Reflections in, on and round about…with a lot of cooking on the side
I have flirted with vegetarianism on and off for about thirty years, particularly when I lived alone - which I have done, not unhappily, on and off, until I finally settled down with Tom. One of the first, if not the first, recipe book I bought, was the A - Z of Vegetarian Cooking in … Continue reading Veg-ing out
We are very lucky to live in a beautiful valley that produces wonderful wine and creates fabulous opportunities for celebrating not just wine, but its talented cellar masters and wine makers. The Robertson Slow Festival is unique. It is a genteel, intimate and relaxed festival that spreads itself through the valley. People come together in … Continue reading Long, leisurely, Lord’s
Over past few years I have had the joy of reconnecting with people who left my life as I journeyed through it. The joy has been unexpected. I am reveling in our shared histories and memories; enjoying rekindling friendships and acquaintances. Some of these are already part of Fiona's Favourites as I celebrate milestones and share memories associated … Continue reading Shadow of Time
In Afrikaans, they are called "appelliefies", and the direct translation is "little apple loves". Cape Gooseberries are endemic and we haven't planted any in our garden. They just grow, and are one of the many gifts we receive from our garden. As a small child, not long after we moved from East London, we would travel … Continue reading Glorious Gooseberries
It was cold this weekend - perfect weather for a slow cooked stew. Stews are a fantastic, nutritious way to use inexpensive cuts of meat - and they are usually the most flavoursome. On Saturday, after the market, I decided to make a traditional South African bredie. A bredie is, essentially, a stew that was made … Continue reading African Slow Cooking: North and South
Both our cats are huntresses of note, and give a whole new meaning to food-on-the-run! Our week started in the wee hours of Monday morning. Simultaneous with a scrabbling around behind the headboard, a cat launched herself off a rather soft spot on my abdomen and into mid-air. Tom could sleep on a washing line, … Continue reading There’s a mouse in the house…
A few weeks ago, we joined our neighbours for breakfast at a local establishment – a favourite spot for all four of us. As breakfasts do, they come with the ubiquitous toast and preserves but, as we all went on to note, not always with the appropriate cutlery. Consequently, one ends up having to spread butter … Continue reading Turning the tables….
Friday, 18 July 2014, in McGregor dawned: a cold, blustery morning. It was also the first Mandela Day since his death in December 2013; he would have been 95. Later that day I was heading down to our local community service centre (aka the police station) to join a sandwich drive. This, juxtaposed with my my … Continue reading Eating to Live
I enjoy preparing and eating food. I lost my sweet tooth a long time ago, although I do enjoy the odd dessert from time to time. My preference is for uncomplicated meals which, in old fashioned language, would have been known as "balanced". Although not vegetarian, I prefer not to eat meat every day, eating quite a … Continue reading Eating to live and living to eat?
....parsley! I love parsley. I’m not happy until my garden grows herbs, especially parsley. And the challenge of parsley is that it's a slow grower and it can be temperamental. My mum also always had parsley in her garden - some of my earliest culinary memories are of being sent to pick parsley – usually … Continue reading A lovely bunch of….