you there!

Baby Birdie's "Nesting" Bowls

2011-03-14T10:32:00.003+02:00

I won these gorgeous Joseph & Joseph mixing bowls (called "nesting" bowls) from Yuppiechef (who included a handwritten card – I love that!) in a Decorex competition. Aren't they gorgeous?! I can't wait to start baking with them. The set contains measuring cups, a measuring bowl with pouring spout, a sieve and mixing bowls – all you need.

Easy Home-made Asparagus Soup

2011-03-10T19:53:00.009+02:00

I was a very obedient and unfussy eater as a child (which is probably why I fastidiously finish all the food on my plate now). There was nothing that I wouldn't try or wouldn't eat, and my meals were always well balanced. My Mum was great on colour and presentation – making sure there were different colours on the plate (literally choosing carrots instead of peas to offset the green marrows), and occasionally shaping everything into a pattern or face. Despite that, I don't think I had a very adventurous childhood menu.

"Cold meats and salads" was a frequent weekend feature in musky Natal, and tinned asparagus was often on the menu. I loved their neutral, slightly salty taste and melt-in-your-mouth spongy texture, and used to count out the spears onto the plates so we all got a fair number. It wasn't until I was older that I tasted fresh, firm-but-yielding steamed asparagus.

And I'm a big fan. They are, for me, quintessentially foodie produce. Like artichokes. Why? Because they're a meal on their own. Because of their gourmet appearance. Because of their earthy green colour which is begging to be painted. Because of their simple flavour which responds so well to simplicity. Because they're seasonal and look so beautiful in a market basket. Because, maybe, I thought for so long they grew, colourless cream, in tins of brine not in the ground until I tasted a fresh one and toyed with their potential.

So here's an asparagus soup recipe I experimented with recently. (In South Africa, asparagus is officially out of season during our autumn, and back in June - the perfect, chilly time for soup!) I haven't used flour much in soups – I make a lot of tomato-based soups, fill the pot with veg, or purree the ingredients, so the thickness isn't a concern. But I wanted to make a creamy soup quickly and simply, with ingredients I had in my fridge and cupboard and, ideally for a "healthy" weeknight meal, without actual cream!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola/grape seed oil
2 bunches/punnets of asparagus
1 white onion, finally chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups stock
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
Approx half a cup of milk
1 - 2 heaped tbsp smooth, plain cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

How to make:

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, chop them in half and set aside. Saute and soften the onions in the oil, then add the garlic and, as it gets fragrant, add the asparagus. Allow to sweat for about 10 minutes with the onion and garlic. Add the stock and allow to simmer until asparagus is cooked. Remove from heat.

In the meantime, on a low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. It will go dryish, so add a few teaspoons of the stock from the simmering soup and stir vigorously till it becomes a gluey mixture. Pour some milk in slowly (about 2 tbsp) and continue to stir vigorously to keep the mixture smooth and elastic. Stir in the cottage cheese. Alternately add liquid – a little stock, then a little milk - to the roux (white sauce) until you have a creamy consistency. Melt the cheese into the sauce, reserving a little aside for garnish.

Keeping aside a few spear tips for garnish, blend the asparagus and remaining stock in a blender and add to the roux. Stir to combine and allow to simmer together for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh ground black pepper, a sprinkle or Parmesan and an asparagus spear floating on top.

Gardner's tip:

Tomatoes and asparagus have amazing synergy - and not just on the plate! The asparagus roots exude a chemical that kills many of the nematodes (round worms) that either feed off tomato roots or carry disease to the plant. And tomatoes repel asparagus beetles, so the one is beneficial to the other.

Earth Fair Market

2011-03-08T14:12:00.007+02:00

My expectations of produce markets have been ruined – potentially – by the exquisite open-air market I went to in Paris: every imaginable fruit & vegetable in colourful pyramids so bright I had to keep my sunglasses on; French cheese so ripe you started to salivate; pastries so buttery they would have made Julia Child weep; quaint, aged, aproned stall owners so authentic you wanted to hug them. I walked hand-in-hand with mon amour, a fragrant freshly-baked baguette from Paul bakery poking out of my shopper, and picnicked in the Bois de Boulogne. *big sigh*

I truly appreciate the authenticity, freshness, connection and artisanal quality one gets at a market, which is why I have wished there would be a well-stocked and well-supported inner-city market. I'm pleased to report, the Earth Fair Market, popular for their Wednesday Tokai gatherings, has started a market in St George's mall on Thursdays from 12pm to 6pm. City slickers working in the surrounding area flock to the mall for artisanal sausages and chourizo; freshly-baked breads and pies; fresh juices; olives; honey and organic dried fruit... and so much more. And there's dessert – crepes, cupcakes and fudge... I'll be hanging out there every Thursday!

This Season's Must-have Reversible Dress

2011-03-04T12:09:00.006+02:00

This extraordinarily delightful child is my niece, Olivia. In this photo, Olivia wears a reversible Valentine's day dress from The Crazy Aunt Company (that was sent to her in England by her Crazy Aunt, me!). See her modelling it on the blog or place your orders online here.

Design Indaba Finds 2011

2011-02-28T18:33:00.005+02:00

Yesterday I descended the rabbit hole to soak up the visceral Cape Town Design Route at the annual Design Indaba. I'd been lapping up tweets from the seminars during the week, so was eager to see what the expo had to offer. I'd thought that Sunday may be quieter, but despite the sunshine and blue skies, the crowds were out at the CTICC. As I wondered the maze of the floor plan, being jostled and nudged, I wished that this meeting of cool creatives happened more than once a year. Judging by the turnout, my sentiment was shared.

Onto my finds - a mere taste of all that was available. I have a passion for Skermunkil jewellery, so I didn't need any prompting to add another piece to my collection - a tiny copper heart, fired in blue on one wide and a minty green on the other. Two unusual perfect colours that will blend in and stand out in their own way. Hearts predominate, but you will also be charmed by the birds, kites, flags, hot air balloons, rabbits... (Check out the Skermunkil blog or buy some gems from the Beatnik Bazaar online shop. In fact, you'll find a lot of beautiful, hand-made goodies that were available at the Indaba there.)

The wooden heart earrings and beautiful bicycle-etched heart brooch are by the talented Durban designer Genevieve Motley. Overheard in her stand: "I wish this stall was bigger"! So to make way for her fans, I went with two classic pieces, but was seriously tempted by the bird pendants and earrings, rabbits, bird cages, foxes, flowers... I can't do it all justice. Check out Genevieve's designs on her site.

I've been looking for a comfortable, leather bag in a neutral, versatile colour. Enter Klone - Urban African Design - and their unfussy, well-crafted designs. The style of the bag I chose is called Flying Springbok, in soft "dessert" leather. Klone has collaborated with the iconic visuals of Karin Miller to create bags using modern water-based, eco-friendly inks and recyclable fabric.

Finally, after meandering around the show, getting inspired by the creativity and talent the Indaba attracts and enjoying some sushi from the Earth Fair Market. I ended up at Sarah Jane Webber's I Love Leroy stall and bought a soft, blue, elastic waisted, vest dress with side pockets. Then I left before the CTICC parking and my post-payday revelry bankrupted me...

Until next year!

PS I picked up a fun shirt for The Boyfriend from the creatives at On Top Of The World - putting Cape Town on the map! They've flipped the world - literally! - on its head with maps depicting Cape Town on top of the world!

Food&Wine Bloggers Indaba 2011 Highlights

2011-02-26T21:28:00.008+02:00

A week later, and I finally have a chance to revisit last weekend's Food and Wine Bloggers Indaba. Sunday began with virgin fruity cocktails and the excited chatter of bloggers and foodie enthusiasts descending on Monkey Valley in Noordhoek. In its second year, the event is passionately driven, marketed and executed by the humble Colleen, from BrownieGirl Blog (with some help from her lovely husband Donald!).

