A Fish called Panga

Missing our Spanish lunches I decided to celebrate food, yet again & prepare a platter for lunch with bits and pieces of mouthwatering delicacies that reminds me of Spain.

Walking down the isles of Pick & Pay I started to fill my basket with Parma Ham, olives, fresh bread, cheese, asparagus and then ... I saw this interesting little creature ... a pink fish with a white underbelly staring at me with his big vague eyes and sharp little teeth - a fish called Panga.  

Now that would be the perfect finish to our lunch.   I have never heard of this fish before & was pondering how to prepare and cook it.  Of course the intelligent way would be to google it and find a tested recipe, but that's just boring ;-)

I decided to prepare it easy and fresh, sticking with the usual fish ingredients I trust.  Chopped fresh garlic, basil,  yellow pepper, chopped ginger, olive oil, salt & pepper.

I stuffed the fish with the sliced yellow pepper, garlic, basil & ginger.  Coated it in Olive Oil and sprinkled salt & pepper over it before grilling it in the oven.

While Panga was happily frying in the oven, I prepared the rest of the lunch ...

The fish came out perfectly tender and soft and yummy taste ... oh Yeah ... must be all the butter in the middle oozing out in a dance of garlic & basil.

What a delicious lunch.  We had some Fat Bastard Chardonnay with this and it was a perfect soft & buttery combination with a smooth soft aftertaste.

Out of interest I decided to google this fish anyway and see if I can find some different recommended recipes.  I came upon a nice and simple one... You place the fish in a glass steam-able dish, cover the fish in soya sauce, sesame seed oil, slivers of ginger and chopped spring onion.  Steam for more or less 8 minutes & serve.

Now that also sounds delicious & a little more healthier than my butter infused one ...

NIGELLA LAWSON - Forever Summer/WHITE 1

Don't you just love her?!
She knows how to pull of Sexy voluptuous finesse in the kitchen . Her joy of cooking & the cinematography is so perfectly combined I just want to stay in the kitchen the whole day and "cook" with her.
Now here is a nice breakfast idea to spoil that someone special tomorrow morning.

How about this easy 10 minute recipe from Do it delicious. We all know her husband & I am loving her work - here is Jessica Seinfeld via Youtube ...
enjoy

Some of my favorites

As you know I am already a big fan of What Katie Ate ... her food pictures is enough to send you drooling to the kitchen ...

today I stumbled upon this little gem for those of you who can happily skip the main course and move straight towards the delectable yummies ...
Tartelette

she must have a real sweet tooth with all these mouth watering recipes! Can't wait to try some. 

Now a little food tip, I did not know:  How to get roast potato's in the oven lekker crispy?

Glad you asked :)

After boiling your desired potato's for a few minutes, drain all the excess water and keep in pot, close lid and shake it all around.  You basically just want to bruise the potato's.  Then empty the pot into the baking tray, drizzle with Olive Oil (Spanish Olive Oil preferably), ground black pepper & salt, sprinkle some rosemary & daarsy -roast until crispy. Extra crispy like your Mom used to make it.

Justin Bonello dinner - YUM!

Parked half on the street half on the curb I dragged Hubby hastily into The Local Grill to meet up with our friends &...  Oh My meet Justin Bonello.

What an amazing evening.

Meeting Justin was definitely the highlight for me. An interesting man.  Well traveled, very honest,  extremely funny and on top of that all - What a Chef! 

Already having respect for his unique cooking skills he blew me away by his very open life story of hitting rock bottom,  picking himself up, starting over and striving harder for what he loves and enjoy out of life - Family, traveling, food & good friends. The important things in life - ♥ Live Simply ♥ Laugh Often ♥ Love Deeply ♥

Our delicious menu for the evening:

Starter platters …
House salad and freshly baked Local bread
Chicken liver stack
Falkland’s calamari with sweet chilli jam and creamy lemon butter

Main course … a choice of
Grilled 250g Grain fed rump or sirloin, rubbed and butter basted and served with a trio of sauces
OR
Chicken breast grilled, served with red wine glaze and sweet chilli jam and basil pesto
OR
Grilled linefish with lemon butter cream
All the above are served with fries, mashed potato, pap and polenta stack and Local veggies

Dessert … a choice of
Chocolate brownies with malted chocolate sauce and home-style vanilla ice cream
OR
Home-style vanilla ice cream with Lindt chocolate and bar one sauce - YUMMY!

