Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

Great things come in small packages!

Some days it's really hard not to use this blog as a platform to bitch and moan about people's behaviour!  Gosh!  Where do people get off?  I mean, why have the words "excuse me / pardon me / would you mind / may I" and more, disappeared from the list of essential vocabulary required to ensure normal, healthy interaction between human beings?  Beats me!

As you can tell, yesterday was one of those days where I had to get out the way before some 'lady' (yeah, right!) bumped me to the side with her stainless steel trolley, or drove right over me with her SUV.  Coming from the platteland where we were taught manners and to respect others, this remains a shock to the system!  You'd think I'd be getting used to it by now...  All I can say is that I am having a T-shirt printed that reads, "I survive shopping at Cape Town's BIG FIVE daily!"  In case you're wondering, the Big Five are: Constantia Village / Cavendish Square / Tygervalley Centre / Canal Walk and the Garden Centre (although the last three are actually much more "user friendly!")  Needless to say, I prefer to buy my produce from smaller companies that stock brilliant produce and who remember my name - it keeps me out of the line of fire!   

Gift day!

I feel so special today!  Firstly, Paddy bought me my first bunch of tulips for the season - I love tulips!  They're beautiful - purple and orange and yellow - and I have placed them in my favourite vase and left them where I can see them all the time.

Then, a notification slip arrived yesterday alerting me to the fact that there was a parcel waiting for me at the post office...  It was from a town in South Africa where I had never been, so I assumed that it was something from a producer that they wanted me to look at.  This morning I popped in at the post office to collect the parcel, opened it, and there was a beautiful recipe book with a note inside from "Gail", along with some of her favourite recipes, handwritten.  I feel so special - who still takes the time out to write a letter?  But sadly, I am struggling to remember this person, and it seems as if we have never met before.  I am sure I must have given her my address, or where else would she have gotten my address?  And, with my mind as full and tired as it is, I cannot remember this lady.  There is no return address, so this is my reply to Gail:

"Dear Gail,
Thank you so much for the surprise gift!  The book is beautiful, as are the illustrations, and I cannot wait to try some of the recipes!  What a gracious gift, and I sincerely hope that someone brightened your day today by handing you a bright bunch of your favourite flowers, or by bringing you a freshly baked, warm loaf of bread...  You made my day, and whether I remember who you are, or whether I even know you, I will treasure this day of mystery and joy!
Once again, a big THANK YOU from me in Cape Town to you in Aliwal North!
Wishing you an amazing weekend!
Warm regards,
Sophia"

And so my "Gift Day" is coming to an end...  I will pour a glass of good wine, make a fire in the fireplace, put on beautiful music and sit down for dinner with my wonderful husband soon, and I will go to bed with a smile!

Good Food and Wine Show

Yes, it was that time of the year again, and I spent my Sunday afternoon browsing through the many exhibits...  This year saw a large increase in wine representation, and I saw a few estates that I did not even know existed!  The food side lacked serious imagination - same-old-same-old...  Other than the goodie bag you received on arrival (see above), where was the inspiration?!  However...

Talk about food and wine pairing!

As you all know by now, I am a self-confessed rooster addict!  Because I can't have the real deal in my city garden, I have opted for one made from every conceivable matter possible, like recycled plastic shopping bags, straw, metal, wood, glass, porcelain, wire, beads, and more.  If you find one that you think I might not have yet, pop me an e-mail...

And so, in keeping with the comfort food theme, and because of my fetish, I thought I'd start with a firm favourite - coq au vin!  Translated from French, it means "rooster in wine."  And being a rooster lover, I feel that this is a fitting way for a rooster to go!  Drowned in good wine!  Although this is not a South African oldie, it qualifies as comfort food in every sense of the word.

Mother's Day

I think it's a brilliant idea to have an entire day dedicated to mothers!  Today I honoured two mothers that were with us for lunch - one my own (step)mother, and the other, an old family friend whom I have known since birth.  Paddy and I went out our way to make them feel spoilt and appreciated!  My mind often pulled out files filled with incredibly happy memories of my own beloved mother!  How amazing it would have been to have had her at my table today!

