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According to Larousse (page 212), the original Charlotte dessert was inspired by the English summer pudding and was created to honour Queen Charlotte. It was made with a thick apple purée, flavoured with lemon and cinnamon and poured into a mould lined with bread and then baked. It was served warm with a cold custard cream. … Continue reading Charlotte Russe
The braai, the big divider and unifier of South Africa. The first debate about the braai (BBQ to my non South African readers) is charcoal or wood. And once you have come to the conclusion that wood is the way to go, the type of wood you are going to use is the next big … Continue reading Braai Broodjies | Sandwiches For The BBQ
Larousse Gastronomique (page 598) defines lamingtons as 'a small Australian cake, made from a square of sponge coated in chocolate icing and dipped in desiccated coconut' (abbreviated). Skip ahead to the recipe for Lamingtons The cakes are named after Lord Lamington who was the governor of Queensland from 1896-1901. The idea is to soak sponge … Continue reading Lamingtons
Sometimes a favour turns into anything but. A friend of ours has 2 fox terriers. The bitch is 9 months old and when she was nearly due to come on heat we offered to look after their male dog while she was in the mating phase. This coincided with him going to hospital but before he … Continue reading Sourdough Focaccia
I made my own spice blend for this Chicken And Paneer Stir Fry recipe, as part of the Daring Cooks challenge. The Kadhai Sauce is a wet spice blend, essential to this dish. The other morning I woke up to over 100 emails in my inbox. For me this means they landed on my tablet … Continue reading Chicken And Paneer Stir Fry
I did not want to sit out this month's Daring Bakers' challenge, even though I have so many tarte tatin recipes on my blog, both sweet and savoury. I also had planned on making my own pastry, but decided it would be more prudent and cost saving to use what I already had in my freezer. … Continue reading Fig Tarte Tatin
A few years ago if you had offered me oats for breakfast I would have said "no thank you". But now, any winter morning is good for oats. Dave and I were watching a program on Glen Grant Distillery which is in Scotland, and the master distiller stated that whisky is a good drink after … Continue reading Whisky Oats
Looking for a delicious bite to add to your picnic basket? Look no further than these Vietnamese Picnic Rolls. Living so close to the beach a picnic near the waves is easy to organize. The first thing I pack is my king sized towel which ensures that sand does not get onto the food and … Continue reading Vietnamese Picnic Rolls
Blog-checking lines: The January Daring Cooks Challenge will ensure that no matter where in the world you are, you will have a bit of snow! Kim from Ask a Foodie challenged us to make Ouefs à la Neige, or “Eggs in Snow”. I made floating islands using fructose. Skip ahead to the recipe for Floating … Continue reading Floating Islands
Blog-checking lines: For the month of December, Andrea from 4pure took us on a trip to the Netherlands. She challenged us to take our taste buds on a joyride through the land of sugar and spice by baking three different types of Dutch sweet bread Gingerbread. When I was at school, we were taught in our mother … Continue reading Gingerbread
Blog-checking lines: The November Daring Bakers' challenge took us for a ride! Luisa from Rise of the Sourdough Preacher challenged us to make Paris-Brest, a beautiful pastry celebrating the famous bicycle race. In 2008 Dave and I visited Brittany and it was this trip that got me started on watching the annual Tour de France … Continue reading Paris-Brest
The September Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Lucie from ChezLucie. She challenged us to make a true Czech treat –Kolaches! This translates to Sweet Moravian Buns. Skip ahead to the recipe for Sweet Moravian Buns I sometimes fail to understand the mindset of a company or organization. After more than 20 years … Continue reading Sweet Moravian Buns | Kolaches
In my mind, the only thing that makes traditional haggis taste good is a whisky sauce. And for my whisky sauce I use a single malt whisky. Dave and I did a malt whisky tasting when we were in Scotland that was extremely informative and educational. At some stage I want to take this further but for … Continue reading Whisky Sauce
This month for the Daring Bakers' Challenge we were asked to make "Ensaimda" which is a Spanish Pastry that resembles a snail, hence my decision to call them Coiled Bread Rolls. It was mandatory that we used the recipe provided, but I deviated slightly. I am sure Google will not approve of a bunch of recipes suddenly appearing on the … Continue reading Coiled Bread Rolls
Blog-checking lines: This month, the Daring Cooks challenged us to think inside the box - the icebox, that is! Audax taught us some really cool tips and tricks for stocking our freezers with prepare-ahead meals that can keep us our taste buds satisfied even during the busiest of times. I made Carrot Purée Ravioli as … Continue reading Carrot Purée Ravioli
Blog-checking lines: For the July Daring Bakers Challenge, Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to bake a cake. But not just any cake; she asked us to add in a special surprise for our eyes as well as our taste buds! I made a lavender surprise cake. Skip ahead to the recipe for … Continue reading Lavender Surprise Cake
Blog-checking lines: The July Daring Cooks' Challenge took us to Korea, where Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado taught us to make bibimbap. This colourful rice dish can be customized to meet any taste, and is as much fun to eat as it is to say! Skip ahead to the recipe for Bibimbap In the last couple … Continue reading Bibimbap
I have twice tried haggis and the first time was not a memorable experience. We had it at a local restaurant for Burns Night and frankly it was nothing to write home about. When we were in Scotland I ordered some at a local pub, and what made it was the whisky sauce! Skip ahead … Continue reading Haggis
Blog-checking lines: This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge took us on a trip to beautiful Brazil! Renata of "Testado, Provado and Aprovado!" taught us how to make Pao De Queijo, tasty cheese buns that make the perfect snack or treat, and that will make your taste buds samba! I made gluten free cheese bread as my contribution. Gluten … Continue reading Gluten Free Cheese Bread
I learnt how to speed read when I was really young, and most times it has stood me in good stead when looking for a particular term or phrase in a sheaf of papers. But last week, my speed reading did not work out as planned. We got back from overseas on the 6th and … Continue reading Cous Cous Salad & Lime And Coriander Dressing