50 years, and still going strong

 

my grandmother’s kitchen has green linoleum tops and cupboards, the oldest stove and microwave you could ever imagine and cotton swing curtains – but it’s probably the most well-kept 50-year-old kitchen you’ve ever seen. everything is spotless and in its place, which matches my grandmother completely. you see this kitchen is as old as my father. my grandparents moved into this house in 1961, the year my father was born and almost everything is in its original condition. it has a certain charm about it, and it kinda makes me smile sometimes because it’s just so seeped in history.

for that exact reason, and to thank my grandmother and my grandfather for this beautiful home they built from the ground up, i decided to dedicate this post to my grandmother’s kitchen.

when my parents moved to johannesburg at the start of this year i moved into my grandparents’ house in merebank. it was quite a big move for me – coming from the comfort of my parents house with my own space and all the things i’m used to – but i did it.

at first it was difficult to settle into my new room. but with all my stuff in it, it slowly became more homely and more me. after unpacking my things and setting up my furniture, the only other thing to get used to my grandmother’s kitchen.

growing up, this kitchen wasn’t a place i spent all that much time in. i mean, my grandmother was the boss of that kitchen and we always just let her do her thing! we hung out there, did some gossiping and helped cut stuff up but i never really used her stove and got into it.

check out how retro it is!

wall tiles

    

old school stove

 

tea towl hanger

 

microwave

 

it’s been kinda awesome using all this vintage stuff. some of the plates on the stove don’t work perfectly and the microwave needs a little pull in the right direction in order to start it up sometimes, but it’s interesting and makes me think of my dad, aunt and uncle growing up here. isn’t that pretty amazing?

yeah, i think it’s pretty damn amazing :)

may

xo

happiness lives in…

 

…a mugg & bean muffin!

i’m a fully fledged mugg & bean addict and a few weeks ago when mekarl and i went road tripping to the city of gold, one of my goals was to stop off at one of these mugg & bean minis that have opened up on the N3 toll route. i eventually got my wish (not a mini though, we stopped at a real m&b) and it just ended our road trip on such a high. funnest trip everrr!

it was the first time in our five years together that we road tripped such a distance by ourselves. it was such an exciting journey. leaving at 12:30pm on friday afternoon, armed with sausage rolls and tons of water, we set out to gauteng province. we only stopped a few times and actually never made any food stops (THE HORROR) – just one in escourt to get some cabanossi from the butchery at the ultra city – because we knew my mum was preparing amazing home-cooked loveliness. arriving in johannesburg at around 10pm (crazy traffic!) we sat down to sticky rice, creamy prawn chutney, grilled fish and crumbed chicken. what a way to go to bed – with a full belleh :)

the weekend was fantastic! being with the parents and my brother just before his matric exams was so fulfilling. thinking about it – it’s weird how every second of the day is defined by what food we will eat when planning something. i think it comes from the basic act of sharing. i think we, as a family (whether it be grandparents, parents, aunts uncles or cousins) show our love, gratitude, wealth and happiness through preparing, providing and sharing a meal together, and this trip was much the same as every outing was centred around which place we were gonna stop to have a nibble!

awesome food memories include:

• the best dim sum i’ve ever had, delicious angry duck with rice and sweet & sour pork from kong roast;
• the most mouth-watering lunch from tasha’s melrose arch – succulent steak, with baby potatoes in a tomato sort-of-stew topped with rocket; and
• sunday brunch including mince curry, eggs, steak and gravy and bacon which toasty french bread and danishes for desert.

on our way back home, we stopped off at mugg & bean just outside harrismith and got ourselves a rib and buffalo wing combo, a burger and a m&b spectacular giant choc-chip muffin. mugg & bean muffins are the heartiest things on earth, i swear! just so generous and heart warming that getting caught in the storm from howick to durban was manageable with a little choc-chip scrumptiousness!

here’s some photos from the trip :)  

View Full Album

revamp

 

as most of you know, I have been out of the blogging game recently. not by choice but by the sheer volume of stress and work I have been swamped with. BUT FEAR NOT. I am expanding may’s morsels into more than a recipe blog. seeing as though my life is so much more than cooking, I have decided to expand this blog into a recipe, food appreciation and lifestyle blog documenting everything that makes me happy and that I am sure will make you happy too :)

for where I am in my life right now, to have a pure recipe blog is too confined for my liking, especially when I am in such a black and white profession. I need some diversity and a creative outlet and i am sure that it will be just as entertaining to you this new endeavour is to me!