Lipsmacking Delicious. Our meals were complimented by Porcupine Ridge (one of Boekenhoutskloof's wine selections). Well chosen and well rounded.

Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc: Herbal with citrus notes. Refreshing and zesty but calm so it’s also a great aperitif. Not an overpowering acidic taste at all.

Porcupine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine is complex & had a nice earthy rich aftertaste that lingered, very nice.

Thank you for an inspiring & calorie infused evening Justin. I for one can't wait to try some of your new recipes ... Well, maybe not the Waterblommetjie potjie ;-)

(left: tipsy, middle: Justin, right: Leaine)

Dinner with Justin Bonello

Under African skies you will find this very talented South African filmmaker, chef and television personality best known for starring in his own cooking and travel show, Cooked, since 2006.

Exploring & cooking his way through Southern Africa with a talented television crew by his side to capture his embrace to the wonders of life, spending time with good friends, delicious cooking skills & his travels through our beautiful Africa. 

Culinary genius? Definitely! 

Being a 4x4 & food fanatic I fell in love with Justin Bonello’s cooking adventures, how could I not?  He is doing exactly what I would love to do.

Paging through the Travel & Food section of the Sunday Times on Sunday I came upon this little treat:  An evening with Justin Bonello at The Local Grill in Parktown North, Wednesday evening.

First thing this morning I jumped onto the net to book a table for us, excited beyond words, only to get a Sold OUT reply...

The friendly lady on the other side then replied again saying that it was so popular that Justin decided to do it tonight as well.!  Yipee.

Knowing there is one other enthusiast that will kill for a seat I forwarded the invite to Leaine from Leaines Kitchen.

I have goosebumps!

Dinner with Little One

Tonight Little One is coming over for dinner. What to make?
I feel like a traditional Italian pasta, nom nom....

That's exactly what I am in the mood for - Spaghetti & Meatballs!

Smiling

This morning I woke up with a huge SMILE, happy beyond happy! Why? mmmm .... just happy, I suppose, or might it be the amazing evening I had with Hubby last night?!

We stood in the afternoon rain, ice cold beers in our hands & staring at this amazing sight:

Now isn't that something? Double Rainbow! When last did you see something this exquisite?

      
today I wish I could just climb into my car & drive ... listening to this ...
I am having a sad day & want to be swept away by beautiful music, ocean breeze, a glass of buttery Chardonnay & my soul mate....

Natalie MacLean's Wine Blog

One day, when I grow up, I will have a blog like this:  Nat Decants
She is an inspiration to me & covers all aspects of wine & food that I love.
There is even this amazing little food & wine pairing search on her website, just so awesome.

Enjoy!

Little One, my gorgeous sister & her fiance just came back from a trip to Morocco & she decided to cater our usual Sunday lunch with her newly acquired Moroccon cooking skills.
Lamb Tagine & Cous Cous with Steamed Vegetables was on the menu.
I have been day dreaming about that lunch ever since. DELICIOUS! She prepared Cous Cous in a way I have never seen before... her whole movement through the kitchen was like a perfected dance of love. Moving ever so gracious between the stove and her trusty co Chef who was awarded with kisses for his perfect chopping skills.

In silence we enjoyed each bite with sighs of happiness.
Haha, I even had to sneakingly unbutton my pants...

Well done Little One & when can we come over for dinner again?

(picture via homemade-recipes)

Wednesday, mmmm

So I am having one of my "productive" days ;-) Sigh.
All I can think about is what to make for dinner tonight & I think I will surprise Hubby with his favorite - Mac & Cheese!

The only difficult part about dinner is picking a wine perfect enough to suit Hubby's palate and amazing enough to compete with his favorite Mac & Cheese.

Cheers!

Liquidity

So the oh so talented De Toren family has an addition to their talents:  Liquidity

Now this is an amazing company and they specialize in the importation and distribution of premium and super-premium wines and spirits. These products are often rare or hard-to-find, yet they are essential in the quest to satisfy a growing local demand for specialized products and an ever increasing tourism industry where guests don't want to settle for less.

At WineX I sipped a glass of wine each night for the duration of my evening - a gorgeous Chenin Blanc and became quite fond of this, Jean Daniel Wine.  I am not a huge fan of Chenin Blanc, but this little number converted me. Delicious & beautifully rounded, easy drinking.