I couldn't begin to do justice to all the amazing sponsors Colleen got on board (you can check out the Indaba blog for more details), but everyone left with a hefty goodie bag packed with magazines (Eat In, Eat Out, Taste, Fresh Living), recipe books (Food Lover's Market's Love & Food, Bakers' Take a Biscuit, The People's Guide), samples (Primitiv Vodka, Pesto Princess, SAB beers, Verlaque jam & balsamic reduction, Griottines cherries, Lindt chocolate, Wedgewood Nougat), wine (Detleefs & Wine Lover's Collection), olive oil (Saint Sebastian Bay & Filippo Berio) and, generously, a Wusthof classic pairing knife and voucher from Yuppiechef. Impressive, ne?! (Fellow bloggers, please let me know if I've left anything out by mistake - it was obviously gobbled/greedily absorbed into my grocery cupboard before I recorded it!)

An all-too brief summary of my day... Foodie and veteran food blogger Jean of CookSister! blog fame, was the MC of the day and kicked the proceedings off with a valuable talk on best blogging practices, with 10 practical tips. Food writer Jane-Anne Hobbs, of Scrumptious South Africa, followed, sharing her knowledge on recipe inspiration. She began by asking the important question: are your recipes excellent, inspiring and intelligent? And gave great advice from avoiding being a slave to food trends, to freezing herbs and making the most of seasonal fair. Next on our indaba menu, was the inspiring and talented duo of Abigail Donnelly (food editor at Taste) and Phillippa Cheifitz (cookbook author, food writer and consultant food editor at Taste) who discussed how to get published while projecting some beautiful Taste food photography in the background.

Lisa Key from African Relish tempted us with an escape to their beautiful farm in Prince Albert, for a unique food bloggers weekend (I'm saving!), before Michael Olivier guided us to a greater wine vocab with a blind tasting. Lunch gave us a chance to mingle and chat, and I was able to meet gorgeous Ishay of Food and the Fab, dedicated dad, gardner and eco advocate Matt of ImNoJamieOliver, and fellow sub and avid foodie Robyn of Koek!.

In the afternoon, we all got to attend workshops held by the likes of food stylist Sam Linsell (Drizzle & Dip) and food enthusiast Nina Timm (My Easy Cooking); successful food blogger JamieWho; wine editor for Food24 Cathy Marston (see her Cape Times review of her wine & food pairing talk on her blog); Jamie Schler of Life's a Feast who came from France especially, amongst others. I managed to sit in on her and CookSister! Jean's food writing talk and left inspired and encouraged to be pickier about my adjectives! I also enjoyed a delightful, champagne-fuelled workshop with Jane-Anne Hobbs (follow her on Twitter for an amusing, eloquent and humorous take on the world) and walked out feeling challenged to be a better blogger, wanting to explore second-hand bookshops in search of her recommended reading list, and just a little tipsy!

Well, I better get back to the risotto on the stove. Thanks to everyone involved in making the Food & Wine Bloggers Indaba so interesting, interactive, inspiring, encouraging and fun! I feel blessed to have discovered such a warm community. See you next year!

Food Blogger Indaba 2011

2011-02-19T22:47:00.002+02:00

Tomorrow is the Food & Wine blogger's indaba, held in Noordhoek, with workshops & talks from talented & inspiring bloggers. Being relatively new to this scene, I can't wait to meet and mingle with such interesting folk - just check out the details here. Look forward to updating on how it goes...

Shhh... My Stir Fry Secret

2011-02-16T10:05:00.006+02:00

My secret to a tasty stir fry with tender meat? Marinating the meat – chicken, pork, beef, whatever – in a tangy, sweet, hot sauce. Combine the ingredients below, and leave the meat to marinade while you chop the veg and prepare the rest of the stir fry ingredients. Remove the meat from the marinade and brown it first, setting it aside so you can stir fry the veg, and adding it back towards the end. Then, just before you've finished cooking, pour the marinade over the stir fry and allow to simmer as a delicious sauce. (You can add a little more soy sauce, if needed.)

Ingredients:

Juice of half an orange
Juice of half a lime (or lemon if you can't get limes)
Tbsp fish sauce
2–3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 chilli, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp ginger, grated

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T15:53:00.004+02:00

Rhubarb Room

2011-02-13T15:33:00.005+02:00

It was great to escape the office at lunchtime last week, explore a cool Cape Town boutique and get some inspiration. Rhubarb Room overlooks busy Buitengracht Street, and is stocked with all-manner of gorgeous, unusual home trinkets, gifts, ribbon, notebooks and cards, pewter pieces and clothes. (Baby Birdie spotted this birdcage moneybox – the perfect way to save for my wishlist – which I think I'll have to go back for.) We parked on the steep, cobbled streets of colourful Bo Kaap, and on our walk to the shop, got some respite from the humid February weather with a short shower of huge summer raindrops.

Home-made Healthy burgers

2011-02-13T13:13:00.008+02:00

We took advantage of an exquisitely warm, calm evening, by lighting the braai and making some fresh burger patties. Who said your average Wednesday night meal can't be healthy, tasty or romantic?! We traded buns for some potato wedges, tossed in olive oil, salt and some chilli flakes, baked in the oven and patted of excess oil. The patties were made of lean mince; half an onion, finely chopped; a tsp chilli flakes; salt; an egg; 2 tbsp bread crumbs; all mushed together and divided into 4 large patties.

Instead of a bun, we used cos lettuce and stuffed it full of gherkins, tomato, onion and a sprinkle of grated cheese. But what turned out to be the real heros of the meal, were the grilled mushrooms – grilled on one side, turned over and brushed with butter, salt and crushed garlic, left to grill on that side, before turning them over to brown the garlic. Delicious!

We even got to have a toast – Castle Lite has all of the alcohol and half the kiljoules! So one bottle counts as one unit = one for me, two for the Boyfriend. Cheers!

Polyvore

2011-02-07T17:27:00.004+02:00

It's like paper dolls for grown-ups! According to the website, Polyvore is the "largest community of tastemakers where people can discover their style and set trends around the world". So you can be the stylist, art director and designer, creating an editorial layout fit for the pages of a fashion magazine. Inspire and get inspired.

Healthy banana & apple muffins

2011-02-06T20:42:00.005+02:00

After an indulgent festive season, I'm always on the look-out for healthy snacks to take to the office (and that will satisfy my sweet tooth!). So I made these banana and apple muffins with wholewheat flour. They're very tasty (especially still warm from the oven, as my boyfriend can attest, after three in a row!) with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

5/6 apples, grated (Perfect for those overripe, floury apples you're not keen on eating anymore.)
2/3 soft, overripe bananas, mashed
2 cups Krakley wheat flour (This one has a nutty taste and texture, but you could go with anything wholewheat, like a cup of oatbran and a cup of brown.)
7ml baking powder
5ml bicarb/baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
100g butter
250g brown sugar

How to make

Cream the sugar and melted butter together. Add mashed bananas and blend.
Include eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine dry ingredients.
Stir in grated apple, then add dry ingredients slowly, mixing well.
Grease a muffin pan and bake at 180ºC for around 15 minutes, until browned/firm to touch/testing fork comes out clean/muffins have moved away from the edge of pan/all of the above.
Allow to rest, before cooling on a rack.

Summery Smoked Angel Fish

2011-02-06T20:22:00.007+02:00

A relaxed Friday evening with perfect weather and a delicious dinner – delicate, flavourful smoked angel fish (from a stall at the The Biscuit Mill/Neighbourhood Goods Market), crunchy-skinned baked potatoes, a simple salad (sweet cherry tomatoes, chunks of cucumber, red onion, feta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and a chilled glass of buttery La Colombe unwooded chardonnay.

