♥ a food, travel and lifestyle blog ♥
My friend Nico gave me a bottle of Grappa for my 50th birthday with the promise I only drink it with him. Sadly, he passed away before we could enjoy that tipple together so I decided to use the grappa to make a few jars of drunken cherries. Skip ahead to the recipe for Drunken … Continue reading Drunken Cherries
Cherry season is short and sweet and I wanted to make the most of it last December. I made drunken cherries with a quarter of a box I bought directly from the farm. And with another quarter I made cherry and vodka jam. As Dave was away, I ate the rest of the box as … Continue reading Cherry And Vodka Jam
This sous vide limoncello is packed full of lemon flavour. You could dial it down if you wanted to. But I like the tartness of the lemons and this recipe is not overly sweet which also suits my palate. Skip ahead to the recipe for Sous Vide Limoncello I have one supplier who knows nothing … Continue reading Sous Vide Limoncello
Using seasonal stone fruit, I made this plum crostata. I have also made it successfully with figs so it shows just how versatile a dessert this can be. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Plum Crostata ♥ Dave suffers from haveyouseenmy , otherwise known as icantfindit. I believe this is an affliction many … Continue reading Plum Crostata | Seasonal Stone Fruit Recipe
When making a free form tart, the pastry is key. It needs to hold up and be crisp. This crostata pastry fits the bill and I have tried it with both figs and plums. Skip ahead to the recipe for Crostata Pastry There is an advert on television here that asks what you would do … Continue reading Crostata Pastry
At the same time as making vegetable spring rolls, I made these chicken spring rolls. It made the best use of the oil while it was in the wok. And as we were eating dinner with the kids, we needed a decent batch of spring rolls for the 5 of us. Skip ahead to the … Continue reading Chicken Spring Rolls
I combined two recipes to make this chocolate fudge ice cream. So it goes without saying that it will take a little bit of effort. But it is so worth it as this ice cream is one of the best I have ever made. Skip ahead to the recipe for Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream When … Continue reading Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream
These chocolate fudge truffles are flavoured with whisky. This is our favourite after work drink but when I bought a bottle that Dave did not like I had to find an alternative use for it. Adding it to chocolate seemed like a great idea. And it was! If you are not a whisky fan, substitute … Continue reading Chocolate Fudge Truffles
Zha Jiang Mian are also known as fried sauce noodles, according to Pippa Middlehurst. This dish is popular in Beijing, and was very popular at our table. Skip ahead to the recipe for Zha Jiang Mian On the 17th of April, British Airways cancelled our flight to the UK. This was to be expected so … Continue reading Zha Jiang Mian | Fried Sauce Noodles
According to Weber's Ultimate Braai Book, indirect heat is key to cooking the delicate, flaky crust of this berry crostata, without burning it. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Berry Crostata ♥ For women, finding a hairdresser is nearly as important as having a Doctor you can trust. I had the most amazing stylist who … Continue reading Berry Crostata | Recipe For The Braai (BBQ)
I am in desperate need of corduroy pants for our winter trip to Croatia. I am hoping against all hope that we get there this year. But just in case we don't, I am creating Croatian inspired recipes. These choc nut bars are pastries typical to the country. Skip ahead to the recipe for Choc … Continue reading Choc Nut Bars
I tested this recipe using both fresh and frozen blueberries and must say I prefer the colour of the blueberry frangipane when I used frozen fruit. They are also much cheaper than fresh for some reason so that is another reason to use them. Skip ahead to the recipe for Blueberry Frangipane In the 11 … Continue reading Blueberry Frangipane
For those of you enjoying winter weather, this stout pudding is perfect. We have just come out of our booze ban and I will be sure to stock up on beer. Not only for warming desserts, but to enjoy at the pool while we are still in the midst of our summer. Skip ahead to … Continue reading Stout Pudding
When I made my figs in masala I was asked if the recipe would work with dried figs. I always have dried figs at home as they are a great snack, and make their way into my granola. Not wanting the same flavour, I made figs in red wine. They went perfectly with my ricotta … Continue reading Figs In Red Wine
During hard lockdown we could not buy alcohol. Dave meant to get beers before this, but he forgot. So, wanting a quick bread and not having beer, I made cider bread. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Cider Bread ♥ We have an excellent consumer protection act in South Africa. However, a lot … Continue reading Cider Bread
According to Liam, to achieve both the colour and sweetness required from the onions for this onion and cider soup, they must be cooked slowly over a low heat until all the water from the onions has evaporated. The sugars have to be released to achieve beautifully caramelised onions. Head straight on to the Recipe … Continue reading Onion And Cider Soup
Looking for a make ahead dessert that will wow your guests? Look no further than these baked Alaska treats. Believe it or not, but they can be frozen with the meringue before torching. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Baked Alaska ♥ When it was announced that we would be going into hard … Continue reading Baked Alaska
Inspired by Chef Mimi's recipe for Cuban black bean soup, I made pork and beans. It was a hearty and comforting dish and perfect as a pick me up. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Pork And Beans ♥ Five days into lockdown I dropped my fitness tracker. I started off with a … Continue reading Pork And Beans
I am always looking for recipes to remind me of Italy. Especially as we have not been able to travel as yet this year. I made these baked masala figs when figs were in season. And then topped my brownie chocolate cake with them. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Baked Masala Figs … Continue reading Baked Masala Figs
I am very grateful to have worked with the most amazing publicist over the past few years. She has provided me with a fantastic array of recipe books to review. And allowed me to publish so many of the recipes contained therein. This one for summer chicken with olives and capers is especially for her, … Continue reading Summer Chicken With Olives And Capers