revival

 

It’s been quite some time indeed, and it has really not been fair to have promised so much the last time and not have followed through (though, I am beginning to believe that this is some inherent commitment flaw I have hidden deep underneath all these layers).

Here are my thoughts on my lack of follow through:

I have recently become a severe YouTube addict with most of my subscriptions being make-up gurus and Kracie Poppin cooking demos but every now and then I come across a serious vlogger and I just think to myself - “You are so dedicated! I have a 3 year old blog with not enough hits to make a blip in the stratosphere!”. It got me thinking. When I started this blog, I was a discontent law student trying to live my real dream – writing and cooking – through this blog. I had all the time in the world to be nonchalant and unrealistic about giving up my degree to focus on my dream of being a creative type. I even almost had an opportunity to pick it up again after I finished my articles. But I didn’t.

Why? Well. Thing is that I actually, to some degree, wanted to follow the path and didn’t have the courage to take the leap. I’m not disappointed because I found a dream job as an editor with a major international legal publisher and I love my job and I love cooking and I really want to still own that food stall or beach side cafe and write all about it, but I also now want to do it in conjunction with my new job. I’ve also started writing for this insanely awesome online emerging arts magazine and it’s another satisfaction brought into my life. [CLICK HERE FOR DISPARATE ONLINE MAG!!!]

My point is that in between all of the above realisations and wedding planning and reading for Masters and saving and trying to be a normal human all at the same time, I have realised that the avoidance of this blog comes from a place of believing it to be me selling out and not living this in its entirety. Thing is, I’m not that discontent law student anymore and I started looking at this blog as the solace for a failure of fortune for my immature, dissatisfied self.

I think that that was wrong of me. The realisation that this can work in conjunction with the fortune happening right now in my life (knock on wood) was an important one and will hopefully breed more beautiful recipes and experiences now and in my new home in 7 months time.

Here’s to hoping!

I really want to dedicate a day a week to this blog because honestly, it really is something that is constantly at the back of my mind. I have pictures taken and posts planned but never get around to doing it. But more of a concerted effort must be made and energy must be expended because at the end of the day, I really do love this.

May

x

going green (curry)

 

After much craving, I made a really delish Thai green curry for lunch today. Although my favourite Asian cuisine is Japanese, Thai comes in at a close second. I am obsessed with the taste fish sauce brings to their dishes (much like Korean cuisine) and as a self-proclaimed chilli addict, there is nothing that feeds my soul (belly) like the kick of heat provided in their cuisine in general.

I used Bill Granger’s recipe for the green curry paste and it came out awesomely. By the way, Bill Granger is a seriously cool guy. Seriously cool like the cool light blue he rocks in his TV shows. Somehow I always look to his or Kylie Kwong’s recipes when I am in need of Asian food advice on the internet. You should check out their websites here and here respectively.

Here’s the recipe:

For the paste:

• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp white peppercorns
• 1 tsp ground tumeric
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander root and stems
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3cm ginger root, cleaned and chopped
• 4 green chillies (deseed them if you want less heat)
• 1 small onion
• 1 stalk lemon grass
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

For the dish:

• 500g chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• the green curry paste
• 150 ml water
• 350ml coconut milk
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 3 strips lime peel
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• veggies of choice – I used green and red pepper, string beans and mushrooms

Method:

Toast the cumin, coriander and white peppercorns in a dry pan for a few minutes until fragrant then prepare all the paste ingredients and pop into a blender and blend until it forms paste.

In a wok (or wide saucepan), add a little oil and fry your paste on a high heat for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and add in your water, coconut milk and lime peel and simmer for about 5 minutes. Toss in your chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes.

The chicken should be pretty much cooked in those 5 minutes so when that’s done, add in your veggies, fish sauce and lime juice and simmer for 5 more minutes and it’s all done!

Garnish with chopped spring onion, red chilli and coriander, and serve with steamed rice.

Please try it and let me know how it went guys!

PS: I forgot to say - a great way to get your steamed rice extra fragrant once it’s cooked is to add mint, lime zest and a squeeze of lime juice to it, and it will take plain old steamed rice to another level.

May

xo

food (lovers market) equals happiness

While in Johannesburg this past weekend, my mum and dad kept talking about Nicol Way Mall in Bryanston. And yes, i was keen and things but the thing about Johannesburg is that there are so many malls you lose track. So far, the only place that has seriously impressed me is The Design Quarter as it is such a different sort of place - homeware shops and the like and really interesting restaurants. Even Melrose Arch is pretty cool. And of course, Sandton City.

But the thing that really struck a chord with me at Nicol Way was the Food Lovers Market.

Now i understand that FLMs have popped up all over the show, and I have seen some pretty incredible ones, but it's been years since I got that "kid in a candy store" feeling.

Yeah, I got that feeling in there.

It was heaven in ny wildest dreams. You know when you're speehless from utter shock? It. Was. Heaven. I promise.