Worm Farm

2011-02-06T19:31:00.004+02:00

South Africa, sadly, is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to recycling. In relation to the population, there's a small percentage of conscious consumers that make an effort. I'm occassionally comforted to spot craft made of recycled goods, hear the muncipality is collecting recycling in certain suburbs or seeing a recycling depot open in a community. We have an independent, non-profit recycling company that we pay to collect plastic, glass and paper weekly, but have been wanting to get a worm farm for our organic matter. (If you're in Cape Town, check out Abundance Recycling here.) There are quite a few out there, of varying sizes and prices, but I found this worm farm from Global Worming! It came with compost and worms in the middle box, and we could start putting in scraps immediately (though it mentioned in the instructions that the worms may not eat at first and lose some weight "from the stress of travel"!). Two weeks later, and the worms seem to be thriving. The weather's been very warm, so we keep showering them with water to keep the environment nice and damp. Apparently worms eat upwards, so once we've filled the middle box, we'll begin on the top one, and they'll move upstairs, leaving freshly made compost for the garden. The tap at the bottom is for "worm tea" – a civilised colonial drink especially for plants!

Sweet Bloggers

2011-02-06T18:22:00.008+02:00

There are so many bloggers out there creating delicious treats, like this one by Greens n Chocolate. I love brownies, and this Mississippi Mud Brownie looks like heaven. (I look forward to checking out her healthier savoury recipes too – to balance things out!) Thanks to Sweet Like Sugar Cookies and Alli n Son sweet tooth link-ups, scouring the blogosphere and sharing the sweetest recipes. Happy baking!

Red velvet cupcakes hit the supermarket

2011-02-06T18:01:00.006+02:00

I received a picture from my sister (mother to the cutest baby ever!), who lives in England, this morning – Red Velvet Cupcakes (see my recipe here) now available at Tescos!

My Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-02-03T16:05:00.011+02:00

So I found the red velvet cupcake recipe I was after and made them for my birthday picnic this weekend - a hot, happy picnic on The Beaumont's wine farm, followed by a swim in their dam. They were a success and some of the most delicious I've tasted, if I say so – a real "showstopper" as my boyfriend's mom called them. I'll definitely be making them again.

Some red velevet history...
Most recipes nowadays use red food coloring, but the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red "anthocyanin" in the cocoa. Before more alkaline, processed cocoa was widely available, the red color would have been more pronounced. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "Red Velvet" or "Devils Food" as it's also known. When foods were rationed during World War II, bakers used boiled beetroots to enhance the colour of their cakes. Boiled grated beetroots or beetroot baby food are found in some red velvet cake recipes.

*Recipe notes:
This is supposed The Magnolia Bakery cupcake recipe. It said it made 36, but I got 28 good-sized cupcakes out. You could probably stretch it to 30. I adapted the recipe slightly, as the traditionally "frosting" is made with cream cheese, but I made a plain butter icing, which was enjoyed and complimented the sponge.

Ingredients:

3 ⅓ cups cake flour (It says, "not self-rising" but that's all I had and they worked out okay!)
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (I couldn't find unsalted butter, so I just put less salt in.)
2 ¼ cups sugar (I used castor sugar.)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons red food coloring (The recipe calls for 6 tablespoons! Thankfully I ran out at round about 4, because I can't imagine how red they would have turned out!)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups buttermilk
1½ teaspoons cider vinegar
1½ teaspoons baking soda (bicarb)

How to make:

Preheat oven to 200ºC.
In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another small or jug, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring jug, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter into a greased muffin try filled with cupcake cases. Bake each tray for 20 minutes. Remove from the pans when they've stood for a bit, then cool completely on a wire rack.

(Original recipe courtesy of http://www.grouprecipes.com)

Butter Icing*
Ingredients:

150g butter, softened
250g icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tsp hot water

How to make:

Put the butter and icing sugar in a bowl and beat well. Add the vanilla extract, plus enough hot water to make a smooth consistency.

*Should make enough to cover 12 cupcakes. It's better to make smaller batches of icing – too much butter turns the icing yellow, rather than the white you're after.

Baby Accessories

2011-02-02T15:26:00.002+02:00

I may be a wee bit biased, but I think this is the cutest little munchkin on the planet, my niece Olivia. Here she is at about 4 and a half months with the most squeezable cheeks around wearing the dearest head band (a Christmas gift from her friend, Ella)! I have this pic pinned up above my desk and I can't stop looking at it, so I had to share. Humour me.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-01-27T12:22:00.005+02:00

I'm in search of the perfect red vanilla cupcake recipe. I had this delicious specimen on my birthday earlier this year...

... Yes, it was from Magnolia Bakery, so I'm aware I can't compete. Nevertheless, I'm going to do some experimenting. Will report back.

Put A Bird On It

2011-01-25T08:56:00.002+02:00

Hilarious commentary on current design trend – "just put a bird on it!" (via Myloveforyou blog)

Purple in print

2011-01-24T20:00:00.006+02:00

Purple was my pre-teen colour of the 90's, and whether I overdid it a little there (purple and blue duvet set with matching sponging on the walls may have done it!) I grew out of love with purple. But it's growing on me more and more (yes, I know I may be picking up on this one a season too late, but I had an aversion). Purple can be very striking in print, or worn as a statement colour (my mum has a fabulous signature, rich purple coat). Below, is the print I donned for work today – a mini blouse dress in a sheer satin, with a waisted tie belt picked up on my trip to England in December.

My Mum's purple coat reminded me of a poem she loves that has become one of my favourites, "Warning" by Jenny Jospeh.

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along the public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick the flowers in other people's gardens
and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
or only bread and pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
and pay our rent and not swear in the street
and set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Today is Super

2011-01-24T19:50:00.004+02:00

I found this cute journal in one of my favourite stores, Anthropologie, when I was in New York earlier this year. Whimsical and childish, I hope to make good use of the pages (especially the expenses and to-do list, but also the daily doodles...)

Moreish Potato Skins

2011-01-24T17:23:00.005+02:00

This weekend, I experimented with making potato skins. I filled them with guacamole, spicy tomato salsa, grated mature cheddar and sour cream – the effect was a light, delicious explosion of textures and flavours. While a little more work than I expected, they were really seriously enjoyed by guests and come highly recommended. I would definitely make them again!

Here's how to make them:

Slather large potatoes in olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and bake as usual.(Bargain on at least 2 per person.) Once golden brown and soft on the inside (you may want to turn them), remove from the oven and allow to cool for a while so you can handle them. Halve and remove the flesh with a teaspoon (set it aside, I've got another recipe* for it!), keeping the skins intact. Return them to the baking sheet, hollows facing downwards. Sprinkle with some more salt (go easy depending on how much you put on originally) and paprika or a herb of your choice. Brush with a little more olive oil and place under a hot grill. When they look like they've darkened (watch them, this can happen quickly), remove from the oven and allow to cool a little. You'll find they crisp up even more as they cool. Fill with whatever you want, but I highly recommend the Mexican inspired ingredients I used.

Try this simple tomato salsa:

For a salsa for four people, finely chop half a red onion, half a sweet red pepper, and a variety of ripe tomatoes (I like plum cherry tomatoes and larger rosa tomatoes). Add salt and pepper to taste plus real chilli or Tabasco to suit your palette. You'll find it needs some acidity, so add a drop of lemon juice or white wine/apple cider vinegar. Leave in the fridge so the flavours and juices can combine.