Lunch consisted of waterblommetjie soup (something most of our guests had never tasted) with a freshly baked, piping hot seed loaf - my late mother-in-law's recipe...  Then I prepared a beef neck curry in coconut milk, and served it with sweet potato and basmati rice.  For dessert I quickly baked a tarte tatin and our guests left here filled with the finer things in life - a little Mother's Day gift for the moms, amazing wines, good food, and mostly good cheer!   

On the runway today...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

  Welcome to the 2008 Winter Food Fashion Show!

                On the runway today, we have...

"Take a trip down memory lane with timeless classics that recall good times with family and friends..."  - excerpt from the latest Food and Home magazine.

For example, the other day I was inspired by my sister-in-law, Sonia, to prepare coq au vin - I hadn't prepared this dish in years!  It truly brought back old memories!  And, it was wonderful!  There are so many dishes that we used to eat growing up, or that we used to prepare when we were first married...  Remember what I always say, "Don't throw away your Grandmother's recipe book!"  Timeless classics represent real soul-food, slow-cooked and delicious.  I like the term "soul-food" - it does good things for one's soul!

Here's more from the Food and Home mag:  "As eco-sensitivity has grown, consumers have questioned whether eating organic grapes from Chile is a particularly "green" choice. Now people want to know how far their food travelled, and the closer the better.  Hence the growth in farmers markets, community supported agriculture, restaurant menus bragging about local sourcing...  Today, the trend is toward glamming up the grocery experience. You'll see lots of attractive displays of prepared foods, as well as a deconstruction of the traditional aisle layout in favour of a more open-market feel."

True!  I bought a bag of fresh waterblommetjies or pond blossoms (sounds pretentious!) from the local market last Saturday and prepared the most delicious soup.  Just a pity our markets are charging more that you can get the same produce for elsewhere - kind of killing their own growth...  (Says Sophia who can't wait to get there!  But still, it does taint the experience!)

Go on... Be a kid again!

 

Meet Sheldon, the youngest little chef to grace my kitchen. We prepared pizze together a few evenings ago - or should I say, we prepared the best pizze ever!  Paddy, Michelle and Dave were licking their lips!

It's amazing how children love to cook - I guess the stresses and strains of this world have not yet tainted their ability to think creatively...  And so, about a year ago, Paddy was smoking chickens on the Weber when my brother and his family visited, when little Richard insisted on using freshly squeezed orange juice mixed with water to baste the chickens.  Paddy let him, and he has been very excited about baking and cooking ever since.  The other evening, Sheldon wanted tuna, salami and ham on his pizza...  I let him do it, and it was actually great!  Shows you - we're back to my philosophy that 'there are no rules when it comes to cooking!' Rules set boundaries, and boundaries kill creativity and passion!

Life's a beach!

Our lives have been crazy!  At times I feel a pang of guilt about my neglected space in blogosphere - and other times I want to write but can't find the time...  But, although this continuous spell of long weekends can be a pain, the last two have done wonders for my stress levels!  The first one (last weekend) we spent away with Mark, Kim, Pieter, Clara and Andre - we spent time together on our Karoo farm and returned home quite relaxed when the next one hit!  Glorious!  This weekend we are spending precious time with Dave, Michelle and Sheldon who are visiting from Johannesburg.

So, this morning, after an early rise and breakfast at the Neighbourhood Goods Market, we had ice-cream at the Waterfront, and then headed home via the scenic route - thought I'd reward Sheldon for being an absolute star while the grownups enjoyed the market.  We stopped at the beach in Camps Bay when my eye caught this sign: 

Hello!  Are you kidding?!  Well, to cut a long story short, while the gang were running around on the beach, I had a head, neck and back massage while breathing in the fresh sea air, with a cool breeze caressing my body, and the warm sunshine warming my feet...  Sound good?  Trust me, it was!