Italian style Bistecca

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The beautiful Ponte Vecchio

One of my favourite parts of Florence is Piazza della Signoria.  It is located near the imposing Ponte Vecchio, spanning the Arno River.  It is truly the ‘open air art museum’ so many travel books refer to.  Walking in between the copy of Michelangelo’s David, Perseus with Medusa’s head and the Medici lions, you can’t help but feel like a culture vulture!  And, if that is not enough arts for you, the Uffizi Gallery is just around the corner.

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The Palazzo Vecchio on the Piazza della Signoria

Hubby and I chose the perfect day for an outing to Uffizi: windy, with thunder clouds looming in the sky.  We started out all excited, admiring each piece of art we walked by.  Slowly the admiration turned to awe as we marvelled at the hall upon hall, each filled with exquisite art and sculptures.  But as the hours passed, the wonderment slowly started turning into a feeling of trepidation, especially when we realised that after four hours we probably did not even see half of the things on display yet.  And when we finally arrived at the Uffizi rooftop café and even it was closed, desperation took over and I thought to myself that I might never make it out alive again!

 

Luckily we eventually managed to find our escape and headed towards the Piazza del Duomo.  On the way there the clouds finally gave in and it started to pour down with rain.  After our exhausting day I really started to feel sorry for myself (and my feet in particular), when hubby spotted a little trattoria.  What a lovely place.  The décor was so special; wagon wheels against the walls, filled with wine corks!  The aroma from the kitchen made our mouths water.  So with a lovely glass of Chianti in hand, we studied the menu and finally decided on a wild boar stew (have to try something new every now and again) and a bistecca Fiorentina for supper.  Red wine and red meat, just the thing to comfort you after a long and tiring day!  Hubby had the wild boar and it was truly delicious, with a rich tomato based sauce.  The steak was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much for me to finish but was really cooked to perfection.  (However, not the best thing to have this meal if you still need to walk back to your hotel afterwards!)

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The little haven we discovered!

Seeing that this was a particularly trying week for me, what better way to start off the weekend than with the comfort food that includes some good meat and good wine.  So with that said, buon appetito!

Italian style Bistecca 

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 T-bone steaks (about 350g each)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon chopped thyme (fresh)

Salt and pepper to taste

300 ml chicken stock

2 corn on the cob

125g polenta

200g baby spinach

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method:

  1. Fill a pot with water, enough so that it will cover the corn, and bring to the boil.
  2. Once the water reaches boiling point, add the corn and boil for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from the water, rub with half the butter and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Place the corn on a griddle pan and char the the corn slightly.
  5. When done, slice off the kernels (holding the corn upright and cutting top to bottom).  Set aside.
  6. Add the chicken stock to a pot and bring to the boil.
  7. Add the polenta to the stock by whisking it in. Cook for 25 minutes, until creamy.
  8. Rub the steaks with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
  9. Get your griddle pan really hot and fry for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and cover the meat with some foil.  Leave the meat to rest for 10 minutes.
  10. Heat a little butter in a pan and add the spinach and corn.  Just warm it through so that the spinach wilts.
  11. When serving, place the polenta on the plate and put the steak on top of the polenta.
  12. Place the spinach and corn on top of the steak.
  13. Drizzle the left-over meat juices over the steak and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

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Passion fruit crème brûlée

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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Last week I was in the fortunate position to be gifted with something a bit less sour! Firstly some eggs from my boss (at work, that is!).  She has her own chickens at home, roaming around her yard, so free-range eggs are always in abundance at her house.  Secondly I received a whole bunch of passion fruit from a friend who has a real enthusiasm for organic and sustainable living and has really green fingers.

Most mornings I have some eggs for breakfast; it’s quick and simple and it keeps me going throughout the day.  But being gifted with these eggs I did not feel it would do them justice to just do a quick scramble.  And the passion fruit really needed to be celebrated.  On the day I took them home I cut one open and ate it with a spoon straight from the shell; it was delicious and sweet and the smell was intoxicating.  It tasted like carefree summer days!