* So, you have some cooked spud flesh – and lots of it if you've made the skins for a few people! There are lots of options, from a rough mash that can be slathered in gravy or the makings of a potato suffle, to potato rosties, which is what I made. I sauteed half a white onion until soft and transparent, adding two cloves of crushed garlic near the end. I mashed this into the potato (the flesh of about 8 large potatoes) with some salt, pepper and a teaspoon of mixed herbs. I'm yet to perfect the rosti, so I decided to make one big one! I used our large Le Creuset skillet, oiled it lightly and patted the potatoes down, sprinkling a layer of grated Parmesan on top. I put the skillet on a medium-hot stove top to brown the bottom of the rosti, before putting it into the oven to brown the top. It was delicious, served with marinated lamb chops grilled on the braai, and a rough Greek salad.

&Union

2011-01-24T16:37:00.003+02:00

Had the most delicious pulled pork sandwich at &Union on Friday night, accompanied by their world-class artisanal beer. Two words: do it.

Fashion Friday's Florals

2011-01-21T12:10:00.010+02:00

I picked up this beautiful skirt on the Anthropologie sale this last trip. They do the most gorgeous prints. The pencil skirt is a great cut, and this fabric has a forgiving stretch.

The vintage brooch I found in a vintage store in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. It's a place you could get lost in – rows of vintage jewelry, crockery, glassware, furniture... This one is vintage Kramer – also known as Kramer New York, known as a leader in making fine costume jewelry. They first used the Kramer mark around 1943, and produced jewelry using quality rhinestones until they went out of business in 1980.

Ribbons and bows

2011-01-20T21:57:00.005+02:00

This gorgeous large black and cream rosette (from Dorothy Perkins in the UK) can be worn as a brooch or a hair accessory. I wore at the collar of a sheer, black, button-up shirt-blouse.

Do-It-Yourself Braai Toasties

2011-01-20T17:59:00.004+02:00

What weekend of warm weather and balmy, still evenings would be complete without a braai? Last weekend, we stopped off at the Kloof Street butcher for some delicious marinated kudu steaks. I made my signature lentil, red onion, basil and tomato salad plus a simple green salad (with superb leaves), some baked potatoes and these: braai pita toasties. Fill a couple of mini pitas with butter, crushed garlic and fresh herbs (optional – I chose thyme, a favourite). Place on a cool part of the grill until golden.

Wandering Long Street

2011-01-20T14:42:00.007+02:00

During my lunch-time stroll around town, and general appreciation of the Mother City, I came across a new building I hadn't spotted before. It's located towards lower Long Street, near The Grand Daddy Hotel.

It's wedged between two tatty-looking, off-white blocks...

It's called Merchants. Look at that huge window and gold lettering. An inner-city gem.

Fashion Friday's Red-hot Look

2011-01-14T14:10:00.013+02:00

While not the bravest colourist, I think a red day dress against tanned skin with classic accessories, looks amazing. (Inspiration courtesy of The Sartorialist's shot.) So I found one for my Friday Lust Look, all from of the fabulous Joy store I mentioned yesterday.

Check out local blogger, Being Brazen's, take on the red dress here.

Shopping for Joy

2011-01-13T15:36:00.012+02:00

I got this cute little hat (plus loads of other quirky, cool gifts and nic nacs) from a gorgeous store called Joy in Soho, London. A lust list to follow soon.

Chicken Soup

2011-01-13T10:11:00.006+02:00

My boyfriend has Man Flu. When I was sympathising with his symptoms, saying, "I know, that's exactly how I felt last week." He said, shocked, "Oh really?! I didn't know it was this bad!" Well, no, he wouldn't have known, because I was a woman about it! So last night, I made him hearty, healthy chicken soup. There are so many recipe variations out there, but here's a pretty simple one – recommended by the patient!

Ingredients:

Pack of chicken breasts
2 Medium white onions
2 Sticks of celery
Punnet of mushrooms
Packet of mushroom soup
Garlic
Flat leaf parsley
Thyme, fresh or dried
2 Bay leaves
Egg noodles
Salt and black pepper

How to make:
Heat the oven to 180ºC. In an oven-proof dish, place the chicken breasts, drizzled with olive oil, salt, thyme and crushed garlic. Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender. Set aside to rest. In the meantime, finely chop the onions and let them simmer and soften gently with a bit of oil in your soup pot. Add the chopped celery and do the same. When softened, add two cloves of crushed garlic and mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to soften and release their juices, and add about 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Mix the packet soup with boiling water and add about 6 cups of water (depending on your taste and consistency preference). Stir in the shredded chicken, bay leaves and the noodles. Allow to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the noodles are ready. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in some more chopped parsley and serve.

Homecoming Queen

2011-01-09T12:20:00.005+02:00

So I have unpacked (well, almost everything), done four loads of washing, spent time in the garden, napped and acclimatised, but until I'd stocked the fridge and started cooking, I knew it wouldn't really felt like I was "home". I thought my boyfriend would appreciate some fresh produce on his return, so I set to work on a menu.

I baked a vanilla sponge cake with tart lemon icing for tea when his mom dropped him off from the airport. For lunch, we had spicy chourizo and chickpea soup with crispy baguette. A dinner approached, the apartment was filled with the smell of roast chicken and garlic, and buttery roast potatoes. I made the asparagus pictured, drizzled with olive oil, topped with a soft poached egg and sprinkled with Parmesan for starters. A subtle, light taste combination that I highly recommend. The garlic roast chicken was served on a bed of leeks with the roast potatoes and accompanied by a chilled glass of chardonnay. The perfect way to conclude a hot summer day and a happy holiday. Back to work tomorrow.

Coming home

2011-01-08T11:48:00.000+02:00

I have returned home from an amazing trip to England and America, complete with snow, new friends, food, shopping and adventure – all the things that make winter travel in the northern hemisphere at Christmastime so magical. I spent time with my family, caught a snowflake in my mouth, ate cake for breakfast, walked the streets flat, drank too much, stayed up late, tried new foods, welcomed the New Year in at a restaurant in New York City, threw snowballs, marvelled at architecture and window dressings, and spent all my money. I would do it all over again.

Gorgeous design

2010-12-08T12:17:00.003+02:00

I think it's inspiring and fun to see what people are doing with wedding invitations – the possibilities for personalised stationary are endless. I stumbled upon the local me&e design collaboration, who are doing magical things from websites to weddings. I'm definitely putting them in my address book.

Cath Kidston Wishlist

2010-12-06T16:54:00.011+02:00

So after blogging about how much I love Cath Kidston's stuff, I took a look at what was on offer... and as usual, I fell in love. Again and again. So, here's my top 10 on my Christmas wishlist.

Messenger bag (I love the contrast of the antique rose floral with the striped strap.)
Floral phone case (Practical meets pretty.)
Sheepskin slippers ("with corsage" – bless!)
Cherry umbrella (I love "birdcage" umbrellas – especially see-through ones so you can watch the rain – they somehow give you more coverage. Even though this one says it's for children, I think that's totally debatable!!)
Laptop sleeve (Who doesn't love polka dots? And the leather zip detail is great.)
Rose business card holder (Every busy girl needs one. What a brilliant stocking filler.)
Holiday bag (So useful, a real investment (all those things I say when I buy a new bag!) and it would go perfectly with...)
... this Travel set (A great gift – perfect for the jetsetter. Also available in polka dot print!)
Provence rose cup and saucer set and cake stand (The name says enough – her crockery is so cute, it's hard to pick one and I love cake stands, too. I would obviously need one to match the teacups, obviously. Okay, technically these are two items so this list has gone up to 11!)
Sewing basket (Because I sew... Okay, sometimes... Okay, I may be getting carried away!)

Festive fever

2010-12-06T16:30:00.006+02:00

Looking for festive inspiration, I found Eat Drink Chic. The gorgeous blog is hard to leave! I can't wait to get stuck into the DIY section. And the blog's author is a fan of Cath Kidston which says something about her impeccable vintage kitsch taste. (BTW – How quaint are Kidston's holiday designs?!)

For more commercial Christmas ideas, I also found Hostess With the Mostess.

My life would be complete with these...

