Sexy Sexy Food!
I have been happily eating my way around Cape Town for the last ten days. This town is like a pot boiling over with great restaurants that tick all my boxes. I arrived last Sunday have and a million people to thank for amazing food, company and meaty conversations. Grazie infinite to Caro who spoiled us rotten at Vinatics, with a twelve foot long table of that groaned orgasmically with her heavenly Tapas all accompanied by the cream of the KWV Kelder (I am feeling tweetalig after my radio moment). Cathy Marston talked us through each wine as we paired them with the Tapas ….
It was so awesome to finally meet Sam Linsell of Drizzle and Dip who was kind enough to gift me a jar of The Smoking Shed oak smoked, dried chilli flakes and smoked salt. Thank you Sam my angel – I am so inspired by these two products that I am going to give hot ‘smoking’ a go as soon as I get home. Sam is so passionate about food and blogging and I can’t wait to get back to Durbs to play with her salt and chilli flakes. Sam I must tell you that Trickyricky just couldn’t wait to get home to Durbs to play with these goodies and cooked us a delicious spicy plate of spaghetti with clams and prawns that was given the Smoking Shed chilli treatment on Saturday night. Che buono!!!
It was such a treat to see Carey Boucher of Bits of Carey and Crush the awesome on-line food magazine that she writes for again. I am not sure what it is about you Carey sweetheart – but all I want to do when I see you is to hug you, look after you and cook with you. And I think that your hubby is an absolute darling. Meagan of Food24 hooked me up to Twitter, but I fear I need some lessons on the finer points of tweeting! I am feeling more of a twit than a Twitterer!
After spending last Thursday morning at SABC in Sea Point with Nina Timm of My Easy Cooking on her morning show on RSG, a celebration was in order. I felt totally victorious after I managed to get through my Afrikaans version of Fettuccine Alfredo and Uovo Battuto without too many hiccups – I now know that castor sugar is strooisuiker in Afrikaans. A million thank you’s to Nina-kins, for such an amazing opportunity and exciting morning. I must tell you that I absolutely loved the experience. I just loved all the monitors and buttons and red lights in that recording booth. Johan and Martelize, the presenters of the morning show, made me feel right at home. I am a child of the airwaves generation for sure. When I was 10 years old I used to crawl into my bunk bed at night with my little radio and ear plug (only one in those days) and felt very naughty as I listened to Squad Cars, Father dear Father and Check Your Mate with my parents totally oblivious to my nocturnal antics. The imagination runs wild when there are no pictures.
Daniele my eldest has been Script Writer and Creative Director for ‘SOS’ (Sink or Swim) a series of fantastic outdoor challenges between schools that will be aired on SABC soon! Ergo, we were both in the mood for a partay and our celebratory lunch had to include the following; a great sea view, some bling bling and loads of sushi accompanied by bottle of vino buono. Wakame in Mouille Point it was, and me oh my, did we feel uber fab sitting out on that balcony in the glorious sunshine scoffing our sushi.
I have been managing to walk quite a bit in an effort to tame my expanding hips. The squirrels and I shared a packet of nuts, my sandwich and a chat in The Company Gardens before I spent an hour or so with the peacock tinged paintings of Tretchikoff in the National Gallery. Don’t miss this exhibition! Isn’t it amazing how ones taste (both visual and gastronomic) change as one matures?
As soon as Trickyricky, Renato and Rosa arrived from Durban – we legged it down to another of my fave sushi hangouts here in Cape Town and that’s Willoughby’s at the V&A … oh my giddy aunt that rock shrimp goody-me-gaff is just ridiculously succulent and a little crunchy and spicy and sweet. Don’t’ miss out on their ‘Digestive’ it’s on their dessert menu – Espresso, Grappa and Chocolate!
Our morning at The Biscuit Mill last Saturday included fresh plump oysters, d’lish eggs benedict served on fried mashed potate (yum), fantastic wafer thin pizza, heavenly souvlaki served in pita with tzatziki and we finished off the morning with soft serve yoghurt with organic vino ……. Trickyricky was in his element and wasn’t budging until he had sampled everything. It’s definitely a Gastronomic Paradiso and one’s wallet needs to be akin to the concertina of a piano accordion. It must open wide ……….. and have loads of moola in it. But then – can you ever pay enough for a good meal?
And the answer to that is yes you can. The general consensus of the group was Fish for dinner on Saturday night so we booked at The Cod Father in Camps bay. After a few cocktails at a local glitter-pit Blues, we had made our way up the staircase to heaven – The Cod Father. My blog is evidence that my family enjoy all seafood and I cook meals including it often – but when I realised that I had paid the princely sum of R471-00 for 4-four- Quatro – Vier – grilled langoustines I got quite a shock. They were neither coaxed out of the sea by Nina Ricci clad mermaids, nor where they stuffed with essence of Virgin Harvested Fois gras, The were not nestled on a bed of White truffles and nor were they served to me by Heston – but they were R471-00. Haibo! They were delicious and juicy and nice and plump but one should not have to apply for a second bond to settle ones dinner bill. My opinion ONLY!
I will post part two of my gastro-roam around Cape Town in Wednesday. There is just so much to share! It’s time for a Meat Free Monday recipe, in English today, hahaha. I flew back on Thursday to be home in Durban to celebrate hubby’s birthday on Friday. Seeing as strawberries are back on the shelves I decided to create something a little different for Trickyricky’s birthday breakfast. This recipe celebrates the strawberry at its best – sweetened with some icing sugar, a squeeze of fresh lime and, instead of a cream topping, I tried goats’ milk Chevin rolled in pepper ……….. and it worked really well!
Strawberries in Brioche with Pepper Chevin
For 2 people
Ingredients
2 brioche or croissants
3 eggs
Butter for frying
8 strawberries
2Tbs of icing sugar – with a little extra for dusting
A squeeze of lime juice
Rosemary for garnish
Wash, de-stalk and cut the strawberries into quarters and sprinkle the icing sugar over with a squeeze of fresh lime. I suggest that you add a few Rosemary leaves to the strawberries. Set them aside until the icing sugar has melted and the strawbs are starting to release their own juices.
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk
Cut the tops off of the brioche and remove the centre bread leaving a hole
Dunk the brioche carefully into the beaten egg and fry until nicely browned
Spoon Strawberries into the centre of each brioche
Top with slices of Pepper Chevin and lightly grill them to soften the cheese
Top with the brioche lid
Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
I have loads more to share about the places I visited and the food that I ate in Cape Town. So, until Wednesday
Buon Appetito
Xx
jan