Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

Sunday blues

I don't often feel blue - it's just not who I am.  I get up, laugh at myself, play, climb trees when I can, sing, and in general make the most of life and get on with it.  But, today I feel blue.  I feel sad and lonely in this sea of city souls.  How can one be surrounded by people and yet feel lonely?

I miss life the way it was when I was growing up - where you'd pop in for coffee when you were missing a friend, where you'd rally around a family who'd lost a loved one, where you'd cook a meal and take it over to people who had just moved in, where you'd ask "How are you" because you really wanted to know, and where you'd listen to the person's reply, where you could discuss the meaning of life while the sun was setting, and have impromptu meals together, just because you wanted to.  Today I deeply miss that!

I am surrounded by neighbours whom I have been trying to get a smile out of for four years now (forget a wave 'hello'), by people whom one has to invite to your home two weeks in advance (hell, I don't even know if I would like to see them in two week's time - I want to see them NOW) and by busy schedules.  All I want is a sandwich, a sunset and a serious conversation - that's what I want today!

Ba-na-na-na...

"He who deliberates fully before taking a step will spend his entire life on one leg." - Chinese proverb

This morning we covered desserts in the current cookery course that I am presenting here in my kitchen.  Not only are desserts a fun part of the cooking experience, but (in my opinion) they can make or break a meal!  There's nothing worse than ending off a brilliant meal with a lukewarm effort of a dessert!  Imagine - the memory that your guests leave with, is that of a mediocre pud!  I think it's very important to 'end with a bang'!  Something innovative, exciting and different.  Here's an idea...

Farmer Fia

My Dad always says, "You can take Sophia (Fia to my family) off the farm, but you can't get the farm out of Sophia!"  And I'm proud of it!  I am proud of my roots, which are deeply entrenched in fresh, organic farm soil.

There's nothing like growing your own herbs and vegetables, and then using them in your dishes.  Our garden is pretty tiny, but I have managed to sneak in a couple of beauties between Paddy's carefully sculpted plants, and here's what I have produced so far this year...

Midweek entertaining at its best!

I don't like baking much!  You might think that this is a bold statement coming from a chef.  Perhaps...  But, there is a reason for my saying so - when you bake, you have to follow a set of rules or else the result is a flop (excuse the pun!)  I don't perform well when restricted, so perhaps a better opening statement would have been: "I don't like rules!"

Nevertheless, I found a recipe for a Gâteau Chocolat (which translates, for the non French speaking, into Chocolate Cake) the other day, and was attracted to it immediately because of the fact that there wasn't any of the usual stuff like flour, baking powder and salt featured on the page with its simple recipe.  Ingredients mentioned were 70% dark chocolate, more 70% dark chocolate, cream, butter, loads of ground almonds, and, did I mention, 70% dark chocolate?

A good friend (one of the best) and two 'new friends' popped in for dinner last night.  We had such a great time that around midnight, I started planning who would sleep were...  Catch my drift?  Enough beds, great time, and our fill of wine and food spelt S-L-E-E-P-O-V-E-R to me.  I haven't had one of those since school days!  Anyway, our sense of responsibility got the better of us, and we all split up after midnight to re-enter our own realities.

On the menu was an Asparagus and Goat's Milk Pecorino Risotto to start with, a Salad, my Crushed Potatoes (I'll have to share those another time) with coarse salt, rosemary and drizzled with olive oil, and Paddy's Warthog done outside on the Weber as a main, and, after a great little cheese platter, the piece de resistance - the gâteau of all gâteaux - it was amazing, and has probably 'slightly' converted me to baking.

You say 'tomato'...

I woke up to a mountain of tomatoes this morning.  And while I was making omelettes for breakfast, I decided that the time had come to do something with them before they went to waste.

There were Roma tomatoes, Rosa tomatoes, tiny little ones from my garden, and special ones I have growing in a pot that a friend brought from France.  There were normal slicing tomatoes.  How they all got here, heaven only knows, but something had to be done. 

Life and death...

I attended one of my best friend's dad's funeral yesterday.  How I wish I had known his old man...  Other than being very sad because my friend was so sad (and because I know what it feels like to lose a parent), it was a time of reflection for me and I left there very thoughtful.

In a tribute to his dad, he told everyone there about the fact that his parents never had much materially, but that they were rich in every other way - warmth, love, support, fun, laughter, friendship, security, togetherness...  Isn't that what life is all about!?  And he spoke about the privilege of having had six months to nurse his dad and try to give back to him what he so willingly gave them as children.

Go to the ant!

I have been watching them all day long.  A group of ants found this big, dead insect on the floor and decided that this would make for great munching by the Big Girl.  And so the journey began.  They have carried their load across the floor and up the wall to the window sill which is a meter above the ground.  And, as I walked to my office to type this, I glanced their way and saw that they had just made it to the top.  I felt like cheering!

It reminded me of a quotation I passed around yesterday.  It is by one of my heroes, Walt Disney, and it reads, "First, think.  Second, believe.  Third, dream.  And finally, dare!"

Exterminator II

Paddy is on the war path.  The Arnold Schwarzeneggers of the caterpillar world have invaded his plants and he has declared war (again).  The lights are out (to create the impression that we have gone to bed and they can come out to chow) and after dinner he will do a war cry and leap forth.  I must say, his strategy is unique,but clever, and will fool even the wisest of big guys.  He sends them into orbit and they land in the street outside with a 'splat' or a 'plomp', depending on their size.  I am happy because it is only a matter of time before they discover my sweet, sweet lettuce and tatsoi patch...  Well, then they will discover true brute!  No caterpillar messes with me, my herbs, or my vegetables!

No rest for the small business owner!

Do you think that it was by chance that the core word in business is BUSY?!  I think it was meant that way - every letter of it!

I was in bed with some bug after last week's cookery course, followed by five nights accommodation, touring, breakfast, dinner, laundry and babysitting for German clients, followed by Wednesday evening's catering for a company launch.  And in between I got rained on, froze and shivered in my short sleeved shirt, sneezed and coughed.  And today, here I am, supposed to be in bed, but running around doing final preparations for a four-week cookery course that starts tomorrow!  I am very excited about it!  So today I spent time at my printer (Great guys!!  The name is Eclipse Printing and they are in Roeland Square in town.  Call Reg on 021-4626522.  They're amazing!) and we were printing, checking and binding the recipes and info for tomorrow.  And now I have to run to buy ingredients.

"And the winner is..."

...well. not yet!  But, I wanted to thank everyone who has voted for my blog so far!  We made it through to the finals!  I am very proud and excited.  How about telling everyone you know to vote for me?! 

Thank you!