2010-12-06T15:29:00.009+02:00

These gorgeous Love Bird Salt & Pepper shakers – "Love, Rest, Dream, Nest". What a fabulous local blog and online shop – In Good Company! I definitely will be spending some Christmas love here. I mean a whole section on ribbons!

Pink brogues

2010-12-03T12:39:00.004+02:00

It's been a rather dark week with long hours and high stress levels over deadline, but my new dusty pink brogues from Mr Price brightened my day yesterday (and for just R69.99, noggal!).

Gorgeous gift cards

2010-12-03T12:09:00.005+02:00

I got to spend a lovely evening with the fabulous girls of my Book Club, and managed to top up on Baby Birdie's favourite gift cards from entrepreneur StrawberryJan –Bluebird, LoveBird and Tweetingbird. Check out her other gorgeous designs, plus Christmas cards and tags, and order online here.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T11:44:00.004+02:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, a tradition of gratitude that really appeals to me and that I've celebrated for a few years (despite having never experienced it in the States). A year ago, my overseas family was visiting and we spent Thanksgiving together. It turned out, that my sister was only a few days pregnant at the time, so a year later, we have a gorgeous new addition to the family to be thankful for.

I started a tradition of bringing in sweet treats to our office for Thanksgiving in 2008. Everyone has to write down something they're thankful for in order to receive! I then type up all the gratitudes – anonymously! – and stick them up around the office. I'm always amazed how hard it is for people to think of something they're grateful for at first, but once they do, the thanks keeps flowing and there's really a feeling of good will in the air.

It was my mother (and Oprah!) who instilled an attitude of gratitude in me, which – ha ha! – I'm very grateful for! Taking time to tally your thanks really puts things into perspective.

Funny luggage tags

2010-11-23T14:06:00.010+02:00

My holiday obsession in full, swing, I found these quirky luggage tags here. Definitely think I'll be ordering some – they make great stocking fillers too.

Baggage

2010-11-23T09:43:00.005+02:00

I got some amazing news today. No, not that I'm getting promoted, an above-inflation raise or a 13th cheque. No, I haven't lost 5 kilos. Nope I didn't win anything. I found out that my luggage restriction for my trip overseas is 23kg. But, that's not all. Between the two of us, we're allowed THREE CASES! 69kg!!!!!! I am consumed with thoughts of how many baby grows I can fit on the way there for my niece, and how many shoes I can bring back after the Christmas sales!

December 16 – The Departure Date – is a mere three weeks away, but it's felt like an eternity with all that needs to be done before now. Let the excitement begin!

My dream room

2010-11-22T10:49:00.004+02:00

I get misty eyed just thinking about the the scene in Sex & The City movie when Mr Big remodels the (bee-ootiful) New York loft so that Carrie has every girl's dream: a walk-in closet. Every morning when my boyfriend and I queue for the hanging space, circling each other in our underwear-clad morning dance, searching amongst the compressed garments for a blouse, which is hidden under a shirt because I have to put a few things on one hanger, I think to myself, My life would be complete with a walk-in cupboard.

This weekend I did the seasonal swop – despite the rain and grey clouds, steadfastly switching winter coats and jerseys for bikinis and shorts; making a pile of clothes I didn't wear once this season to give away. I like my cupboards to be tidy, if cramped, so getting things organised and rediscovering something that was shoved to the back of a drawer can be a liberating experience. But I've been putting it off because it's a pretty time consuming puzzle working out where everything fits and folding and stacking and hanging, and, well, I'd rather be napping, or reading, or going for a walk, or having a sundowner or doing a headstand, anything else really on my precious Sunday.

So instead, I turned a rather uneventful weekend into a learning experience. I learnt...

To finish what I start – I'm prone to become so overwhelmed by the chaos I've created, that sitting on the couch seems like the only option at the time.
To get rid of something that I'm hanging onto because I like the idea of it.
Rose wine can really help clear your mind and help with the process.
Men don't understand this process, or why it has to take so long.
They are also far less sentimental about your stuff, so are good to ask when you're unsure whether to toss something.
You can stop after three biscuits.
To choose a Sunday with a dismal Sunday movie, so you're not tempted to give up and watch it.
Look at the big picture, and don't get lost in the details.

Posh Indian at Bombay Brasserie

2010-11-15T13:17:00.004+02:00

I reviewed Cape Town Taj's Bombay Brasserie on JP Roussouw's new site. Check it out here.

Image courtesy of www.tajcapetown.co.za

I do

2010-11-09T16:00:00.010+02:00

I love wedding blogs. While I believe in marriage, I believe more in commitment. And while I had day dreams about a wedding, I've never been desperate to be a bride. So this is not a life-long scrap book obsession culminating in one day; it's more a passion. I get lost in gorgeous wedding blogs, in wedding photographs and ideas. I'm a details person, so I do love and appreciate the sentiment and tradition (whether upheld or subverted in a quirky way), ritual and creative elements of a wedding. And I love seeing people's unique interpretations and how those are captured in great imagery.

One that I've enjoyed exploring, from its template and icons to its layout, pictures and inspiring ideas, is a local The Pretty Blog. And an all-time favourite is Snippet & Ink. Enjoy!

Introducing Olivia

2010-11-09T15:29:00.007+02:00

I've mentioned Narina's gorgeous Crazy Aunt creations before. Here's one that was made specially for my niece (7 week old) Olivia, who lives in England. Olivia herself was created in South Africa while her parents were on holiday here almost a year ago. I'll definitely be putting an order in with The Crazy Aunt Co for Christmas!

Time out

2010-11-09T14:53:00.003+02:00

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. – Carl Sandburg

The last few months have passed in a blur. I've watched three issues go to print and begun working on January 2011's issue already! I've welcomed a niece into the world and celebrated my boyfriend's milestone birthday. I've walked on a windy West Coast beach in Jakkalsfontein, and then seen the same beach from the air, flying over it in a helicopter. I've experienced the fickle change in seasons – basking in the sunshine and then running in from the rain. I've stayed in my pajamas till 10 on a Sunday, sweated on the treadmill, overindulged, laughed and cried and read a couple of books.

As the year draws to a close, I look forward to longer summer evenings and opening all the windows to listen to the city go still; to wrapping up a decade, focusing on the final stretch and reaping the rewards of holiday with family; and to welcoming a new year. I like new starts, cleans pages, beginnings. But, I'm determined during this silly season, not to let it go by in a blur. I will blog.

The perfect way to start the day...

2010-08-20T12:35:00.003+02:00

The perfect way to start a bright Friday and get ready for the weekend – coffee and an almond croissant from Jardine on Bree's impressive bakery.

Spicy, hearty, easy homemade cassoulet

2010-08-19T10:25:00.005+02:00

Ingredients:

Potatoes (to bake)
Pork sausages (or whatever your preference)
Garlic (About 2 cloves, crushed)*
Chilli (About 1 to 2 tsp fresh or dried flakes)*
Onion, diced finely
1tsp Garam Masala
2stp Dried herbs
1tsp sugar
Salt & pepper
tin of kidney beans & tin of butter beans (or whatever your preference)
2 tins of tomato

*Haven’t prescribed amounts (I have a propensity for chilli and garlic, they basically make the world go around), but I guess I’d say two cloves of garlic and 1tsp chilli would be good for your first attempt.

How to make:
Turn on oven to around 180ºC and put potatoes in to bake while you prepare cassoulet. In casserole dish, fry pork sausages on stove top, browning. Remove, slice and set aside. In same casserole dish, add a little more oil and saute onions, adding garlic and chilli when onions have softened a bit. Then stir in herbs and masala and add sliced sausage back. Add the tinned tomatoes, sugar, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes then stir in beans, put the lid (or some tinfoil) over the casserole dish and bake for about half an hour. Serve over piping-hot, crispy baked potato met a glassie rooi wein.