stay tuned!

may

xo

lamb casserole

 

on a cold winter’s day, there is nothing that warms you up better than a hearty meal. whenever cooking wintery food now, i remember some wise words i heard while watching masterchef australia last year. chef john torode (resident judge on masterchef in britain) was a guest judge on that particular episode for the “british food” theme and when explaining to the contestants about the heart of british cuisine, he emphasized that it is the hearty meal that brings the sunshine to the dull, grey days england is known for. i kept that in mind when making this delicious casserole that warmed us up nice and easy on saturday night :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kg lamb – shoulder, shank or leg are great cuts to use.
• 2 tbsp plain flour – seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary
• olive oil
• butter
• 5 cloves of garlic
• baby pickling onions
• baby potatoes
• 3 carrots chopped
• 1 turnip
• 4 stalks of celery
• 1 leek
• 1 punnet mushrooms
• 2 and half cups of good, rich beef stock – if you don’t want to use beef, then chicken will work just as well
• 1 cup red wine – use a wine that is full bodied and pairs well with red meat. also remember to use a wine you would love to drink, because if it is not good enough to drink it’s definitely not good enough to cook with! i used a cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend
• fresh rosemary
• fresh thyme
• fresh parsely

 

METHOD:

in a heavy based casserole dish, start off by slightly browning the pickling onions in some olive oil and butter then remove from the pot. this will start the dish off with a layer of flavour. the most important thing with a casserole is creating a level of flavour with the addition of every ingredient.

put your lamb in a bowl and season well with the flour, salt and pepper. chop up your rosemary and add to the flour dredged meat and then brown in batches in the oil and butter used to brown the onion. remember not to overcrowd the pot as this will decrease the temperature in the pot and in turn, take much longer to brown the meat.

once all the meat has been browned, you may need to add more olive oil and butter into the pot and then turn the heat down and throw in your chopped vegetables and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and brown. once this is done, add the lamb back into the pot along with the browned onions and deglaze with the red wine. after the wine has reduced by half, add in the beef stock together with a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes on the stove.

throw in more fresh thyme and rosemary and put in the oven for 1 and half hours on 180 degrees or until the meat falls off the bone.

serve with crusty bread and you’re ready to be warmed up on a cold, winter’s day :)  

apple crumble deliciousness and larousse gastronomique

 

mekarl and i just recently celebrated our 5 year anniversary and being the most awesome boyfriend in the world, naturally he bought me the most awesome present in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is larousse gastronimique. the most awesome and amazing cookbook/cooking encyclopaedia in the world. 1206 pages long with 3800 recipes, it is the bible of cookery. and it is MINE. yes, i just used caps. it has been the most amazing addition to my list of cookbooks and cooking literature and i have not stopped reading it since the day i got it.

dying to cook recipe from it, i foraged in the house for inspiration and finally found some beautifully delicious apples. i then decided that apple crumble was the order of the day. i first thought i’d make an apple crumble tart but my short crust pastry didn’t come out right the first time so i threw that idea and just made the simple crumble. on thursday though, i plan to make the short crust pastry for the tart because (hoorah!) my parents and my brother, mahesh, are coming down to durban for the weekend!

so here’s the (paraphrased) recipe i used from this fabulous book: rub 150g cold butter into 150g plain flour and sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. then top it over 1.5kg quartered and cored apples in an oven-proof dish and put into a 200 degree oven for 35 minutes.

for the creme anglaise ( it’s just fancy french custard really), i used another of my favourite books (has to be like 3rd favourite now though), sauces by hamlyn. i got this book on sale at adams in 2008. and i tend to go to book sales for cooking books so i was ecstatic when i found this one (as well as one on different types of margaritas) on sale.

here’s the recipe: in a pot, put 1 vanilla pod (or a tsp vanilla extract) into a saucepan with 300ml full cream milk and 300ml single cream. bring to the boil gently and then turn off the heat and let it infuse for 15 mintues. in a bowl, whisk together 25g caster sugar and 6 egg yolks. once the milk mixture has cooled sufficiently, add gradually to the egg and sugar mixture and return to the heat and stir continuously for 10-15 minutes until the custard has thickened. serve this hot or cold, your preference, but please try it because it is the best custard ever.