So what to do with these bountiful gifts?  When in doubt, I always turn to my trusted recipe books and as usual they did not let me down.  In Rick Stein’s French Odyssey he has this beautiful recipe for passion fruit crème brûlée with passion fruit jellies.  It sounded lovely.  However, I must be honest and say that I cheated a bit – the jellies were going to take too much time to make on a Sunday morning and in his recipe he rests his cream mixture overnight to really soak up the vanilla flavours.  So I improvised a little bit… and I was still really pleased with the way it came out.

Here’s to the flavours of summer!  (And I am still going to try those jellies sometime!)

Passion fruit crème brûlée

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 vanilla pod

600ml double cream

8 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

200ml passion fruit puree

Method:

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 130°
  2. Cut the vanilla pod open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds
  3. Place the cream in a medium pan and add the vanilla seeds and bring slowly to the boil (I put the actual pod in as well to get the maximum flavour out of it)IMG_3330
  4. Once brought up to the boil, remove from the stove and leave to cool (I poured the liquid out into a separate bowl, so that it cools quicker; you can strain it at this point to make sure that no pieces of the vanilla pod is left)
  5. Whisk the egg yolks and 50g sugar until it turns thick and pale
  6. Slowly drizzle the cream into the egg mixture, whisking continuously (be sure that your cream mixture has cooled down enough, else you will have scrambled eggs!)
  7. Add the passion fruit puree to the mixture and mix well through
  8. Place 6 ramekins inside a deep roasting tray
  9. Pour the brûlée mixture in a jug from which you can easy pour it into the ramekins, filling it right to the top (I was a bit over zealous with the mixing in point 7 and this made my mixture a bit foamy, so although I filled them to the top, during the baking process they did flatten a bit – be warned!)
  10. Transfer the tray to the oven and then pour enough boiling water in the tray to come half way up the sides of the ramekinsIMG_3341
  11. Bake the brûlées for 50 minutes (they should have a slight wobble when you take them out)
  12. Remove the ramekins from the tray and place them in the fridge to cool
  13. Once you are ready to serve, sprinkle the remainder of the sugar evenly over the top of each brûlée
  14. Either put them under a grill for 1 to 2 minutes until the sugar has melted and go a golden brown or you can use a blow torch (I thought this was the perfect excuse to finally get a cheffy gadget!)IMG_3346

About things that must be eaten

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Each of our excursions to foreign soil invariably comes with a list of all the things that must be seen, and in our case, that must be eaten as well!  Food is forever entwined in our travel experiences and it just adds another dimension to our memories.

There are many things that have featured on our obligatory “must consume” lists and to pick just a few is akin to torture.  Actually, come to think of it I know this is not going to be the last you hear of this…!  But taking that first bite step always helps…

Pissaladière

This lovely ‘pizza’ has its origins in Nice, in the south of France.  The base is slightly ticker than that of a pizza and it is topped with caramelised onions, anchovies and olives.  I always wanted to taste it, but could never quite imagine what the flavour would be like.  I waited until we reached the beautiful little city of Narbonne and scoffed my first slice in Les Halles de Narbonne.  It was amazing!  I never knew onions could be so sweet.  The salty anchovies and bitter olives beautifully complements the almost jam-like onions. YUM!  After that holiday, it was the first thing we made when we were back home!

Beef tartare

This is another one that I wanted to try in France.  This is probably not to everyone’s’ taste.   It is a meat dish made from finely chopped raw beef, served with onions and capers, with a raw egg yolk to top it off.  Coincidently, I also had this in Narbonne, in a little restaurant opposite the market.  I awaited my order with trepidation.  I do eat beef carpaccio and have my steaks medium rare, but I was not sure just how my body would react.  Turns out, my body loves it!  You can really taste the flavour of the meat if you have it in this way.  And the egg yolk (which was probably what I was most afraid of!) just melts away in the background and just gives a silky taste to the dish.  Loved it!

Scotch egg

Perhaps not as sophisticated as a beef tartare, but I really wanted to try this British speciality.  A scotch egg is made up from a hard-boiled egg, around which a layer of sausage meat is formed into a ball shape.  The ball is then coated in bread crumbs and deep fried.  After a morning exploring London, we stopped over at Borough Market, where stalls are spread out under high railway lines.  We ordered our scotch egg with some sweet potato fries and plonked down on the grass next to Southwark Cathedral.  The scotch egg tastes exactly as you think it would; egg and sausage with a crispy crumb.  But if you are tired after walking about the whole morning, just the thing to give you energy for the next stretch.