Love is...

2010-08-18T16:39:00.002+02:00

i carry your heart with me

2010-08-18T16:16:00.001+02:00

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Edward Estlin Cummings

Gorgeous Gifts

2010-08-11T14:49:00.001+02:00

The perfect, personalised gifts for my friend's two year old, Rylee, thanks to the talented Crazy Aunt Narina. Check out her blog and more gorgeous creations here.

The Biscuit Mill

2010-08-10T14:03:00.001+02:00

The Neighbour Goods Market forms the Saturday ritual of many foodie Capetonians and trendy tourists alike. So, like a good tour guide, I initiated another visiting friend with a trip to the B-Mill. The overcast weather was a blessing, as it had kept away the hoards, though I was still elbowed and trodden on enough times to make me feel like I got the full experience. Speaking of experiences, you have to go hungry and I wasn't disappointed with a lamb souvlaki made by the chuckling-authentic-Greek-guy, and amazing cinnamon and caramalised sugar crepe for dessert, washed down with a lemon iced tea.

The visit was concluded with a trip to my favourite stall, Skermunkil Design Studio, for the beautiful, heart-shaped pendant – a little Women's Day giftie for moi – I've been lusting after!

Sushi at Kyoto Garden

2010-08-10T12:13:00.001+02:00

For this week's date night, we went in search of sushi. The craving had spoken and we were determined not to fall into our old comfortable routine of reliably delicious sushi at the Waterfront's Willoughby's or hole-in-the-wall Minatos and to try something new. It was a challenge to think of somewhere that was a dress-up, date-night venue, but that didn't have the price tag of Nobu or the dusty reputation of Tank. Kyoto Gardens in Tamboerskloof (around the corner from Rafiki's and opposite Miller's Thumb) is somewhere we'd wanted to try for a while.

I'd read in comments on JP Roussouw's site, that the service was slow and indifferent, but, thankfully, that's not what we experienced. The waiter was efficient and the food came quickly (we'll overlook that the restaurant was quite quiet!). The cocktails were delicious, fresh and well balanced – a must! The main courses were exotic (and expensive), but we were there for the sushi. To start, we ordered the paper-thin "Tempura Light", which had been recommended. We went for the prawn and scallop tempura (only one of each so not ideal for sharing!), with melt-in-your-mouth aubergine, broccoli and sweet potato tempura, and the mushroom and seaweed salad with a perfect, fresh wasabi-soy sauce accompaniment.

Following more recommendations, we ordered the red salmon sashimi, which was little more textured than Norwegian, and yellow-fin tuna (they were all out of the big-eye tuna we were after and we certainly weren't ordering the blue fin – tsk tsk!) sashimi, Alaskan crab sushi and eel sushi. The waiter grated real wasabi root, which was sharp and hot and far more tasty than the horse-radish-like lurid green wasabi on offer. The soy sauce itself was delicious – obviously different to the watery, salty liquid at some sushi restaurants – and the waiter explained that it was full-flavour, high-soy content Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Good to know!

The strange owner, mentioned in most reviews and comments, was around, but only in the background, delivering packets of what looked like wine and produce from his double-parked car. This disorganisation may explain why two of the white wines we ordered weren't available, but we were graciously given two glasses of decidedly-average white wine on the house for the inconvenience.

Desserts sounded delicate and light, but our meal was concluded with warm saki, though we overheard a couple next to us raving about the green tea ice cream.

With expertly-presented quality ingredients, expect an adventurous, exotic menu and prices to match your carbon footprint ~ Kyoto Garden Sushi, Tamboerskloof, 021 422 2001

Before & After: The Writing Desk

2010-08-06T17:03:00.001+02:00

BEFORE I found this gorgeous little writing bureau while trawling the haberdasheries of the northern suburbs with talented creative Narina of The Crazy Aunt Company. We had a wonder in Die Handelshuis, a second-hand furniture store with everything from ceramic dogs, authentic leather biker jackets to huge velvet love seats dying to be recovered and placed in a trendy, sexy Cape Town bar. For sustenance, we stopped in at the coffee shop called La Cute at the back of the dusty shop, for some moer koffie and cinnamon pancakes. And there was the writing desk... We both fell in love with it instantly! It has such gorgeous proportions and personality. Sadly (or happily since it led to a new project), the paint job had much to be desired...

AFTER Removing the wooden knobs that we wanted to keep their lovely, rich, worn brown colour, we sanded the cupboard down with a small hand sander, until it was really smooth and some of the wood was exposed. I painted a coat of white oil paint and we sanded it again, exposing some of the blue and wood, making it look weathered and distressed.

It's great to have somewhere to store paperwork and unattractive, miscellaneous files and cables, as well as having all our stationary in one place. This little writing desk is the perfect addition to our small study that has a simple trestle table, dominated by our computer and printer, and a modern square-framed book case.

Hand-embroidered Foldable Tote

2010-08-06T12:22:00.000+02:00

There's nothing like a hand-made, one-of-a-kind piece. Find out how to make this cute, hand-embroidered foldable tote (how useful!), courtesy of QueenAndCorgi's Alex, on her site here.

Weekend snacks: Pita crisps

2010-08-06T11:48:00.000+02:00

These pita crisps are amazing snacks to have with a wedge of cheese, dipped in humus or tzatziki or with a bit of pate slathered on top. I love taking them on picnics. Plus it's always cool (if you are sharing them!) to offer guests a snack that looks homemade!

Directions Halve pitas and then slice them open and cut them into triangles. Make a mixture of dried herbs, sea salt and olive oil to baste one side of the pitas with. Cook slowly until golden (you gotta watch them, but about fifteen minutes) in about 160º oven.

Proudly African

2010-08-06T11:30:00.000+02:00

Porcelain African continent on brown felt ribbon, courtesy of Keyna-B. More like a trophy pin – I love that!

Beautiful Patterns

2010-08-06T10:07:00.001+02:00

A selection of gorgeous and inspiring patterns by Julia Rothman. Such a great mix of colours, retro-damask-floral chic and quirky illustration.

Before & After: The Cupboard

2010-08-05T11:12:00.000+02:00

I decided to fix up this piece of furniture – once my aunt's cupboard when she was a teenager in the Fifties (my mum remembers climbing into her older sister's cupboard when she was little and playing records on her big sister's wind-up record player), reincarnated for my sister, and a decade later for me, as storage in our wendy house, and now as our hall coat cupboard.

I'd thought of putting material on the cupboard doors, but wanted something really special, unusual and versatile (read expensive). While browsing a material shop, I got the idea of using lace, but finding something special enough, that wasn't shiny ice white and an ugly repeated pattern, was a challenge.

In my opinion, the only good use for net curtains is never their intended purpose – as curtains! I found the last piece on a bale, with really pretty flower vine running down it. After measuring the width of the doors and deciding how I wanted the vines to run on either panel, I attempted cutting the lace netting. Getting it perfectly straight was a challenge (specially with an inquisitive kitty who wanted in on the action!), so I folded it in half, and half again, and pegged it in an attempt to stop the slippery fabric from moving.

Preparation I got a piece of masonite to do a test piece to a) chose a colour (it was between white and an off-white-cream, which ended up making the lace look dirty), b) see whether the lace would work at all to create interest and texture at all and c) discover whether the paint would work as adequate glue to stick the lace in place. I enlisted a trusty helper to sand the cupboard down!

Painting First step was painting a layer of white undercoat, letting it dry, giving it a light sand until smooth before painting on a layer of white oil paint. Using oil paint meant I didn't need to varnish it. It went on very easily and gave good coverage (I suspect because of the white undercoat). I also didn't want it to be perfect gloss, but to have some imperfections, so I didn't do a second coat. One layer on the door panels, and I stuck the fabric on. Tip: work fast – if you do have to peel up and reapply the lace straight, do it fast. The paint seems to shrink the fabric.