 

although these pictures aren’t stellar, here’s a few of the finished product :)

 

   

 

may

xo

ultimate breakfast (more like brunch)

 

yesterday morning i woke up starving. it tends to happen on tuesday mornings given that i’m vegetarian on mondays. i could have scoffed an entire chicken but i decided to restrain myself with an egg white omelette instead. since i only got out of bed at around 10am (yes, i am enjoying my last days of unemployment) it was more brunchy than breakfasty and here’s the recipe:

saute as much diced onion and green chilli as you like – i used a quarter of a brown onion and one large green chilli. throw in 3 egg whites and wait for it to brown more a less on the bottom. throw in some smoked chicken slices and cheese, fold over and a delicious start to the day is made :)

 

may

xo

baked lemon cheesecake with strawberry glaze

 

i have discovered in the last year that i actually do enjoy a dessert or two and this is definitely one of them and cutting into this creamy piece of deliciousness brings such joy that it is impossible for anyone to resist trying this recipe. once you have this cheesecake in the oven, the intoxicating smell that will permeate through your kitchen and your home will have you salivating and no one will ever want you to bake anything else. i can tell you this with all my heart because i speak from experience!

the first time i made this cheesecake, it was mekarl’s mom’s birthday and it was a cool but beautifully sticky january. sitting at the estuary on the south coast of kwazulu-natal on a warm summer’s evening (after an incredible saddle of lamb that mekarl deboned like a pro) this was just the dessert that finished off the meal. dead scared, i fearlessly decided to make the cheesecake even though it was my very first time but it came out amazingly and was an instant hit! it is one of my absolute favourite recipes and it is completely fool-proof.

you will need:

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

• 50g unsalted butter
• 100g digestive biscuits
• 50g brown sugar
• 200g plain cream cheese
• 200g mascarpone
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 vanilla pod or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 150ml double cream
• pinch of salt

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1  cup strawberries
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• half a cup of sugar
• water
• firstly, melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave if you’re a little lazy like me (lol), and while that melts crush your digestive biscuits ‘til they’re fine and set that aside in bowl. when the butter is completely melted, add into the biscuit mixture together with the brown sugar and mix thoroughly before pressing well into the oven-proof dish you’re going to bake the cheesecake in. after you’ve pressed the base in well, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until you’re ready to pour in the cheesecake filling.
• whilst that is hanging out in the fridge, mix together the mascarpone, cream cheese, vanilla, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest and whipped double cream. in a separate bowl, whisk your egg whites with the salt until soft peaks and fold into the cream cheese mixture then pour into the cake dish.
• bake for 30 minutes at 160 degrees celcius, then at 170 degrees celcius for another 30 minutes. turn off the heat thereafter and leave the oven door open to cool. once cooled, leave in the fridge til you’re ready to glaze and serve.
• for the glaze: in a saucepan put in your strawberries, corn starch, sugar and a little water and stir over a medium heat until the strawberries are completely broken down. glaze your cheesecake once the glaze has cooled and you’re ready to serve.

i actually don’t have a decent photo of this cheesecake, but i promise the next time i make it i will update this post with a photo! for now, i hope you try this recipe and enjoy every second eating this deliciousness!

may

xo

a new beginning

 

it has been 4 months since i last updated this blog and it has been on my “to-do list” in the back of my mind for too long. i have realised that as time goes by and we grow up, time for yourself becomes something more and more rare. that being said, i’m going to try and update as much as i possibly can. this blog is so much a part of me and is dedicated to one of the biggest loves of my life.

these last few months have been such a change for myself. i completed my degree and am starting my articles of clerkship with a really good firm in 2 weeks. as my career has started to take shape, i am constantly reminded in cooking that this is where my heart is. at some stage, i know that this is where my life needs to be. as committed a lawyer i will be, i know that a certain void can only be filled when creating and producing food to the ones i love. to share this love would be a beautiful thing that i know will lead to a fulfilment i could not get otherwise.

i hope to share new recipes, techniques and food journeys with whoever takes the time to read this blog.

to a new beginning…

:)

xo 

soy burger with mushrooms and cheese with a mixed squash salad (v)

 

this week i am fasting with my grandmother for kavady. kavady is a hindu festival that my family observes every year which focuses on carrying your burdens and meditating on them whilst sacrificing every day luxuries. traditionally, it is usually a very strict sacrifice that includes eating only vegetables and fruit, and praying every day – morning and night. since i am not physically carrying kavady this year, i am not fasting too strictly and have just given up meat for the week.

