I'll Bring the Table.....: 2013

Simply Chocolate!

'Tempting' 'Irresistible' 'Satisfying'.... these are just a couple of adjectives that sum chocolate up for most of us......actually I think for even the most flippant, chocolate's powers are simply too seductive to escape.
Whether it's the idea of that smooth silkiness on your tongue, the dense aromatic richness of the cocoa or the instant gratuitous fix that one gets when it hits your taste buds, more is what always comes to mind.

So alluring is chocolate that even Hollywood has made a movie about it's intoxicating powers. "Who can forget those romantic scenes of Juliet Binoche as a 1950's chocolatier winning that small French village over with the pleasures of her craft."

In my books, keep it simple let the chocolate do the talking! None of these 'choco snobs' for me. Price doesn't always count when it comes to taste. I suppose you should be selective when making your choice, a brand with above 70 percent of cocoa solids should do the trick, but then again, when no chocolate has passed your lips in awhile, it's surprising what one will settle for.

It always amazes me that even the most unassuming desert or boring dish can immediately be given star status with this special ingredient.

The humble chocolate muffin, taken to indulgent levels with an oozy soft center.

" The perfect chocolate cake should be damp, rather than dry and should have a hint of pudding about them" says Nigella, and in my opinion whatever Nigella says I follow!

Like I said before, keep it simple! Like these fridge chocolate biscuits. These are one of my favourite indulgences that I find simply irresistible and to top it off they are the easiest, quickest treats to knock together ever.

Fridge Chocolate Biscuits

500g of icing sugar

4tblspoons of cocoa powder

250g of butter

1 packet of marie biscuits or any plain tea biscuits

1/2 cup of dessicated coconut (optional)

1/2 cup of raisins (optional)

Melt butter in a saucepan on a low heat, then add icing sugar and cocoa powder, stirring until it's silky smooth. Add lightly crushed (with your hands) marie biscuits, coconut and raisins. Continue stirring until all the ingredients are well coated and mixed together.

Take saucepan off the heat and pour mixture into a buttered 22 -32 cm dish/tin. Let it cool, then put it in the fridge for an hour or two.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate Brownie Desert

225g butter

4 eggs

2 cups of sugar

3/4 cup of cocoa

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1tsp of vanilla essence

Melt butter and then leave to cool. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl for 5 to 10 mins until it is light yellow in colour and has a thick consistency. Add the vanilla seeds blending well and then add the sifted four and cocoa. Mix until combined and then add the cooled butter pouring in slowly and blending well until just combined.

Pour the mixture into a buttered 9 x 12 inch dish and place the dish into a larger baking pan. Fill the pan with very hot water until halfway up the side of the dish and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Insert a skewer 5cm from the edge of the dish and if it comes out 3/4 clean, it is done.

The center should appear under-baked, between a brownie and a pudding.

Serve with whipped cream and raspberries.

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies."

John Q. Tullius

"A Cheery, Cherry Contribution"

It was pretty much a 'fait accompli' that the dessert for Mk's forty something birthday would be cheesecake, as this has almost always been his first choice of dessert given any occasion, or now that I think about it, any 'non occasion' too.

There is usually a great debate amongst us, as to what the topping should be....strawberries... kiwi...maybe mango for a change... or the firm favourite for most of us, gooseberries.
But throw an unexpected visitor into the mix, bearing an equally unexpected gift of freshly picked cherries, and we had the perfect solution to our pending dilemma.

Fresh cherries, as you will well know if you live in the Cape, are highly seasonal and not around for long, so some of us lucky peeps living in this end of the world get a much awaited yearly outing to pick (well, if truth be told, eat more than pick) some of these luscious juicy gems.

Not only is it a satisfying and mouth watering experience but it is also one of the most scenic, as you can see by the pic's below that our unexpected visitor (Mk's long lost Brit friend) took whilst traveling to the cherry farm this summer.

Looking at these cherries just makes you wonder why anyone would choose the canned variety over fresh.

There is no comparison between using fresh fruit and tinned fruit when making a fridge cheesecake.

We most probably have all used tinned fruit at some time or the other, but there is something about the natural tartness of fresh fruit that cuts the sweetness of the rich cream cheese in the most balanced way.

Well, even though, Mk didn't want a fuss, we thought it appropriate to celebrate just a bit.....after all, turning forty 'something' is not for the faint- hearted.

So, out came some great vintage china and silverware, all in honour of the Cheesecake and of course Mk himself.

As if the day wasn't special enough! We had some inquisitive onlookers watching the proceedings from their spot up in the tree

Cherry Cheesecake

100 g tennis biscuits, crushed into fine crumbs
50 g butter, melted
500 g full-fat cream cheese
100 g icing sugar
1 vanilla pod, sliced lengthways, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
200 ml double cream
1 cup fresh cherries
4 dessert spoons of sugar to taste

Method

In a mixing bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs and the melted butter and mix well. Spoon the biscuit mixture into a 20cm spring-form cake tin lined with silicon paper or baking parchment. Use a metal spoon to press the biscuit crumbs down firmly and evenly. Chill in the refrigerator until set. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or a wooden spoon, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla pod seeds or vanilla extract until well mixed.

Fold in the double cream, mixing well.

Spoon the cream mixture over the chilled biscuit base, making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with a palette knife or metal spoon.

Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 1 hour until set.