Finishing touches The inspiration for keeping the refurbishment simple and classic, was really this door knob, which I wanted to be the feature. I love interesting door knobs, and found this one in New York at one of my favourite stores Anthropologie. I picked up the colour of the knob, by adding a hint of turquoise on the finishes, in all cracks and grooves. I hand sanded the edges to expose some of the wood to make it look aged and antiqued.

Button Up

2010-08-02T18:03:00.001+02:00

I love how quirky button brooches can change and develop an outfit by adding a new facet. These are some from Skinny Laminx that I added to a formal, tailored grey wool blazer.

Featherweight

2010-08-02T18:00:00.000+02:00

Simple, classic, elegant – all the things that make a gorgeous accessory.

Brunch @ The Bromwell

2010-08-02T17:22:00.000+02:00

Weekends are made for lazy mornings and delicious brunches. On Saturday, we decided to try Bread at The Bromwell Boutique Mall in bustling Woodstock. Courtesy parking makes the whole experience much easier and we were welcomed by a burly-looking bouncer dressed in black – a first for a brunch spot. The downstairs space has been used well with a number of tables and gorgeous red booths – vibrant colours and patterns have been used freely throughout, with red being the signature colour.

The breakfast options were relatively limited and pricey on average. Our "truffle" scrambled egg, roasted tomato and (what looked decidedly like bacon) pancetta was R45 and it came with a little salad, which I thought was unnecessary. But you could tell they were pushing the gourmet envelope on eggs. I had immediate order envy when I saw the poached eggs encased in bread that the middle-aged tannies next to us ordered, though they were completely bemused when a seed encrusted tower arrived in front of them without an egg to be seen! The coffee was okay, if a little bitter, and neither of us ordered second cup.

We meandered up to the art gallery upstairs after breakfast. Well, meandered is a rather romantic description. One of the bouncers stopped us to check whether we were going upstairs. Apparently we needed to sign in (which involved him checking my drivers licence and taking down my details - for correspondence - on a scrap of paper). Once we'd gained access, we walked through the rooms arranged in a square-shape with the central section open to the restaurant and deli below. The works are varied, with a Top Billing show-home appeal – the contemporary afro-fusion twist on old ball & claw furniture, a bright African portrait in an ornate, guilded frame. A modern art gallery, judging from the product prices available on slick touch screen in every room, we are not the target market.

Back to the food. It seemed that the menu's focus was more on their Italian sandwiches and other main course selections. I was a little disappointed – the idea of a weekend deli in a destination venue (let me tell you I won't be popping by for a R18 000 artwork on a regular basis) means the experience needs to be compelling. Obviously, I never expect to do my grocery shopping – imported meats and cheeses and whatnot – at a deli so I'm not judging their selection or prices, but it's called "Bread" and we didn't leave with any. I want to be able to meander in, have a delicious breakfast (which I'm prepared to pay more for if I feel I'm getting an experience), not feel pressured to move on, before picking up a few key weekend ingredients from the deli.

Don't you worry, I mentioned this in the comments box.

Owl City

2010-07-30T16:46:00.000+02:00

An unusual tiered owl brooch, courtesy of colleague, occasional blogger, day-dreamer and fellow brooch-lover, Keyna B.

The Most Delicious Stir-fry, Like Ever

2010-07-29T16:09:00.001+02:00

On the menu in The Villa last night was mushroom, broccoli and pork stir-fry. It was an experimental recipe and came out so well, I thought it was worth sharing.

Ingredients

Fillet of pork
Asian Sweet & Sour sauce
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Fresh garlic, ginger and chillies
1 onion
2 punnets of mushrooms (go for different sizes like button and brown)
Spinach
Broccoli
Stir-fry oil (with a high burning point like peanut)
Asian noodles of your choice

Slice the pork and place in a dish, along with the halved and sliced onion, and a marinade mixture made of (approximate measurements, use your discretion): 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 2 teaspoons sweet & sour sauce, 60ml soy sauce, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 2 nubs crushed garlic. Allow to marinate while you slice and prepare other ingredients. Drain and save any excess marinade and fry the pork and onion mix in batches (so as to cook everything evenly and not overcrowd the wok) on a high heat. Remove and set aside. Add more oil and fry broccoli, adding the chillies and then the mushrooms with a little more sauce (you'll need more now, so mix the same ratios into whatever remained from the pork marinade). While the mushrooms fry, sweat and reduce, cook the noodles as the packet recommends (it's normally less than 10 minutes). When the liquid with the broccoli and mushrooms has reduced a little, add the spinach and let it wilt. Finally, add the pork, the rest of the marinade/sauce and the noodles. Mix and heat through. Serve and enjoy!

PS Let me know what you think of the recipe and how you would perfect/adapt the recipe.

Beautiful Brooches

2010-07-28T16:40:00.000+02:00

I love, love brooches. I especially love brooches in the shape of birds and hearts – my favourite motifs. Lucky for me, I work in an office with a handful of women (we are seriously outnumbered by high-fiving, in-joke sharing, sport-talking blokes) who like brooches too. I so appreciate every brooch I spot – the often simplified, iconic shapes and patterns, the use of colour and sparkle, how it's been combined with an outfit and how every brooch usually has its own story and journey. This one is real vintage, a hand-me-down from mother to daughter, striking on a turquoise coat.

My LookBook 2: Some of My Favourite Things

2010-07-27T17:07:00.000+02:00

Today's is one of those outfits composed of a few of my favourite accessories...

The colours – Red, white and navy. There's no US patriotism happening here, I just love the combination. Maybe it's a throwback from my teen years, with young, fresh-looking gorgeous Tommy Hilfiger models on my bedrooms walls. But I think it's the classic nautical theme. And I just plain love navy.
The stripes – I love stripes about as much as I love navy. This cardigan (nautical theme?) is one of my favourites.
The white shirt – Dressed up or down, there's nothing more classic or empowering than a tailored white shirt.
The scarf – A favourite accessory of mine, scarves are functional and stylish and I often use mine to add colour to an outfit. This one has sentimental value. It belonged to my late aunt who always looked immaculate and stylish. She wore bold, bright colours, which in my monochromatic world, I find inspiring. My sister chose it for me when she was sorting out my aunt's wardrobe after her death, because, of all the scraves, she thought this one said me. My sister, my mum and I all have one, each chosen for its appropriateness. I value the connection, to them and to my aunt.
The Postman belt – This vintage belt is a hand-me-down from my boyfriend. He bought it off a postman for R5 while he was at Rhodes University. I love how worn it is, I love its history and I love that it was his long before we met.
The ring – A gift from my boyfriend from the streets of Paris. I know, right?! We found a little jewelry shop (Metal Pontu) in the lanes, which makes interesting jewelry from recycled metals. We'd both promised ourselves – travelling on the rand – that we would only buy things we loved and classics we would keep forever and remember Paris by. We chose it together and this was his Paris for me.
The boots – It's such a cliche: "Invest in a good pair of boot". But these leather riding boots have been one of the most useful purchases. They've happily carried me through two seasons, on local and international streets and I love how they are wearing in. I remember the day I bought them, shopping with my mum and having buyer's remorse over the expense on my card, while we sat and had coffee. She lives far away and these boots, in a strange way, are an evocative link to her.

For the Love of Le Creuset

2010-07-01T23:13:00.002+02:00

There are many things I love about cooking. One of them is that I'm in control (usually, there was that time I put my lovely oven mits on a warm plate – it was off I'll have you know – and started smoking them). I'm seldom the sous chef, mostly in charge. I like to feel like I'm in control at least, and in the kitchen with the ingredients and the recipe and the ritual and the method, I can control my kingdom. And one of the satisfying things I love about cooking, is using the (sometimes nondescript) ingredients in the fridge to make something wonderful.