Do yourself a favor, try this AND another foreign number from Liquidity: Viña Cobos. Gorgeous red wine from Argentine - Felino. Delicious.

Both these wines will be added to my wine cellar. :-)

Have a great day.
Cheers!

WineX & De Toren

Last week I worked at WineX for my lovely wine family De Toren & it was Amazing!  I enjoyed selling wine more than I could have ever thought & the fact that I am good at it did not hurt ;-)

The only downside to WineX this year is that I was sober! Eeeek.

Fusion V is the crown of the De Toren Cellar's labour - a tasting sensation and ageing jewel! My favorite Red wine by far. a gorgeous well matured, well rounded Bordeaux.

Strange as it may sound at first, it is the uniqueness of a wine that gets the consumer's attention - not just sheer quality.  Wine taste is subjective and individualistic in nature.

A little interesting note:
The estate huddles closely to the ocean - that explains why the five classic cultivars of Bordeaux - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot - thrive in these vineyards.
The wine is the result of painstaking attention in the vineyards and meticulous care in the cellar. Throughout, the emphasis is on the careful conservation of the differences between each block of vines, so that the final result is unique and showcases only the finest quality fruit. The symbol of this care reflected in the tower of De Toren - an innovative lift that ensures that no pump ever needs to be used in the cellar, it's all gentle gravity. Amazing right?

Cheers all.

Dinner with Whiskey eyes & Lovely Lady

Whiskey Eyes & his Lovely Lady is coming for dinner tonight.  Now the exciting part, accept for Hubby cooking, is Whiskey Eyes is bringing the wine.  He got this amazing selection of to die for, must have wines from his father & I am so excited to see what is on the list tonight.

Cheers all!

Relaxing after a hard day at work:

Pick a wine you can sip slowly, like a German riesling: low in alcohol but high in flavor, so you won’t pass out on the sofa at 7 p.m.

GOOP

One word! Stunning!
On some nights, once dinner is finished & the kitchen is clean and I’m in for the evening, one of my favorite pastimes is to sit down with my laptop and a nice glass of wine & surf the internet for new and exciting blogs/websites based on  food & wine. This is where I found Goop.

More than an amazing talented actress & a pretty face, Gwyneth Paltrow has started this website filled with inspiration of all kinds and basically covers all sides of our daily life's.

So grab a glass of wine (if it's after 5) and spoil yourself with some YOU time & travel through GOOP.

Enjoy

What Katie Ate

Busy Busy Monday Morning ;-)
Working hard & I stumbled upon this little gem - What Katie Ate

Just love her blog. Fresh & interesting.

Poached Salmon Salad:

Emersonmade- Happy Monday

Nonproductive = my day

How funny, pretending to be busy on a Monday morning is exhausting ;-)

One of my favorite ladies, adore her, is worth a share to brighten up my day and hopefully yours too.

Emersonmade is viby, funky, funny, entertaining & just all around lovely.

Enjoy!

Yipee! De Toren

LOVE = De Toren wines

I LOVE this wine!!! Anyone who knows the De Toren boy's and their wine selection will well understand my passion and love for this award winning wine selection.
I have a very special and dear relationship with the Owner & Wine Maker & was introduced to them by the owner's lovely son Emil den Bulk, which I was priviledged to meet in my day's of waitering.

They are my wine family and every time I spend time with these lovely men I feel right at home.

I got the most devine email from Emil yesterday asking me to assist in WineEx this year, purely because his Dad refuses to work with anyone else. Now that's a HUGE compliment coming from Emil Senior.  I just love working with these gentleman & I know my night is going to be filled with laughter & copius amounts of Amazing wine. ahhhhh....

My happy moment for the week, just had to share it with you. ;-)

Cheers all.

Vegetarian dinner??!!!! Say What?

Being Afrikaans and growing up in the Free State the word Vegetarian is "foreign" to me when it comes to my cooking skills.  Eeek! I know.  Hubby has been trying years to convince me that only eating veggies for dinner is perfectly normal and matter of factly healthier than my HAVE TO HAVE MEAT in every dish or it's not food.  So I decided last night to try this lovely recipe I saw in the Ideas Magazine.

