Pregnant like a problem

One of my really good friends is due to give birth very soon so we went out to dinner on Saturday to celebrate this joyous event [I was thrilled  that we didn't have a typical baby shower for her - story for another day]. We had a table booked at the Green Peppercorn in Morningside shopping centre. This is one of my favourite restaurants simply because the chef takes his job very seriously - from starters all the way to dessert.

I had a starter goat's milk cheese and spinach tart with pickled onions. I really could've ordered another 50 of those things but I physically could not consume more than the one [this is because my mom and I had a serious lunch a few hours prior that left us both feeling very ashamed]. It looked delicate and oh-so-pretty and tasted that way too. Delicate and pretty...

Time for dessert finally came and I most certainly had space and appetite for it. My heart was set on the chocolate fondant with berries and vanilla ice cream. Our waiter said it would take 20 minutes to prepare and I was more than happy to wait. [It has to be made to order and served straight from the oven otherwise it becomes another chocolate cake]. Anyway, my friend and I decided to share it and I had the honour of taking the first bite. It had a crusty exterior and a soft, warm, molten gooey centre. I really nearly wept from excitement... 

The only unfortunate thing about that evening was that I didn't have my camera with me to capture the magic we consumed.

We all went our separate ways at the end of the evening and I couldn't help but feel happy and grateful for 2 things - my taste buds and great friends - even the one who's pregnant like a problem :-)

Thyme on Nicol

The weather in Jozi has improved dramatically. I went from wearing thick black stockings and a turtle neck to a summer dress and sandals in just one week - love it! So my Saturday morning started at Thyme on Nicol - an awesome eatery inside Pick 'n Pay's new flagship store on William Nicol drive. They had an awesome selection of cakes [which I surprisingly didn't have], sushi and breakfast menu.

I had medium poached eggs, salmon and rocket on toasted ciabatta - heaven on a plate and just what the doctor ordered. I washed it down with fresh strawberry juice. Bliss...

The zoo

I recently went to the Pretoria zoo with my date-for-hire. [don't judge me] It was actually a lot of fun. I was meant to be looking at the animals but found myself musing at all the interesting food-related paraphernalia. I had to share some of it...

Sometimes it feels like my innards are saying exactly this to me [every hour!!]

This would be a great name for a bar...don't you think?



I know some people who bite...even when you're trying to feed them...

Thought this was funny...

So, after a long day, we decided to go here...



And this is what we had...



Not exactly a gourmet meal but definitely hit the spot

These are a few of my favourite things


Baking sweet treats is a favourite past time. These are some of my favourite. Email me for futher info or to place orders at info@lightlysalted.co.za



Chocolate cake with cream cheese icing



Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese icing




Moist dark chocolate cake with chocolate sauce




Chocolate swiss roll with cream and caramel filling with chocolate balls



Swiss roll with caramel filling



Mi cocina

My first real taste of the globe and all things international was when I lived in London a few years ago.  This was the longest I’d ever been away from home and the first time I’d ever had to truly fend for myself. I came into my own and learned some really valuable lessons – like how fat I really could get if I continued to eat and drink as I wished. [I would share some some photos with you but I wouldn't want to put you through that]

Anyway, one of the many highlights of that time was the people I met there. I moved into a house with a South African girl from Cape Town, a Colombian chica and another from Spain. Our time together was interesting – we fought, bonded, drank and ate plenty together. And I have a few of those moments captured in pictures which always bring a smile to my face. Like the time we decided to bake chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce in our little kitchen. Bibi, the Colombian, decided to name our experiment ‘mi cocina’ which means ‘my kitchen’ in Spanish. The pudding was all sugar and butter and tasted just right.

I still make that kind of stuff in mi cocina…

Bibi



Poison in the making

Zana and Bibi

And the final product

O sole mio

O sole mio…I felt like singing this song after my first taste of the Tiramisu from Pomodoro (Morningside shopping centre). This Italian dessert was decadent, balanced in taste and form and oh so sexy…

I don’t know much about cars but I suspect that that’s what it feels like to drive a Ferrari. It must be…



Spud

I watched an episode of Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen nightmare a few weeks ago where he was trying to help resuscitate a restaurant that specializes in potato dishes. It reminded me of my love affair with the root. It’s a little more than serious and has been carrying on for quite some time.

I.LO.V.E. P.O.T.A.T.O.E.S.

I love them fried, baked, mashed, wedged, sliced, stripped [ok I made that one up]. Whatever, however. There. I said it!

So,  I’m gonna share one of my favourite potato recipes.

RECIPE

You’ll need the following:

·         5 large potatoes

·         2 spring onions

·         A handful of freshly chopped parsley

·         250ml of white wine

·         250ml of fresh cream

·         Olive oil

·         3 tbs butter

·         Salt and pepper

METHOD

·         Preheat oven to 180̊  ̊C

·         Peel and slice the potatoes and place in a pot of boiling water – cook until al dente

·         Heat olive oil and butter in a deep frying pan

·         Add spring onions and fry for approximately 3 minutes

·         Add wine, cream and half of the parsley and stir well

·         Drain potatoes and add to the sauce

·         Place cooked potatoes into a baking dish, pour all excess sauce over potatoes and bake in the oven for about 45minutes

·         Sprinkle the rest of the parsley over the potatoes shortly before serving

You can add bacon, chicken or both which will turn this from a side dish into a meal.

This is what mine usually looks like