Dark Chocolate and Amaretti Semifreddo

The unusual holiday heatwaves seem to be well and truly behind us here in Cape Town, and all of a sudden the dark, chilly mornings and early sunsets are more obvious and a reminder of the cold (and hopefully very rainy) months ahead. As I sit here I am wearing two jerseys and clutching a hot cup of tea and I had second thoughts about posting this recipe given the shift in seasons and the fact that this is a frozen dessert. Then I laughed at this silliness because frankly any time of the year is appropriate for a chocolate dessert, frozen or not. Who's with me? 

Thin Crust Spelt Flour Pizza

It's a new month and time to get back to normal after all of the school and public holidays which have had many of us wandering around much of the time scratching our heads and trying to work out what day it is! (Or maybe that was just me?) Last week I took a little break and the family headed to beautiful Knysna for a couple of wonderfully chilled days. Well, as chilled as you can be with two small children running about. We had a brilliant time and I so enjoyed being out of the normal routine, free from the usual daily chores and away from my laptop screen! Just what the doctor ordered. 

Vanilla Bean and Almond Meringues with Mixed Berry Sauce

At the end of November we packed our bags and headed out of the burbs for a weekend in the Overberg. This was a welcome break after a busy few weeks on the home and work fronts, plus a chance to spend some quality family time together. Our destination was a farm called Landmeterskop near Stanford and were invited to join some good friends who had been there before. What a gem of a place! 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles and a food demo in Bloemfontein

Two weeks ago, after months of planning and anticipation, it was finally time to hop on a plane and fly to Bloemfontein where I had been invited to demonstrate some of my recipes to the lovely ladies of Bloemfontein Fynproewers. Exciting times! When I landed I was met at the airport by Alma, one of the committee members who took me straight to the demo venue where the other committee members were all busy in the kitchen preparing my dishes for the audience to taste the following day. I had a chance to get my bearings, check the recipes and also familiarise myself with the demonstration area. At this point the excitement and the nerves were really starting to kick in! 

Spiced Apple Slices

Earlier this year we had a few days away with friends in the lovely little town of Montagu. On the drive back to Cape Town my daughter wanted to see where all the apples are grown, but got more than she bargained for when we drove past orchard after orchard full of trees bursting with thousands of apples. She was absolutely delighted (and it was a beautiful drive)! 

Ginger Toffee Puddings

Years ago whilst I was living in the U.K. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go on some skiing trips. Or was I? Learning to ski the first time was terrifying, the second time it was slightly better but not great, and needless to say there was no third time! Dear husband took to it straight away and still pines for the slopes, but on the contrary - whizzing and zig zagging over the slippery ice while feeling that at any moment I might become imprinted onto the nearest tree is not for me as it turns out, and I am quite happy to keep my feet on solid ground!

Chocolate Sandwich Biscuits

So today I am grateful for two things. 1.) That I managed to get a blog post together for this week, and 2.) that I am able to string a coherent sentence together. It has been a rough couple of days you see, with the entire family being struck down with an assortment of germs and lurgies. Currently my kitchen counter looks more like a pharmacy than anything else and we are all lacking in the sleep department which is less than ideal. The timing was also unlucky as we had planned to go away this past weekend for a wedding. We did manage one night away in the end but we were not on best form. Never mind, grumble grumble. 

Out & About: Food Photography Workshop

Last week I had dinner with two of my oldest and best friends, and while we were catching up on family, work, the usual stuff, I mentioned that I had attended a food photography workshop the previous weekend. It was then that one of my friends rehashed a story about how the two of us had been sitting in our high school French class one day and how I had mentioned that I would love to be a food photographer one day. I always knew I would be involved in the food world one day, but it was amazing to hear her story as I had completely forgotten saying it! Life is a funny thing eh?

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES

While there is no denying that the arrival of summer is highly anticipated at the end of each year, I have to admit that I rather look forward to the autumn season. A welcome respite from the heat, beautiful red and brown leaves dotting the trees and an excuse to start enjoying some favourite comfort foods are just a few of the things that come to mind.  

Out & About: Sedgefield and Wild Oats Market

The last few weeks have flown by and I have found myself up to my ears in all sorts of preparation - organising the nursery, stocking up on newborn nappies and cooking extra meals for the freezer. Are you noticing a theme here? Last week though we managed to escape for a long weekend in Sedgefield with the family, just the relaxing, sun-kissed and sand-coated short break we needed! 

Weekend at Birkenhead House, Hermanus

Recently I was lucky enough to enjoy the weekend of a lifetime when my husband and I stayed at the luxurious Birkenhead House &Villa in Voelklip, Hermanus. This was the prize that I received after winning the Two Oceans Simple Snacking Challenge last year. And before I forget, let me also just quickly apologise for the lack of recipe this week - will some pretty pictures do instead? 

Everyday Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

These days I think that most of us feel as though we are running around like headless chickens much of the time, just trying to keep our heads above water and get everything done. I try not to use words like "exhausted" or "stressed" too much as I think they only compound the situation, but if I'm truthful they very aptly describe how I have been feeling for most of this month! I knew it would be a busy time, but goodness me - I feel as though I haven't had 5 minutes to myself at all!

Tapas À La Miro

Just over a week ago I received the details of the 8th challenge in the Freshly Blogged competition, which I have been participating in since June. Each week the contestants are given a list of ingredients and a few days to create, cook and photograph a dish using these ingredients. The public have a chance to view the recipes online and vote for their favourites, and each week a panel of judges send a few of the contestants to the chopping block, as it were. 

Week 8's challenge entitled "Eat Your Art Out" had me scratching my head for a while. The ingredients we were given were superb and well suited - a whole chicken, chorizo sausage, potatoes, onion, garlic, lemon and sherry. We were told, however, that the recipe and styling had to be inspired by art - an interesting twist! 

Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple

Grand Baie, Mauritius

My husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy a trip to Mauritius for our honeymoon. The minute you land on this small island in the Indian Ocean you feel as though you've reached tropical territory - stifling heat, humidity, sugar cane fields and leafy green vegetation as far as you can see.

Mauritian cuisine is as diverse as its people, with influences from France, China and India to name a few. We enjoyed incredible curries, seafood, beef chop suey and samoosas. Whatever it is that your taste buds fancy, you're likely to find it here!

We were based in Grand Baie for our stay, a coastal town in the north. Here we enjoyed ambling the streets, exploring the markets and temples. Something that stands out in my mind is the sight of the many street vendors selling fresh, locally grown (not to mention peeled and ready to eat) pineapples to passers by. (I recommend enjoying your pineapple as you stroll along the beach!)

I happened to have two sweet, juicy queen pineapples sitting on my kitchen counter, so felt obliged really to include them in today's Mauritian inspired recipe. I must say though, with so much culinary inspiration I know I'll  be revisiting this gorgeous island in a future "Travelling Foodie" post! 

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SWEET AND SOUR PORK WITH PINEAPPLE

Serves 4 

For the pork:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon lemon juice

400g pork, cut into strips

Sweet and sour sauce:

80ml light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

80ml white vinegar

80ml water 

To assemble:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 red onion, quartered and layers separated

1 medium carrot, cut into julienne strips

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 cup basmati rice, prepared as per packet instructions

Step 1.) Start by preparing your pork - combine the soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the pork strips and toss them in the sauce to coat, then set aside to marinade. 

Step 2.) To make the sweet and sour sauce place the brown sugar and cornflour in a small saucepan. Add the soy sauce and tomato paste and mix, then add the vinegar and water. Mix well to get rid of any lumps, then stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to stir for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken, then take off the heat and set aside. 

Step 3.) Heat the sunflower oil in your wok or large frying pan. When the oil is hot add the marinaded pork and fry until the strips are just cooked through. Transfer the pork to another dish and keep warm.

Step 4.) Add the red onion pieces and carrot strips to the same hot wok / pan and fry for a few minutes, Add the pineapple pieces, cooked pork and sweet and sour sauce and continue to stir for another minute until everything is heated through. 

Step 5.) Serve with basmati rice and garnish with fresh coriander or sesame seeds. 

Cheese Croquettes

Bruges, Belgium

You may be wondering why I've included one of my travel photographs at the top of this post. I don't have much chance to hop abroad these days, but I love reminiscing about the incredible cities I've been lucky enough to visit. So, I've decided to combine two of my favourite pastimes - food and travel - and put together a collection of recipes inspired by those special places. Just to tide me over until the next trip, you see. (These recipes will be hiding under the "Travelling Foodie" label in the right hand column.) 

Our culinary journey starts in Europe, in the beautiful little city of Bruges, Belgium. And it really is beautiful. The city is small enough to explore on foot, and as you wander along the cobbled streets, over waterway bridges and past enchanting buildings you get the feeling that every corner is steeped in history.

We were booked onto a canal boat trip one particular afternoon and decided to stop at a restaurant for a quick bite before we headed off. Sitting in the sunshine along side one of the canals tucking into a plate of cheese croquettes is not a bad way to spend your lunch, we discovered. 

Cheese croquettes feature on many menus across Europe and always remind me of my "continental" adventures, but particularly of that lunch next to the water in this gem of a city.

As you bite into a freshly made croquette its crispy, golden shell will give way to a soft, cheesy centre. Don't let the size of these croquettes fool you - they may be small, but they're rich so you'll fill up quickly once you've gobbled a few. Feel free to try different shapes like logs or patties and experiment with different ways of serving them - either with a dipping sauce, a small rocket or watercress salad or a spoonful of roasted veggies. We enjoyed ours with a bit of sweet chilli sauce this time around, very moreish! You could also try different cheeses - I used what I had on hand at the time, but you could add some grated Gruyère, Swiss or any other sharp cheese. Croquettes are also great for entertaining as you can prepare them ahead of time and then fry them just before you want to serve them to your guests.

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CHEESE CROQUETTES

Makes approximately 23

40g butter
90g flour
250ml milk
salt
pepper
ground nutmeg
50g grated mozzarella 
150g grated cheddar cheese
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk for coating
plain flour for coating
breadcrumbs for coating
sunflower oil for frying

Step 1.) Melt the butter in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour. (It will be dry and crumbly.)

Step 2.) Gradually add the milk and whisk the thick mass until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and add a pinch of nutmeg (I added 1/8 of a teaspoon). 

Step 3.) Add the grated mozzarella and cheddar and stir over a very low heat just until the cheese has melted. 

Step 4.) Take the saucepan off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before whisking in 1 egg. Continue to whisk until everything is incorporated, then transfer the mixture onto a greased dinner plate and place in the fridge until cold and stiff, approximately 30 minutes. 

Step 5.) Whisk the remaining 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon of milk until they are combined. Take 1 tablespoon of the cold cheese mixture and roll into a ball. Dredge in flour, then dip into the egg and milk mixture and then into breadcrumbs to coat. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture. 

Step 6.) Dip the croquettes into the egg mixture and breadcrumbs again so they are coated twice. 

Step 7.) You can fry the croquettes immediately  but if time allows I like to put mine in the fridge to chill and set before frying. Heat about 1cm of sunflower oil in a frying pan, and once hot fry the croquettes in batches until they're golden and crispy. Drain on a piece of kitchen towel and then serve immediately.