Spinach and feta Parcels

Serves HUBBY

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes or until golden brown

Oven temperature: 200 °C

Ingredients:

• Butter!
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 500g spinach, chopped
• 100g feta, crumbled
• 5ml garlic & herb seasoning
• 4 sheets phyllo pastry
• more Butter! Melted
• home made tzatziki
• toasted pine nuts

Heat the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onion until soft.  Cook the spinach for two minutes in a pot of rapidly boiling water. Drain and mix in the onion and feta cheese. Season with garlic and herb seasoning. Divide mixture into two portions.  Brush a sheet of phyllo pastry with the melted butter, place another sheet on top and also brush with butter.  Cut in half and place a portion of the spinach mixture on each half.  Fold together and tuck in the sides to make a rough round shape of each half.

Place the parcels onto a greased baking sheet, brush with a little melted butter and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, depends on your oven

To serve:

Place parcels in the middle of the plate, spoon some tzatziki over and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.  

 (pic via International stockfood)

Hubby licked his plate clean, shame he is clearly starved for Vegetarian dishes, or it might just be the 2 hour basketball game he played after work.  I on the other hand indulged in a whole chocolate bar by myself.  Gulp Gulp.  Seriously?  Did you really think I was going to try out a Vegetarian meal??!  Hahahah, silly silly.

Match made in heaven: Diemersfontein Chenin Blanc  & Spinach and feta Parcels. So I hear.  Last night's bottle went down smoothly with chocolate, I need a STEAK! sigh ... enough of this rabbit food.

Cheers all

Creamy pasta with bacon, yellow pepper and basil

(picture via ideas mag)

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Preparation time drinking wine: 35 minutes plus | opening another bottle | 40 minutes plus | chatting to Hubby: 60 minutes plus

Ingredients:

• Butter!
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 pack of bacon
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 15ml flour
• 250 ml pouring cream
• fresh basil
• cashew nuts
• pasta of your choice

Heat the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion & yellow pepper, sauté until glossy.

Remove the onion & pepper into a separate bowl and fry the bacon until crispy.  

Add the onion and yellow pepper mix, bacon & cashew nuts - fry, mix and add the flour, mix well until combined.  Stir in the pouring cream and heat until simmering.  Add your cooked pasta and chopped fresh basil.

Serve & enjoy!

Now the Diemersfontein Chenin Blanc (yes again – I have a case to get through) was quite buttery with this dish, almost tasted like a Chardonnay.  The creamy pasta brought out a fruity bouquet in the wine.  Absolutely divine.  I must admit I really love this wine; it has complimented every dish this week so far….

Let’s see what tomorrow night brings.

Cheers all

Chilli Con Carne meets Diemersfontein Chenin Blanc

In the mood for comfort food I decided to make Chilli Con Carne & matched Diemersfontein Chenin Blanc with this dish & this was the results.

Chilli con carne

Serves: 4 – 6

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Preparation time with a glass of wine in your hand: 30 minutes plus

butter! butter! butter!

1 onion, halved and diced

5 bacon strips

1 green pepper, seeded and sliced

500g lean beef mince

1 x 410g can Mexican diced tomatoes from Spar

frozen corn

mixed spices for Chilli Con Carne – you buy this sachet with separate spices from Spar – easy peasy, it’s not cheating, it’s clever - more time for drinking, less cooking ;-)

Now I know that you have to add red kidney beans with this dish, but I forgot and was to lazy to drive back to the shop, so no kidney beans, deal with it.

1. heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and follow the instructions on the mixed spices sachet and it will tell you step by step what spices to add when and what to fry when. EASY :-)

2. fill up wine glass.

Now if you followed the instructions (from Spar) correctly you should end up with something like this, minus the kidney beans:

 (picture via ideas mag)

Hubby decided to turn dinner into a wrap -  chopped fresh tomato, lettuce, avo & grated cheese.  Chilli Con Carne Wrap! Yummy.

A little more about Diemersfontein Chenin Blanc wine:  consuming 3 bottles of this wine will leave you legless, this much I know, but even through the blur of consumption I remembered how amazing this wine was & that I had to have it in my cellar.  A lovely fruity nose and hints of pineapple, taste of green apples and pears with a warm toasty biscuit aroma…. Mmm cookie dough.

The soft fruity aspects in the wine tamed this spicy dish perfectly.  Lip smacking delicious.