To make the topping, place the washed cherries into a saucepan with the sugar and top up with approx 2 cups of water. as soon as it reaches boiling point, turn the heat down so the water is at a simmer. Do not overcook the cherries, they should not be too soft. Remove the cherries and allow the liquid to reduce till it is has a syrupy consistency. Place the cherries back into the pot until it has cooled down a bit. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and pour the cherry syrup over.

Thanks 'Howie' for braving our scorching 'African sun' with your fair' Brit skin' and making such a 'worthy contribution' to a really scrumptious dessert!

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."

Oprah Winfrey

Taking a Bow to the Egg

Well, finally I find a moment or two for a quick blog! It has been a hectic few weeks since I have managed to find some free time to share some more images and a favourite recipe or two.

My new years resolution of a blog a week has gone right out of the window, and I must say it is quite liberating to stop fretting about my lack of "discipline" and just accept the fact that maybe I was setting the bar a little too high considering all of the other demands in my life.

Just to make sure I don't completely lose the plot and let another week slip by, I am going to take a quick bow to the simple Egg. A hero of the food world that is not only nutritional but deeply satisfying.

Though , not before a little anecdote of my childhood that I am sure you would agree should surely have put me off my love affair with eggs.

You see, many were the days when I would arrive home from school sports, starving, ready to raid the fridge, only to be served rather hard shriveled up fried eggs, that had been prepared two hours before by our housekeeper and then left in the ovens warming draw to keep warm or shall I say "dry out".

Yes, you can only imagine, not very appetizing.

But not even those memories could destroy my firm bond with the Egg.

I cannot help but add in these beautiful pictures of the area I drive through quite frequently when visiting a horse rescue centre...I pass a chicken farm and thus.........I take my bow!

One of my best accompaniments to that simple egg is asparagus. There is a freshness and rich creaminess that hits the palate in the most gratifying way.
A fresh baguette to mop up your plate is a must.

This dish is an anytime indulgence, be it brunch, a light lunch or a relaxed starter to a dinner party. Whatever your choice, it is a must to try out.

When you buy asparagus be sure to check that they are fresh and firm. When breaking the asparagus stems, ensure you remove the hard fibrous parts, you need to hold each end of the asparagus and gently bend. The stems will snap off at the correct length. Discard the hard end and only use the tender ends.

Grilled Asparagus with Poached Egg

Wash and snap off ends of approximately 10 spears of fresh Asparagus as described above.
Place asparagus on a baking tray and drizzle with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar

3. Dot with a few knobs of butter and sprinkle ground salt and pepper to

taste.

Place under the grill for approx 10 mins or until golden

4. Poach 1 extra large free range egg, either in a poacher with butter or

dropping into simmering water for approx 3 mins.

5. Arrange asparagus spears on a plate, and spoon over juices from baking

tray.

6. Place hot poached egg in the middle and spoon remainder of the juices

over the egg.

7. Grate Pecorino cheese over.

Serve with a fresh baguette.

This serves one.

"Boredom is the dream bird that hatches the egg of experience.

A rustling in the leaves drives him away."

'Walter Benjamin'

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

Lazy summer Sunday afternoons in the Cape are generally spent soaking up one of the many scenic landscapes that our region has to offer, and rounding it off with a simple al fresco meal.

We are so privileged to live in such a diverse part of the country, where literally every weekend we can enjoy a completely different experience right on our doorstep, and all for free.

A big thumbs-up to this beautiful city!

Because Sundays are so laid back in our house, and mostly involve a languid afternoon siesta, we normally have something light to eat that is easy to prepare.

Robust flavours, achieved with the least amount of effort, (I feel), is the best way to wrap up the weekend and prepare for the week ahead.

The four-legged members of our family, especially, enjoy these chilled Sunday outings.

Roast Tomato Focaccia

Cherry Tomatoes (or your choice of tomato)

Thyme

Garlic

Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Creamed Goats Cheese

Fresh Basil Leaves

Pine Nuts

Focaccia

Salt and Pepper

Halve the tomatoes and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with chopped thyme, garlic, salt and ground pepper. Drizzle with a fairly generous amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place in a hot oven of around 200C and roast until they take on a golden hue.

Toast halved focaccia briefly in a hot pan that has been brushed with olive oil. Once golden on both sides, place on a plate and pile it with basil leaves.

Heap roasted tomatoes on top making sure to spoon over enough of the syrupy glaze from the roasting tray.

Place a generous portion of creamed goats cheese on top of the still warm tomatoes.

A quick dribble of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic.

Finish with a sprinkling of pine nuts

Voila!

'Do not let your Sunday be taken away

from you If your soul has no Sunday, it

becomes an Orphan'

~Albert Schweitzer

Surfs Up!

An early morning surf inevitably brings on a hearty appetite, especially when its done as a 6.am family jaunt to the beach.

It's usually just Kate and her dad that brave this hour in the winter months, but as summer gets into full swing who can resist those incredible mornings when the ocean is every shade of azure.

There's not much to beat the sound of pounding surf, the smell of salty sea air,

while watching the sun slowly push it's way up over the horizon.

These are the times that memories are made of!

The excitement and anticipation of a heartwarming breakfast, it seems, is the only way to drag my unruly bunch, (dogs included), off the beach.

So, this morning, I have given an all American staple a bit of a twist with a maraschino cherry syrup.

Serving them hot with a generous drizzling of syrup (in this case my maraschino cherry syrup), a few rashers of crispy bacon and some slices of banana will leave your tribe feeling delightfully satisfied.