Roasted chestnuts

This was not something on our must have list as, to be honest.  However, when we arrived in Paris we saw men pushing shopping trolleys around, containing a drum, in which they seemingly made fire, topped with a large round disk.  On top, warming up, was snails… or what looked like snails from afar… if you use your imagination.  (Or maybe we were just really tired from our journey there!)  Eventually we realised that we were actually looking at chestnuts roasting.  It has a lovely buttery taste with a touch of smoke from the fire; the perfect snack for a blustery, chilly day in Paris.

Vlaamse frites

I suppose frites (chips) is chips is chips.  But in Amsterdam you get them with so many sauces!  My heading should probably be “Sauce in Amsterdam, with frites”.  (As if anyone really needs an excuse to eat more starch.  Sigh) There is the lovely thick mayonnaise which is always a winner, and I also enjoy mixing some tomato sauce with mayonnaise.  Tartar sauce, chilli sauce, garlic mayonnaise… but my favourite is the stoofvlees (stewed meat) sauce.  Delicious!  Also, Amsterdam was a real explosion of people, sights and sounds to me…  I have not seen anything like it.  So it was better to constantly walk around nibbling a chip or two for fear that my mouth would just hang open in wonderment all the time.

Champagne

The first time we went to France we took a day-trip from Paris to the Champagne region.  We visited Épernay, home to Moët & Chandon and Reims, home to G. H. Mumm & Cie.  The cellar tours were amazing; seemingly endless tunnels under ground filled with bottles and bottles of sparkly goodness.  The history and the craft… really special.  We were lucky enough to do champagne tasting at both these wonderful producers (because let’s face it, this is not something I can afford to buy everyday… or even every year) so to say that I sipped on champagne in Champagne is definitely a highlight.

… to be continued … until we eat again!

 

Lamb shank ragu with homemade cavatelli pasta

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Florence and the Tuscan hills at twilight

Italy was nothing like I thought it would be.   I thought I would really be keen on the history, the culture, the food, the wine… but I was wrong.  I didn’t like it.  No.  Instead I fell completely and utterly in love with each and every aspect of this incredible country.  From the breath-taking beauty of Venice to the magical Amalfi coast, with incredible Tuscany in between.

We spent our time in Tuscany using Florence as a base.  It was so much more than I expected!  It is a city of art, culture, great food and music.  Everywhere we went we were greeted with a tune; from street performers playing as twilight fell, while we marvelled at the Tuscan hills twinkling with lights and while famous Renaissance landmarks stood silhouetted in the foreground gazing out from Piazzale Michelangelo, to being caught up in marching bands walking down the street towards the marvellous Piazza della Signoria and its line-up of sculptures.  Life had a soundtrack when we were there!  Florence is really a place I think I could call home.  Sitting next to the beautiful Arno River, watching row boats go by, sipping aperol (without pulling a face), life felt pretty good.  (OK, if you’ve been following my blog you would know aperol is not a personal favourite… but as they say – when in Rome… or Florence!)

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Great food, great views

On one of the days we explored the Tuscan country side, we stopped for lunch at a farm called Fattoria Poggio Alloro.  It is just outside San Gimignano where you can find twelve beautifully preserved medieval towers (in its day it had seventy!). The farm produce and sell everything from olive oil, pasta, cured meats and of course, glorious wine!  Hubby and I first did a cellar tour before we sat down to an amazing lunch.  The setting was really what Italian dreams are made of, with spectacular views over the Tuscan country side and the towers of San Gimignano looming on the horizon.

Beautiful Tuscan landscape
San Gimignano in the background

Lunch consisted of lovely fresh breads with some prosciutto, salami, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Main course was the kind of Italian pasta you hope to have on a visit to Tuscany, served with a rich, delicious meat ragu and a side salad.  And don’t forget the wines!  We ended off with a sweet dessert wine.  Simply put – it was a foodie’s heaven.