Now there you go.  Easy dinner, gorgeous wine & great company!

Cheers!

A Big Happy 30 to The Dreamer

One of my favorite people is turning 30 today.  Happy Birthday to The Dreamer & welcome to your dirty 30's ;-)

(picture via pear tree hey bridge)

Hubby & I are hosting his Big 30th bash in our back yard tonight & I can't wait to be surrounded by wine!  I mean our dear dear friends.

Have a great weekend Y'all.
Cheers

Diemersfontein Pinotage on Tap

baFor all of you out there who enjoy this wine would agree with me, there is no better sentence than: Diemersfontein Pinotage on Tap!

I love Diemersfontein Pinotage – a smooth coffee, rolo chocolate taste in your mouth. When Hubby told me he bought tickets for this years Pinotage launch I was beyond ecstatic.

Diemersfontein on Tap was held at The Cradle Restaurant here in Johannesburg & when we arrived there were Safari Vehicles ready to transport us into the bush.  Arriving in the bush we were greeted with goodie bags that contained - most importantly - your wine glass for the day, a nice fresh sandwich, biscuits & mineral water.  Between the trees were hay bales, picnic blankets, cushions and chairs.  Pick a spot & relax. Gallons of free flowing wine, chocolate fountains with strawberries, waiters walking around with platters of canapés & delectable foods & most importantly – barrels and barrels of Pinotage ON TAP. There was also a stage with a line up of top performers… ahhhh…. Bliss….

My day started with Diemersfontein Chenin Blanc (bad idea)

(picture via pear tree hey bridge)

Impressed with this wine I (via Hubby's credit card) purchased a case.  Smooth, Silky white wine. You know when you mix cookie dough? That sweet buttery taste you get when you lick your fingers? Yeah, that was it. Delicious, only down point to this is by the time I found my way to the Pinotage Barrels my "naughty" twin came out to play & could barely put one foot in front of the other.  Bearing my stained teeth to the world with pride, this is a wine that makes you smile.

All in all it was a great day filled with lots & lots of wine, good friends, dancing, drinking & trying to stay upright. ;-) My poor Hubby.

Sunday was awful, just awful I tell you: Headache, ego bruised, my legs bruised, eish!

(picture via funny hub)

Well, I will have to start training for next years Pinotage on Tap day.

Have a good week all.

Cheers!

 

love love love

I love weddings!
Every detail of the day is so satisfying and lovely.  We attended such a gorgeous love filled wedding this weekend.  Beautiful couple ... love spread through the whole day like wild fire.

Hubby & I got married in May this year & quite honestly I could do it all over again, that was how amazing the day was for me and the love between Hubby & I was explosive.... and still is :)

Cheers All!

La Cucina Di Ciro - Parktown North

So here I sit with a huge smile on my face.  I had the most amazing dinner with Hubby last night.  We went to La Cucina Di Ciro for dinner and the experience was beyond expected. 

We shared a bottle of Bouchard Finlayson Chardonnay & devoured our food, chatting, laughing  & staring lovingly into each other’s eyes.... an unforgettable evening.  Chef, Ciro Molinaro, philosophy is simple - "always use natural and seasonal foods, organic food may be more expensive, but all we need to do is eat less and waste not."  His passion reflects in the preparation and taste of his dishes, absolutely YUMMY!

Whatever you are up to this weekend I hope you have your loved ones by your side & your favourite bottle of wine even closer.

Enjoy your long weekend.

Cheers All!

Wine tasting results!

What an amazing evening with great friends, here are my "judge's" thoughts on each wine:

 (original cartoon by George Aldridge)

• First course: trout pate, fresh tomatoes (marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar with fresh ground salt & pepper and freshly chopped basil), olives, fresh ciabata, fresh sliced avocado and steamed asparagus with crushed fried cashew nuts)

De Grendel Chardonnay

Football Engineer

Smooth, easy going, not to complex – enjoyed it with fresh tomatoes, steamed asparagus with cashew nuts.  Too sharp with the trout pate.

Whiskey Eyes

Before food - all I get is green with a smooth, buttery finish.

After food - tastes smoother now, but honestly most white wines taste the same to me.

