Reflections in, on and round about…with a lot of cooking on the side
Stories that don’t fit elsewhere and add to the rich fabric of life….
Foreword This post, in its original iteration appeared in 2018. On another platform. I have, for a number of reasons, been trying to systematically restore "missing" bits. It's a mixed blessing: some I choose not to restore. Others, like this, make me realise how much our lives have changed in the last year and now, … Continue reading Heritage food – my take
It's a truism that if one's never had or enjoyed something, one doesn't miss it. When I was in my 20's, I discovered that I had a problem with caffeine. And, a couple of years later, with pseudoephedrine. Both give me a buzz, stop me from sleeping and the latter gives me serious nightmares. That’s … Continue reading Fabulous Fungi
When I wrote this just over a hear ago, South Africa, had been in the throes of loadshedding. I was reminded of this post because it marks a nasty trip that I took. I cannot believe that was a year ago, and how much, in so many ways, things have not changed. Loadshedding has made … Continue reading Tripping the Light Fantastic
Just under two weeks ago, I collected my team for a job. As she got into the car, C asked - Have you heard about Michael? No? Let me explain: there are several men in the village whose names are Michael. There are several who are "Mike" and whose names have additional monikers. Like … Continue reading He was not Mike
When I met The Husband, he fended for himself and it wasn't long before he informed me that a kitchen should never be without onions and tomatoes: no tasty main meal (other than breakfast), could exclude onions. Add tomatoes, he maintained, and you have the basis of a good meal. Then last Saturday, I was given five kilograms of overripe tomatoes! Perfect. So, I set to on Sunday, prepared for a long day - it's a two-step process - not difficult, but long (and which is partly why I didn't get this out last week).
I can't believe that it was twenty months ago that I wrote - I keep on saying that I don't "do" contests; and then I do. I claim I'm not competitive; by and large I am not, but I do admit to being happy to win - when it happens. So let me declare again that I … Continue reading Last dance…
Chutney is an important feature of traditional South African cooking, and particularly those South Africans with Dutch and Malay heritage. It's an essential accompaniment to curry as well as being an ingredient in a number of traditional recipes including bobotie. As are apricots - in chutneys, in jam - and which are also eaten dried, … Continue reading Charming Chutney
I must have been seven or eight. We had been away for the weekend. I don’t recall the reason. I suspect it was the annual trip to the agricultural show at Gonubie outside East London (South Africa). For a number of years after we moved to Grahamstown, this was a regular thing. Dad judged the … Continue reading The big (beer) bang
It's no secret that I take on paid-for writing work. Like all gigs for clients, sometimes one hits the mark and sometimes one doesn't. One job involved looking at the impact of the pandemic on people's mental health. I admit to having found myself in a rather deep rabit hole. A function, I suspect, of … Continue reading It’s not just about Covid
Summer's heading our way. Although it doesn't feel like it today as a galeforce wind howls around the house. Having a foretaste of summer earlier in the week, it feels as though winter's returned. One of the things I really enjoy about summer is a frappé. No, not the Greek one, but the one that, … Continue reading Those Ice Cream Days