So tonight, while weather is cooling down here in Cape Town and light rain falls outside, hubby and I thought we would pay homage to this wonderful meal we had.  Definitely a good way to start the weekend.

Lamb shank ragu with homemade cavatelli pasta

(serves 4)

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First get started on your lamb ragu.  While that cooks away, you can start on your homemade pasta.

We use a pressure cooker to cook the lamb shank quickly.  If you don’t have a pressure cooker you should aim to cook your meat for about 2 hours to ensure it is nice and soft.

Lamb shank ragu

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

500g lamb shank

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 medium carrots, peeled, and sliced diagonally

2 celery stalks, chopped

½ cup of frozen peas

Bunch of rosemary and thyme (tie it up, so you can take it out easier at the end)

1 cup of good red wine

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 tablespoons tomato puree

400g tin of diced tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the lamb shank and fry until brown on all sides.
  2. Add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic and stir for a minute longer.
  3. Add the carrots and celery and fry for another 2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
  4. Add the cup of red wine and let the alcohol cook down.
  5. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, and the cup of water.
  6. Next, add the sugar, stock cube and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Now add your bunch of herbs and close the pressure cooker.
  8. Cook on medium heat for an hour. Now get on with your homemade pasta – see the recipe and method further down…
  1. After an hour, remove the lamb shank from the pressure cooker. Discard the bunch of herbs.
  2. Shred the meat off the bone – it should be soft and very tender. Discard the bone and any fatty pieces.
  3. Reduce the sauce in the pressure cooker pot (lid off) until it has thickened.
  4. Add the peas to the sauce and return the meat to the pot.
  5. Simmer at low heat, while you boil your pasta
Fry lamb shank until brown and veggies until soft
Add wine and cook down
Add rest of liquids and add herbs. Cook for an hour.
Remove from pressure cooker.
Shred the meet fine.
Reduce the sauce in the pot.

Homemade cavatelli pasta

Ingredients:

500g of “00” flour

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ¼ cups of cold water

Method:

  1. Place the flour in a large bowl. Make a little well in the center.  Add the salt, oil and water and mix with a fork until a dough is formed.  (It works best to get it together in a bowl and then turn it out on your counter and work into a firm ball.)
  2. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll it on your countertop to form a “sausage”/rope that is about 1cm thick. Start by working your hands from the inside to the outside to try and keep the shape as even as possible.
  3. Using a knife, slice the dough into about 2 to 3 cm pieces.
  4. Next, shape the cavatelli with your thumb. Put the piece of dough on the counter and push the dough against the countertop away from you so that the dough stretches slightly and folds around itself, creating a little pocket in the middle.
  5. Place the cavatelli on a lightly floured baking tray (do not let them touch) and let it rest for 40 minutes.
  6. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Toss the cavatelli in and cook until it floats to the top and stays there.  It takes approximately 3 – 8 minutes, depending on the size of your pasta.
  7. Transfer the pasta to a strainer and drain.
Make your cavatelli by pressing it down with your thumb on to the countertop, pushing away from you
Roll the pasta in thin “sausages”/ropes
It should be no more than 1cm thick

Lastly, add your drained pasta to the ragu and let it simmer for 10 minutes to absorb all the lovely flavours of your ragu.

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Add your pasta to your ragu

Serve with some grated parmesan.

Fantastico!

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About beer and truffles

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How many bottles of beer on the wall?

With Valentines Day approaching I can’t help but think that if men are from Mars and women from Venus, the perfect place to reunite them would be beautiful Bruges in Belgium.

Bruges is often referred to as the “Venice of the North” and with its historic city centre, its jaw-dropping architecture and the canals curling around its beautiful old buildings and narrow streets it is not hard to imagine that you could fall in love here.  It really is an amazing city that had me under its spell from the moment we arrived.

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However, it is actually not its perfect postcard prettiness that leads me to believe that this is the perfect place to reunite the sexes.

No, what makes this the perfect common ground is the two things Bruges have aplenty… beer and chocolate!