it is a great detox and as someone who has no problems eating vegetarian options, it comes as a welcomed change to the diet. i feel lighter and happier and it’s adding some (much needed!) variation to my weigh-less diet.

today, in the hope of eating something yummy, i made myself the most delicious vegetarian burger that would make any person content when substituting a beef burger. actually – i take that back, because it STAND ALONE is pretty awesome and i’ll probably make it again, even on a day i’m not observing a fast.

i pan fried the fry’s soya burgers in a pan after doing a quick sauted squash salad. for the salad – prepre patty pans, baby zuchini and baby gem squash and saute in a pan with olive oil and garlic. add salt and pepper and a splash of lemon juice for taste. i actually have a gooseberry and lemon reduction that i like to deglaze the pan with and it adds a delicious dimension of flavour to the vegetables. finish with parsely and leave aside to cool.

on top of the burger i added some sauted mushroom and any white cheese and it was an AMAZING lunch option that i hope you all will try :)

 

peace and love friends and have an amazing week! xo

journey

 

these past couple of months have been really quite life changing. with my parents and brother in another city and me on the last leg of my degree and first leg of my career, everything has changed around me. but unlike my old self, i have embraced it and am enjoying my new found freedom and lifestyle.

one such lifestyle change is my joining weigh-less at the end of january. i have gained an inordinate amount of weight over the last 4 years. i was not obese but i definitely was over weight and i just wasn’t happy anymore. my relationship with food was becoming something i was starting to resent. i would feel guilty every time i ate. it took a long time for me to accept where i was in my life and that i seriously needed to stop stressing about it and do something about it.

the day came and i decided that i would join the one in the glenwood area, with a group leader i knew a little. it was the best decision of my life. yes, i have my lows where i just want to give up but i have lost 4kg so far and have another 6 to go and the goal is the reason i am not giving up.

i know that i love food. i know that a good meal – both eating and preparing – will always be so satisfying to me, but not to the detriment of my health and my happiness. as a woman, no matter what we say, we KNOW what we need to do to make ourselves happy on the outside. even if we pretend that the outside doesn’t matter sometimes, it really does and deep down looking good really does make us feel good and i’m DEFINITELY not talking about being THIN, i’m talking about the outward expression of ourselves through our clothes and our bodies. if we are not confident in our bodies, no matter what size or shape, that will always come through in our confidence and it’s one of the reasons i want to do this so badly. when i looked in the mirror, be it at home or out at a restaurant, i would feel unhappy and that was the sign.

but now i am on this road and it’s a great feeling. it’s an exciting feeling. it’s a step in the right direction and it doesn’t matter whether it takes me 2 months more or 6 months more – perseverance is what is going to pay off :)

i’ve decided that although for the next few months i will not be blogging rich, decadent foods, i will be blogging my healthy options and my journey to my goal weight.

hope you’re all in for a ride :))

may

xo

birthday :)

 

it was the 27th of february and it’s the day i look forward to most. my birthday :) those of you who know me will know that i love birthdays. and not just mine for that matter! i am the person that goes large for anyone’s birthday and it’s because i honestly believe people need to know how special they are ESPECIALLY on their day of birth. after all, your birthday is the day you came out into the world.

i was in johannesburg with my family and having an amazing time for the week. one of my best birthday memories yet! mekarl came up on friday night and we made our way to one of my best friends shevonne’s house. after mekarl’s flight got delayed we only arrived at 10pm, but boy did we make for it with lots of laughs, braai meat and tons of wine (i paid for that the next day!) saturday was gold reef city day. i am obsessed with thrill rides and gold reef is one awesome theme park. i did, however, chicken out on the 2 biggest rollercoasters: the golden loop and the anaconda. redemption is necessary and soon because my brother is not letting me hear the end of it! that evening we went to such an awesome place, recommended by my uncle, sunthoshan. it’s called cantare and it’s at monte casino. really such a novel idea because it’s a supper theatre with a twist – a dinner place with live entertainment and a dance floor. the live entertainment included live music, show tunes, dancing puppets, belly dancing and a very special happy birthday song to me :) yes, i was called up onto the stage and was sung happy birthday! the food was phenomenal to say the least. i had the veal saltimbocca – tender veal fillets coated in sauce with pancetta on a bed of linguine served with seasonal vegetables.

