Always thinking of the next meal...
One, two, three, four, …, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen! Antony Worrall Thompson has got to be kidding! Nineteen ingredients to make a straightforward meatballs and sauce dish. It is recipe number 37 in
Antony Worrall Thompson’s Top 100 Beef Recipes. Is it his short stature he’s trying to make up for? What about the step where you have to roll the meat into 1cm (½ inch) diameter balls?
Winter is officially upon us. When I got up this morning and peeked through the window all I could see was white. For a second I thought it snowed, but actually the whole countryside was frosted with ice. Slowly as the sun rose, the ice melted and the once bleak landscape got infused with a lush green. That’s what I love about England; lots of rain keeps the vegetation green. In the South African province Gauteng (Transvaal for older readers), hard rain comes down in spring and summer, whereas in the winter the atmosphere is bone dry and the scenery a mosaic of yellow and brown. I guess each setting has got its own appeal and it’s a matter of preference.
Who would have thought vegetables can be so seriously moreish? As soon as the veg-filled roasting pan comes out of the oven Neil and guests immediately have to dive in and seize their share. There must be a ravenous fairy living in this house. Or can it be Copper the Fox who lives in our backyard? That Peter Rabbit always seemed like a shady fellow to me. The possibilities are endless. I need to get to the bottom of this!
With the holiday season coming up a lot of people will be hosting parties. Cocktail parties, dinner parties, Christmas parties, all types of parties! If you want to wow your guests, prepare this canapé. It’s simple and straightforward. Experience the divine by biting through the tomato and discovering the creamy meatiness of the crab followed by the slight bite of the chili and flavour of coriander. If you know your guests don’t mind some extra spiciness, increase the chili a bit. Don’t underestimate it though, so be on the safe side and taste before serving.
Pork fillet or tenderloin is very lean, so it can be quite a tricky meat to cook with. With a flick of a finger the once rosy and tender flesh can pale, shrivel and turn as tough as old boots. After a lot of experimentation, I have finally mastered one technique to cook this stubborn cut.
A meal is never complete without a dessert. Never. When the last crumb and dollop of sauce has been scraped from plate my tongue yells out “What’s next?!?”. Craving something sweet I’ll scour the pantry, looking for some bright-coloured wrapped candy. But alas, it is never there.
Poulet Vallée d’Auge is the French name for this classic dish from Normandy and Brittany, which are the dairy and apple-growing regions of France. Chicken and apple is a match made in heaven. Paired with a light creamy sauce enhanced with some brandy is simply divine. This fricassée is seriously more-ish. Once you start you can’t stop until every morsel has been devoured and the very last globule of sauce licked off your plate, not to mention the frying pan!!
[Read more...]
Yams, cassava, rice, peanuts, spinach, plantains and peppers are just a few ingredients that are regularly used in the rich West African cuisine. What surprised me most was the peanut butter in this dish. Curry and peanut butter sure sounds like a strange combination, but in reality it works beautifully. The peanut butter adds depth and nuttiness to the vegetables, but also tempers the cayenne pepper and curry. Who needs meat if a meal can be so filling?
[Read more...]
The butter bean didn’t get its name for no reason. When you taste this creamy soup you would have never guessed there is no dairy in it. Pulses are wonderful because they contain both starch and protein that make you feel satisfied for longer and they’re cheap. The bacon is just a little luxury in this recipe but can easily be omitted and the soup suddenly becomes suitable for vegans.
[Read more...]