Belgium is renowned for its beer so it is no wonder that the average beer drinker downs about 81 litres of beer a year.  And when upon arrival at our lovely guesthouse in Bruges at 11:00 in the morning our lovely hostess immediately brought out some complementary beers, it became clear just how easily a person could reach that level of consumption!

I won’t pretend to be a beer connoisseur.  (I have to admit, to me it tastes like sucking on some hay bales, but to each his own!)  Having said that, it was fascinating to see just how many different types of beers you get and now and then I could even taste the odd one that I could swallow without pulling a face!  Typically the Belgian beers are served in bottles and not cans, but what makes it even more special is that each type of beer has its own distinct glass in which it has to be served! According to those in the know, using the right glass for the beer actually improves its flavour.  (Maybe that’s what’s wrong –  I’ve been using the wrong glass all along!)

We were lucky enough to discover the famous ‘t Brugs Beertje beerhouse.  It is located between the Markt and the Zand in 5 Kemelstraat.  It is off a small side street of Steenstraat – look carefully, or you might miss it. Here you can find over 300 different Belgian beers!  It is a unique little pub, with all kinds of beer paraphernalia on the wall.  Tables are close together and quickly someone that you don’t know can become an acquaintance in the search for the best beer on offer!

Hubby’s favourite was the Brugse Zot, which is actually a beer produced by De Halve Maan brewery right there in the historical town centre of Bruges.  It is a blond beer and hubby tells me it really tasted great; apparently fruity and not too bitter.  He also tried the Straffe Hendrik Quadruple (you can translate that to “Strong” Hendrik).  And boy, it is strong!  It has an 11% alcohol content!  (And tastes like many, many bitter hay bales!)

However, hubby’s ultimate favourite beer we found in a small pub in Damme.  Damme is only about 10 kilometres from Bruges and we cycled there one afternoon along the canals.  It was a superb experience; a bit misty but so beautiful cycling in such beautiful country side!   We found the pub on a corner on the main road.  He tried a few beers there as well, but when he put his lips to his first Leffe Blond, I had to accept that it would seem that in the world of beer, he thought blonds was more fun!

But don’t feel sorry for me and all the times I had to endure the bitter taste of the best Belgium had to offer.  Oh no… because with bitter there is always sweet.  You see, while our wonderful hostess brought out the beers early, she also brought out the chocolates for later!

As much beer as you can find in Bruges, that’s how much chocolate you can find.  There are beautiful little chocolate shops all over town; some just selling their chocolates in the front of the shop in a display that dazzles and others where the master chocolatiers display their skill right in the middle of the store for all to see.

I was amazed by the little figurines – sheep, bees, soccer balls, ducks, angry birds (!) and yip, even little chocolate beer bottles!  These were way too pretty to eat and I could only bring myself to take pictures of them!

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But oh, the pralines!  Little chocolate shells with soft-centred fillings of heavenly delight!  I love any type of strawberry fillings.  Orange fillings.  And salted caramel.  And coffee.  Oh, and cherry!  I love them all!  And mint!

But don’t forget the truffles!  A little bit of bitter cocoa powder around a soft ganache.  So soft that you just have to eat them quickly otherwise they will melt!  My favourites have a bit of nut mixed in the ganache.  And the best time to have them is after dinner… and before dinner… really any time the craving strikes!

There was this little shop we passed by each day we we walked back to our guesthouse.  We would walk in and just order a random selection of truffles and pralines and it was such a treat to pick through the box not knowing what you were going to get next!  Our guesthouse had this lovely gazebo and we spent all our evenings sitting out there with some wine (for me), some beer for hubby and some chocolate!

So you see, Bruges provides the perfect setting to bridge the gender gap!  It’s a beautiful and romantic setting that brings together bitter sweet in perfect harmony!  Let there be love!

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Aubergine á la Avignon

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Food is such a big part of our lives.  Just about everything has a food angle to it!

“It’s our anniversary, where are we going to go for supper?”  “Saturday looks like it is going to be a great day for the beach – shall we pack a nice picnic basket?”  “The in-laws are coming over for Sunday lunch – what new dessert recipe can we try?”  “Let’s watch some videos of our trip to France; then we make some Frenchy foods.”

Benjamin Franklin said “Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”  Well, thank goodness then that I need to eat to live, because I really like living, which means I can really like eating!