I went shopping on Sunday and bought what I thought were promising, practical ingredients for the week. Dependable basics that could be whipped up and adapted – stir fry ingredients or a salad, depending the mood and need. I made sure there were no risky, could-go-at-any-minute expiry dates, but everything was fresh and I knew I'd have to use them sometime this week. But it's been one of those weeks. Between deadline at work, the football and having foreign friends in town, Big Bird (The Boyfriend) and I haven't been home, let alone had time to make something from scratch, or even have a meal together. (My dinner last night consisted of biltong and Pringles, scoffed while getting ready in 20 minutes, and promptly followed by far too much alcohol.)

This evening, I got home from work at around 10pm, feeling tired and distracted, already thinking about all I have to do tomorrow. And the next day. I'd eaten at work and The Boyfriend was at dinner with friends, so the house was quiet and dark, except for our beloved Maine Coon, Leo, who was happy to love and be loved despite being abandoned all day. I opened the fridge and like Leo, I was greeted with forlorn looks from the jilted ingredients. So after watching the surprise discovery of an episode of "Sex & the City" (a lucky find, as I don't think I would have gotten away with it if remote-hogging The Boyfriend had been home!) I decided to whip up the ingredients into something we could take to work (oh, did I mention we have a birthday party tomorrow night, so we won't be home then either). I turned off the TV and put on some big band background music and began to chop. Incidentally, that's another reason why I love cooking – all the chopping and organised prepping. Must be something to do with control, again.

The result is a French shallot and leek soup with chunky, smoky bacon and garlic, of course. But – the kernel of the story – (I do tend to go off on a tangent) I feel relaxed. The ritual, the vigorous chopping (some might have said aggressive chopping) and the crying over the onions have all distracted and settled me. I could have read, but I do that all day for my job. I could have vegetated on the couch, but I fear I would never have been able to get up again. I could have packed away our washing, but, let's face it, that wouldn't have relaxed me. The smell of cooking has made everything familiar again. The house is still empty, but it feels warmer and fuller.

Sunday Roasts... Now Served on Tuesdays

2010-04-28T15:18:00.000+02:00

Public holidays on a Tuesday, while welcome, do kind of mess with your system. It felt decidedly like a Sunday yesterday, so in keeping with the mood (and because it was "Freedom Day" and I was freely avoiding the work I'd brought home) I made roast chicken. There's nothing like a lazy Sunday roast, served with a chilled glass of rose, enjoyed in the sunshine on a breathless autumn day...

This is a recipe I picked up from one of my mum's (The Mother Bird) friends, about a decade ago. Mrs Gardner (yes, incidentally, she does have very green fingers) was my music teacher, and more often than not, there was some delicious smell wafting into the music room during my afternoon classes. On this occasion (which I remember so vividly – it's amazing what your senses absorb) she went to baste the chicken and told me the recipe. Sprinkled with brown onion soup and doused in orange juice (plus fresh oranges are in season now) I've adapted the recipe slightly (adding garlic, which I love with everything), but it's so simple and makes a moist roast and gravy, without using any additional fat.

* whole bird, rinsed and patted dry
* 4 onions, quartered
* 1 orange, halved
* packet brown onion soup mix
* 2 garlic cloves
* orange juice

Place the chicken in a casserole dish. Crush the garlic and spread over the chicken. Quarter one half of the orange, and stuff in the bird's cavity with one or two quarters of onion. Scatter the rest of the onion around the bird. Liberally sprinkle the chicken with about half a packet of brown onion soup and pour orange juice over the chicken and onions, so the onions are covered (this will eventually form your gravy). Slice the other half of the orange into circles, and cover the top of the chicken to keep the skin moist and infuse with orange (completely optional if oranges out of season). Put the lid on and cook for about 40 minutes in 200ºC oven. Take off the lid, baste the bird with the juice and cook without the lid on for about 30 minutes (basting once or twice during that time). Remove from oven and take the orange slices off the chicken, sprinkle with some more soup mix, baste once more and then turn on the grill to crisp the skin. Once it's looking nice and brown, remove from the oven, place on a serving dish with the caramelised onions and strain the gravy through a sieve into a serving jug. Add a little boiling water and the rest of the brown onion soup mix to taste, stirring until thickened and smooth. I served this with gravy-coated rice and steamed marrows and patty pans. Bon appetit!

Basic Yummy Banana Bread

2010-04-28T13:46:00.003+02:00

I can't seem to control our bananas! They all ripen at once, going all soft and brown overnight. To make the most of the last disobedient bunch, that seemed to go brown as I unpacked them, I made this delicious banana bread. So we've had something delicious to snack on for tea the whole week. It's a variation on a standard banana bread recipe – I added some bran to give it texture and make it less cake and a little more wholesome (low-GI peace of mind, I guess!)

125g butter
1 cup brown sugar
4-5 ripe bananas (use more or less to taste – I had quite a few bananas, so I just doubled the recipe)
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup bran
2ml/half a tsp salt
1 tsp bicarb
1 tsp baking powder

Cream together butter and brown sugar, until blended and smooth. Add the mashed bananas. Beat in the eggs, one eat a time, combining well after each addition. Sift flour, salt, bicarb and baking powder and add bran. Stir into liquid mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.* Pour into a greased loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake for 45 minutes at 180ºC (or 15 to 20 minutes for muffins) until loaf comes away from the sides and is springy to touch. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and turn onto rack to cool completely. TIP Sprinkle the top with brown sugar before baking (or about 10 minutes before getting it out the oven) for a crispy top.

*I always think afterwards that it would taste great with pecan or walnuts, so add some chopped ones here, if you'd like.

If, like me, you can't stand eating oozing, sticky bananas, but you just can't bear throwing things out either, here's a really simple, delicious and low-fat banana smoothie great for breakfast or as an after-dinner sweet drink: blend ice, bananas, milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon until creamy.

My LookBook1: Only Boys Wear Blue

2010-04-15T14:27:00.000+02:00

I woke to the sound of rain being whipped against the window by gusts of wind. Like most mornings, rain or not, I could think of nothing better than staying in bed all day. And, like most mornings, I attempt to remain under the covers for as long as I possibly can, by planning what I'm going to wear that day, rationalising that it'll save time later.

It normally starts with shoes, which are dictated to by the needs of the day (Meetings? Will I be walking anywhere? Going for a drink after work?) and the weather. I decided today was a brogue day. And so the rest of my outfit was born. I love wearing my boyfriend jeans with brogues; love the combination of blue and tan and love incorporating more masculine clothes into stylish, feminine work looks! Following the emerging theme, the most sensible and natural choice was my boyfriend's light blue shirt, cinched in at the waist with a cream and tan belt. I accessorised with silver bangles, delicate leaf-shaped earrings and one of my favourite hats – a wool, checked fedora in grey, blue and tan – that I picked up in a thrift store in Pennsylvania. It's amazing how an outfit can change your mood. Today, I feel comfortable, confident and in control.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Thing...

2010-04-15T13:20:00.000+02:00

Don't you love starting something new? Whether it's a book, a bottle of wine or a romance, there's something beautiful about beginnings. I've been wanting to begin this for a while. Blogging, I mean. I deal with words all day, sitting at my Mac in the corner of the office (follow the dry wall warren as far as you can go and you'll find me there). But they're usually other people's words, that I'm moulding and shaping for the men's magazine I work on.

So I've been torn between wanting to escape into a creative space all of my own, and escape from my computer all together; to get outside and breathe in some fresh air or the pages of a musty book. In my search for balance, however, I strive to fill my life with joyful, interesting, inspiring, stylish, creative, fun and tasty things. Join me as I record the things around me that I love and am passionate about – from fashion to food, wine to words, restaurants to running and making beautiful things to wear, eat and drink. (Mostly to eat!)