 

 mekarl and i at gold reef city

 

mahesh on the anaconda

the beautiful custom made box my earrings came in

 

we got back home just before midnight when everyone waited up for my birthday and saw it in. it really was a birthday filled with love and started my day off on such a positive note. my amazing boyfriend got me the most gorgeous diamond earrings and my parents THIS NEW LAPTOP! things i really appreciated and really didn’t expect at all. we awoke relatively early, had ourselves a yummy breakfast of eggs, mince curry, baked beans and bacon sausages, and the proceeded to the lion park!

after much indecisiveness on my part because of wanting to please everyone, a 20km drive to the cradle of humankind and back, the lion park was decided on and it was my best decision. i love lions and i love nature drives. we got to see so many lions as well as play with lion cubs. one took the playing too far with mahesh and jumped on him and bit the side of this lower back! rather entertaining to say the least!!!

 

we had a little birthday party when we got back home joined by my uncle and aunt, sunthosh and melissa and boy do they know me! some of the most useful gifts i ever got were given namely – turkish figs and sundried tomato balsamic reduction; cape lemon and olive oil splash, truffle infused olive oil, saffron and a jamie oliver cheeky mug :) i could not have been more excited and am now looking for recipes in which to use these very special ingredients! (keep a look out for these delicious ingredients in recipes to come!)

 

all in all, a fabulous week with my family and a really special birthday! lessons learnt? i have realised after this past year that you need to focus on the people who love you, the people who despite your own contention, keep coming back into your life with love and to stay positive always. i am so grateful for my amazing parents, my brother who is also my closest friend, my perfect match in mekarl and all of my beautiful no nonsense friends.

to my twenty third year – cheers :)

xo

prawn and litchi cocktail

it was right after new years that aaron (this is mekarl's brother-in-law) told us that his mum was having a dinner for everyone and needless to say, it was an amazing occasion for food! this amazing dish is a twist on the traditional prawn cocktail. considering the fruit we durbanites get in summer, it was amazing idea aaron's mum had to make this sumptuous starter.

with help and artistic direction from the wonderfully pregnant janita, everything came out just perfectly and was the most fitting cold starter for a clammy durban night!

getting ready for serving

the chefs! janita (left) and aunty dora (right)

finished off with sliced avocado, coriander and a sprinkle of paprika

this post would not be complete without mention of the DELICIOUS sheep head curry! i know to some of you this may seem revolting, but you have not lived until you have tasted aunty dora's sheep head! the only time i ate sheep head was when i mistook it for mutton curry. this time, however, it was voluntary and damn, i'd like to make that choice again! haha :)

xo

♥

wok fried sesame steak

i have made this recipe on countless occasions and it is a sure way to cure those after work blues when you come home from a long day and are not in the mood to get in the kitchen :)

it takes a quick 15 minutes to make and you'll be smiling contentedly in no time!

INGREDIENTS:

• 150g steak (marinade in salt, white pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, peri peri & garlic)
• any vegetables that you like - i used carrots, green and yellow peppers.
• garlic and ginger
• sesame seeds

METHOD:
after marinating the beef for as long as possible, stir fry to seal the meat in a hot wok with some sunflower or vegetable oil. it is a good idea to use an oil with no real taste as it wont marr the flavour of the stir fry. olive oil tends to be a very powerful smelling oil that doesn't marry all that well with asian flavours. remove the steak and then add a tablespoon of ginger and garlic (crushed) and then go in with your vegetables. remember to cut all your veggies around the same size for even cooking time. add in your beef and stir fry again for a few seconds. add in more soy sauce and sesame oil. be careful with the sesame oil as it has a very strong flavour! finish with fresh coriander and sesame seeds:)

and don't forget to enjoy!

it's been a while

hey everyone :)

well i have finally got some access to a laptop and it's been a good 3 months since i blogged. i am happy to say, however, that i am back! with a long list of recipes and exciting stories that io wish i had the time to blog about before!

i really missed it but the last few months were really eye opening not just on a culinary level but also on an emotional level. my parents and brother have moved to johannesburg (and this is where i'm blogging from now:)) and i am still in durban. it's a new start for my life and my blog!

happy days friends and stay tuned!

peace and love :)
may
x