We have never returned from our travels with bad food memories (apart from one really bad pizza we had in Rome; think the restaurant was too close to a drain because the smells were awful!).  There are always things that we’ve tasted on our journeys that we try and replicate at home.  A recent favourite is from our trip to Provence a few months ago.

Avignon was our base.  On the must-do list was a picnic on the Ile de Barthalese with its iconic view over Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Palais des Papes.  We decided to stop over at Les Halles to pick up some substance for our al fresco lunch.  Walking around, the “Aubergines á l’ Italionne” caught my eye.  (I love aubergine – a love that only developed a few years ago.  I blame it on all the badly cooked aubergines I’ve had in my life up until that point!)  It looked so good and smelt divine and when one of the local residents standing in line in front of us chose this for her lunch, the deal was done.  What more do you need than the local stamp of approval?!

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Who would not want to have a picnic if you can have such a view?!

Back at home, in the absence of a recipe, hubby and I only had our taste buds and memory to go on when we tried to recreate the dish.  Here is to encouraging a few more aubergine converts with our version.

Aubergine á la Avignon

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped finely

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped finely

400g beef mince

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 ½ teaspoons tomato puree

2 cups water

1 ½  teaspoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of dried Provençal herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil)

Salt & Pepper to taste

125g mozzarella cheese, grated

Method:

  1. Cut the aubergine lengthways in 1cm thick slices. Keep the skin on.  You need four slices.
  2. Remove the skin of the remainder of the aubergine. Chop into small cubes.
  3. Heat two tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Fry two slices of aubergine until soft, turning regularly to ensure a nice brown colour on both sides.
  4. Transfer the aubergines to a baking tray.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining two slices of aubergine. (Aubergines love butter so it is better to do them two at a time to ensure each gets enough to keep them soft and get that nice and golden colour.)
  6. Heat a table spoon of olive oil in a pan. Add the chopped aubergine, onions and garlic.
  7. Fry until golden brown and soft.
  8. Remove the aubergine, onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.
  9. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and add the mince. Fry until brown.  This really adds to the flavour.
  10. Once the mince is brown, add the chopped aubergine, onions and garlic back in.
  11. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, two cups of water, sugar, herbs and salt and pepper.
  12. At this stage, pre-heat the oven (on the grill setting) to 180°C
  13. Let the mince mixture boil until the sauce is reduced completely.
  14. Once done, place some mince on top of each aubergine.
  15. Top it off with grated mozzarella.
  16. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
  17. Serve with a salad.
Slice aubergines 1cm thick
Fry until golden brown and transfer to a baking try
Fry chopped aubergines, onions and garlic
Add some herbs for great flavour
Place your mince on top of the aubergine
Sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven

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Voilà! Aubergine á la Avignon

 

Market meandering

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Colonne de Juillet
Looking towards the Place de la Bastille

I love the fresh produce markets we’ve encountered on our travels to Europe.

One of my favourites is the Marché Bastille in Paris.  From the Place de la Bastille (where the Colonne de Juillet stands in the center) long lines of stalls with colourful canopies stretch out on to the Boulevard Richard Lenoir.  (Caution – crossing the road at the traffic circle can be quite the adrenalin rush!)

Charcuterie
Olives, glorious olives

Hubby and I went fairly early on a Tuesday morning and not knowing exactly where it was, we spotted two elderly ladies with their shopping trolleys heading down the road, looking as if they had things to do and places to get to.  We had hunch that they had to be heading where we wanted to go so we followed them – and we were not wrong!  We were greeted by a food lover’s paradise.

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As much cheese as your heart desires

Walking along the merchants stalls you are tempted with all kinds of delights. There are delectable cheeses (some of the really mature ones not looking safe for human consumption!), a wide selection of fresh meat, from chicken and rabbit to beef and sausages.  And the seafood!  There is such a vast variety.  And it is impossible to ignore the gorgeous piles of fruit and veg (and not looking as if it was just dumped there, but like it was polished and arranged carefully to create beautiful works of art.)  And breads.  Charcuterie.  Olives.  Magnifique!