Olive oil on tap. Freshest seafood. Fresh exotic mushrooms. All kinds of meat. Chefs choice on braai choice. Complete gourmet bakery. Tapas. Mezze. Buffet. Cheese. Wine. Fruit. Vegetable. The list is endless and the joy was incredible.

I walked in with a list of 3 items and left with a trolley full.

Thanks, Food Lovers Market.

rustic lemon swirl cheesecake

 

 

I have been promising a cheesecake on this blog since forever pretty much, so here is a really simple take on a fridge cheesecake that I literally threw together while in a cheesecake withdrawal moment with stuff I found in the fridge! By the way – let’s just have a moment for the longest sentence ever.

PS: Don’t kill me, but I eyeballed the measurements, so just trust yourself and do the same.

• a tub of fresh cream, whipped
• condensed milk
• like 300g ricotta cheese
• tennis biscuits
• 100g butter (only thing I measured)
• the juice and zest of one and a half lemons
• fresh strawberries
• sugar

yummelo.

do try it!

pizza, platters and puratassi (yup)

 

So it’s fasting month for South Indians around the world. That means vegetarian food. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all into vegetarian curries but I like to mix it up. If anyone’s spent a little time browsing this blog, I think you’d come across a decent amount of vegetarian recipes. It’s because I actually really love it.

Anyway I spent the long weekend with my parents and spent the weekend making delicious vegetarian combinations to keep our bellies full.

  basil, button mushroom and mozza pizza

dolmades, artichokes, calamata olives, basil pesto, pepperdew feta, pita

chilli, onion and cheese mini subs

 

green chilli.

sliced red onion.

mature cheddar.

in the oven.

in my belly.

yes please.

get stuck in, don’t be shy

 

bbq sticky boneless pork ribs – spicy steak strips – red pepper hummus – salami sticks – extra mature cheddar – ripe brie – pepper cream cheese – blue cheese – sweet and sour gherkins – toasted pita – yum

go on, have a lil nosh

 

So I’m watching Jamie’s Great Britain and he really is so freaking cool. He has surpassed so many chefs in my eyes purely because of his honesty. He has made it up there next to Rick Stein for me. When he cooks he just makes me feel like anything’s possible and you can be exactly what you want, no fuss!

Another guy that’s got me feeling that way is Deena from Masterchef South Africa. What an inspiration! You know, South Africans are so governed by stereotypes but Deena is breaking those down. Simple Indian man with a worldly food dream and telling the world that he is here, multifaceted and talented.

Well, no more wasting the dream for me – that’s the moral of my story!

There was no real point to this post other than to say that, but here’s some inspirational nosh to just top all of this off:

 bacon cheese grillers with melted emmental

blogging on location

 

so this is a new one. i’ve always wanted to do this but i’ve never had the time to and if i’m honest, i’ve never had the guts to.

presently, i’m at mugg & bean, gateway in a quiet corner amongst a bustling restaurant enjoying a cup of decaf cappuccino and waiting for my delicious roasted tomato and basil soup. i actually came here for the green pea and bacon soup but it seems they’ve taken that off the menu :( this has very seriously upset me but hey, i’ll just have to settle for second best.

the thing i like about mugg & bean and their soups, is that it just feels incredibly homey. actually the whole atmosphere of mugg & bean is rather homey. i’m not exactly a self conscious person but sometimes you just feel a bit weird whipping out your laptop in public. at mugg & bean, it’s a norm. especially with the free wifi :)

wow

 

i actually did not realise that that was my first post for 2012. how intense. this blog definitely needs more love and attention!!

happy half new year i guess?

delicious

 

so everyone has been telling me that i need to blog more. it’s not that i don’t want to, it’s that it’s always third on the list of things to do, and the list just gets ever increasingly full. well i will try to excuse myself no more. and with that - there’s too many delicious things to be happy about in this world – like my chicken besto pasta :) no that was not a typo. i call it besto because it REALLY IS the BEST pesto recipe ever!  yeah, i’m a little lame-o but that’s ok, cos this recipe is so delicious i could just die! i made it up pretty much but obviously i was influenced by a lot of recipes, particularly jamie olivers and that’s just cos i love how he’s a no nonsense kinda guy when it comes to food.

recipe:

for the besto:

• fresh basil (like 3 handfuls or so)
• 1 and half cloves of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil
• like a handful of pecorino cheese
• a handful of walnuts
• salt
• black pepper
• a squeeze of lemon juice

i wish i could give you quantities but i would be lying if i did because i literally taste as i go and i really think you should do. a decent pesto should be fine enough that it winds itself through the pasta easily and course enough that it adds some character and you can actually taste what you’re eating. i like slightly extra garlic and pecorino but feel free to cut it down if you’re not keen on it. i use walnuts purely because it costs less than pine nuts and it tastes just as good. and i use pecorino cos i like the flavour better than parmasan, nothing more than that. if you prefer parmagiano then go right ahead and substitute it.

i literally smashed this up and put on some penne to boil. had some chicken that my gran made so i tossed that in with some finely chopped green chilli (cos i like it hot :)) and voila – deliciousness in my belleh!

hope it’s just as delicious for you :)

may x

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 :)  

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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