Why does lettuce always end up being the sidekick, like Robin? Something that you throw in to make up the numbers or fill empty spaces. While I have serious doubts regarding Robin’s capabilities of playing the lead, I have no such reservations about lettuce. A head of fresh, crisp iceberg can absolutely be the hero of a dish. I cast it in a starring role when I made Asian-style spinach,…
Bananas, toffee and cinnamon…..three very good friends. They compliment each other beautifully and bring rich comfort to this luxurious cheesecake. I don’t make cheesecakes very often because of their calorific overload, but they are great for a party since a small slice goes a long way.…
How I wish I could eat my eggs done this way everyday. You’ll say the same once you’ve tried these deceptively simple yet luxurious eggs. It’s from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table – a book that I keep going back to for its elegant food. This particular dish is a fine example of how effortlessly one can create layers of flavour and elevate everyday ingredients like eggs to a decadent…
In winter I’m a sunshine seeker, searching for sunlit spots in my garden where I can read or eat my lunch. Those few minutes that I spend in the yellow orb’s golden glow are truly precious in these cold winter months and I greedily grab my share. But when the sun goes down or on cloudy windy days, I turn to food for a toasty cuddle. This homey chicken soup…
I would use every lemon that life gave me to make these light as air, tangy and unbelievably simple cupcakes. It is one of those easy cupcake recipes that you can whip up at a moment’s notice. I’m not a fan of thickly iced cupcakes no matter how prettily they’re decorated, because I feel that all the sugar on top saturates my palate to a point where I can’t taste the…
What’s not to like about salad peppers – they’re sweet and beautiful. Their glossy colours and sexy shape is so perfect that sometimes I almost don’t feel like chopping or even cooking them. But if you like me, believe in beauty with a purpose (:-D), go ahead and turn them into something delicious.…
Comfort in a bowl – that’s the reason I make this one-bowl stir fry. My boys enjoy it every time, no matter how frequently they have to eat it and I use whatever seafood I have, calamari, any firm white fish or a combination of seafood. I think if you don’t care too much for seafood, boneless chunks of chicken thigh or cooked duck or just about anything would work…
Love, love, love butternut squash. It’s sweet, aromatic and yummy in savoury dishes. The other day, I needed to make a quick lunch of something substantial to go with either plain steamed rice or rotis. Came up with this super simple and delicious butternut squash and coconut milk curry. It needs very few ingredients and is versatile too if you want to throw in some boneless chicken or other vegetables…
Cauliflower is not my husband’s favourite so it’s always a challenge to primp it up and make it attractive. This cauliflower-bacon gratin is adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. It is savoury, creamy and oozing with melted cheese. Little crunchy pebbles of bacon show up in every mouthful hiding under the creamy vegetables. Although the original recipe uses only cauliflower, I decided to throw in some broccoli to add…
I awoke with a sense of purpose today – to get my head down, put fingers on the keyboard and breathe life into Quiche ‘n’ Tell. And what better than a fruity marmalade to raise the inaugural toast. Ever since we arrived in South Africa a couple of months ago, one of my favourite things to…