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The variety of seafood is amazing

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What really enthrals me are the stall holders, and the pride they have in their goods.  You can see it in the way they put it out on display, the way they call you over and confidently offer you a wedge of cheese or a sliver of ham.  On the day we were there, the vendor at one particular fruit stall did not want me to pass by before I did not taste the delicious mangos on offer.  I’m not sure if the mango was really that sweet or if it was his French accent! Either way, I still remember it – just over a year on!

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Foodie inspiration

To top it off, alongside the amazing produce, you will find stands selling all kinds of knickknacks, secondhand clothes, leather bags, shoes and even jewelry.  It’s the mixture of all these things that come together to create the magic of this market.  There is truly something for everyone’s taste (and wallet)!

But it is not only what I see and taste when I visit these places, it is the emotion it evokes.   While browsing the stalls I change from a faltering novice in the kitchen to believing I could be some sassy cook that would even put a Michelin starred chef to shame with what can be produced with the abundance at hand.  Inspired by the fresh produce and the beauty, passion and flair with which it is exhibited makes me believe that cooking should not be difficult – and how could it be with all this inspiration.

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Hubby looking at some caps

The Marché Bastille operates on Thursday, 7am-2.30pm and Sunday, 7am-3pm.

Cabbage, Orange and Apple salad

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Having grown up in a home where red meat was the order of the day most days, and veg were limited to potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli, it is no wonder that I am not a big fan of salads.  Either that, or I am just bored with every day go-to Greek salad.  Or could it be because I associated salad with dieting…?!  Let’s not digress.

Currently we are experiencing a heatwave in the Western Cape of South Africa, and these days I find myself on a constant lookout for new and fresh recipes, because let’s face it… on a hot day lounging next to the pool you really just want something that is cool, light and full of flavour.  And because it is not considered proper (by who, I don’t know!) to just have wine for lunch, it means I have to rack my brain to come up with a few different options for a light summer bite.

So at a recent book sale I came across a cookbook published by GQ magazine, entitled “GQ Eats:  The cookbook for men of seriously good taste”.  I had to get it.  Perfect gift for hubby!  (He picked me of course, so his taste is seriously good!)  Also, it doubled as a gift for me too.  The book is filled with quite a few recipes that I would not mind hubby to make for me!

One of the recipes that caught my eye while I was still in the store was a cabbage, orange and apple salad.  Not something I have heard of before, but I could imagine the flavours working together so I could not wait to give it a try.  So last Sunday it was on the menu.  Together with that chilled Sauvignon Blanc, of course!

It is a delicious salad, packed with flavours and textures.  We changed it slightly as the original ingredients in the dressing was not something I could find in any of our local stores.  However, I was really pleased with the outcome.  So much so that it is on the menu again this weekend where I will introduce it to my meat and potato loving family!  Fingers crossed!

Cabbage, Orange and Apple salad

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the salad:

150g red cabbage, thinly sliced

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

2 apples, cut into small chunks (not necessary to peel)

20g sultana raisins

15g dried cranberries

70g mixed nuts & seeds (walnuts, almonds & sunflower seeds)

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Chives to sprinkle over

For the dressing:

50ml orange juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of sugar

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Method:

  1. Mix the cabbage, orange, apple, raisins, cranberries, nuts and seeds.  Season with salt and black pepper.
  2. Mix the ingredients for the dressing well.
  3. Pour over salad and mix well. Get in there with your hands to ensure all the cabbage is nicely dressed.
  4. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour before serving to ensure flavours develop.
  5. When serving, chop a few chives and sprinkle over the top.

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Memento

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The small town of Praiano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy

Being from the southern tip of Africa meant that it was about a 24 hour journey before we finally arrived in the beautiful little town of Praiano, on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  The last stretch of the trip was done by bus from Sorrento, along the treacherous Amalfi Coast drive, and as the bus made its way around the corners it offered us little glimpses of its splendour.

I am not sure if it is the way that the houses seem to cling to the impossibly steep slopes rising out from the sea, the way lemon trees are planted at stupendous angles or the hypnotic beauty of the sea, speckled with white foam lines as speed boats and yachts make their way across the glistening blue ocean, but I fell completely and utterly in love with this place.

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One of the views from our hotel room balcony

Just down the road from our hotel was a wonderful little restaurant called M’ama! (Via Umberto I, 72, Praiano).  Located on top of another hotel it offered uninterrupted, panoramic views; in front of you, as far as the eyes could see, was just this mesmerising ocean and at the back was the beautiful mountains with houses dotted in between the green.

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M’ama! The view towards the mountains.

Their food was amazing.  Especially the seafood.  Fresh, simple and delicious.  Not trying to be too complicated and just letting the beautiful local produce do its thing.  Think freshly made pasta, cooked to perfection, with clams and mussels, just dressed with some tomatoes, basil and some olive oil.  Lemon sorbet.  Wonderful wine.  To top it all off, after the meal, we were presented with small, icy cold glasses with the local lemon liqueur called Limoncello. It was so cold that you could only take the smallest of sips at a time, but it was delicious and a perfect way to end off the night.

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Perfection – looking out over the ocean.

On our last night in Praiano, we just had to go back to M’ama.  After a wonderful meal, the little glasses made their appearance again.  So I looked at hubby and asked whether he thought they would sell it to us.  I really wanted to take a little piece of this paradise with me.  When it was time to pay the bill we asked the waiter if this was possible but unfortunately it was not to be.

However, as we were making our way out the door, the waiter came rushing down the stairs.  He spoke to the manager and explained that we were regular customers that week.  And the manager gave permission to give the glasses to us for free.  No sour endings here!

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Salute!

Today this is one of my most treasured ornaments that we’ve brought back from any holiday.  I can’t wait to return one day but until then, we will sip Limoncello at home and talk about when we are going to retire there.  Dream big, I say!

Things I have learnt

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I love history because we can learn from it.  This is the Musee du Louvre, in Paris.

While school and university are great platforms for learning, to my mind, Life proves to be the best teacher by far.  While the former imparts theory, Life shows you… well, life.  How the everyday works.  And it is not the kind of stuff you can get from a text book.  It’s the hard-hitting realities and truths that you can only learn by experiencing it.

So far in my life I had to learn some hard lessons.  It is not always easy to deal with the disappointment, but I am better for it.

A few of the things I have learned so far:

Family members are not as interested in seeing your holiday photos as what you are.  I have taken a multitude of pictures “to show my mom and dad; because they will really enjoy this!”.  For some reason, after picture number 453, their enthusiasm is not what it was when the slideshow first came on.

After I’ve put nail polish on my nails, I will need to go to the bathroom.  It doesn’t help to go just before.  Nope, I’ve tried that.  Inexplicably my bladder is linked to fresh nail polish that needs to dry.

After living with terrible, faded and outgrown hair for weeks, the day I go to the hairdresser to finally get my hair done, it will look the best that it ever has.

The first time I try a new recipe will always be amazing.  However, past performance is not a guarantee of future success and as a result, the second time is normally a disaster.  Let’s just say the panna cotta I practiced for Christmas pudding was an amazing test, but more a “puddle of cotta” on the day it was meant to be a star.

If you try some pants on in the store and it fits just a tad too tight, chances are very good it will never fit.  Don’t believe yourself when you say “Well, I am on a diet… so it is just a matter of days before it fits…” No, it will not happen.

If you spot something really expensive that you like and buy it, within a few weeks you will find it on sale for a third of the price.  However, if you decide to wait for a sale, that specific thing you were looking for won’t be there anymore.

The neater the handbag, the more difficult to find things inside it.

Not that I have had much experience with grey hair (!!) but for every one grey hair that you try and pull out, you will pull out at least 5 perfectly good hairs instead.  And when you finally manage to get hold of the grey you will end up breaking it off, instead of eradicating it completely.  Those things stick like the roots of a thousand year old tree.

Yes, learning can be tough business.

But what is the most profound thing that I have learnt so far in my schooling with Life?  “Be miserable.  Or motivate yourself.  What ever has be done done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer.

It is something that I continue to learn every day.  Just like school, you have to practice at Life.  The best part about it though is that you will only fail once you stop trying.  So happy learning!  I know my education continues.

And a little bit of humour goes a long way!