Hubby

First sip - green

Finish – oily/buttery

Without food – very unremarkable

With food – better, more fruity

Me

Before food – soft fruit extracts

After food – still soft smooth fruity extracts but accompanied by a grassy smell

• Second course:  Steamed whole artichokes with blue cheese sauce and lemon butter sauce.

Ataraxia Chardonnay 2008

Football Engineer

More complex, but still smooth

Whiskey Eyes

Before food – green peppercorns & et wood that doesn’t burn good

Hubby

Flowery nose, strong flavors

Needs more decadent food like pasta, selection of cheeses, etc.

Very acidic with artichokes.

This wine is amazing by itself, no food needed – vanilla/melon tastes appear now.

Me

Before food – soft fruity bouquet

With food – robust fruity, soft gooseberries can be tasted now.

I agree, artichokes does not compliment this wine…. When we took a breather between bottles and food we realized that this wine is actually amazing.  It was so beautiful and all these different flavors started appearing.  I need to work on a dish to go with this, maybe rather a soft steamed yellowtail with veggies, nothing to over powering.

• Final course:  Slivers of Parma Ham, duck foi grass, fresh sliced avocado, tomato, cucumber & basil, wild olive boursin cheese, melted brie cheese with sweet chili, fresh ciabata accompanied with Spanish Olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Red wines

High Constantia 2004

Final selection course:  Slivers of Parma Ham, duck foi grass, fresh sliced avocado, tomato, cucumber & basil, boursin cheese, melted brie cheese with sweet chili, fresh ciabata accompanied with Spanish Olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Football Engineer

Dry, wooded, earthy.  Olives bring out the sweetness.  Boursin cheese matches well with the wine, particularly the pepper.

Whiskey Eyes

Before food – tastes woody, like I poured wine on to my wooden staircase & then licked it up. Yum

Hubby

Heavy oak, forest floor.  Wonderful finish with olive oil and bread.

Me

Before food - Fruity smell with and old wine barrel finish.  Sweet berries can be picked up. 

With food – still fruity with a very old wine barrel smell and a gorgeous soft berry aftertaste.

Le Bonheur Cabernet Sauvignon 1994

Football Engineer

Sour apple, mulberry.  Delicious with the duck pate and fantastic with the Parma ham

Whiskey Eyes

GUMMY BERRIES!

Hubby

Fruity wooden pieces of heaven – dry, but you can drink it.

Me

Sld.,mfeiv8ifdvrae’MGrogjgdfmlkg … djiehslle

Oh goodness – I can not read what I wrote, ha ha, like it’s a big secret and I wanted to be the only one to decipher it??!!! Whoopsie :)

All in all it was a gorgeous evening and we had two amazing red wines that stood to the test of time.  I have to admit the Ataraxia stayed in my mind and was the most memorable wine that evening.

So if any of you out there are hosting your own unpretentious wine tasting, with your friends or loved ones, I would love to hear about it & pictures would be a bonus ;)

Cheers all!

I decided to start running, eish!
Yeah, my philosophy used to be: "I will only run if someone is chasing me," but with Summer rapidly knocking on our door & the whaling scale in the bathroom (Seriously, who came out with this mechanism), I decided to run...

To give our extremely active Ridgeback, Kasha, some more exercise, I decided it would be a good idea to take her with me.

Adorable right?!
Don't be fooled, she is Pierre Spies reincarnated! For you who don't know - He is one of South Africa's most athletic rugby players, & ladies, quite sweet on the eye.
Kasha is so strong & athletic and clearly needs no training in running - I lasted 15 minutes!  Short from hitting a tree face first, scaring the whole neighborhood & being totally breathless - I was stiff this morning.  Yay!  Something must have worked in that short run down the street.
I think me going down into squat runs, just so that she won't run off with me, did the job.
So here is to Ridgeback training.

Football Engineer & Whiskey eye's - Spring wine Tasting

Tonight we are hosting our first Spring wine tasting and  Football Engineer & Whiskey eye’s will be joining.  To say the least anything to do with wine or food sends me into a crazy twirl.  I went shopping for two new white wines and the boys are each bringing an amazing red from their cellar.

While in Spain we fell totally in love with the food, so as a little dedication to romance in Spain I will be serving varieties of dishes we came to love: parma ham, duck pate, olives, artichokes, selection of cheeses & add some of our own: trout terrine, creamy basil chicken and much much more ... a feast for Bacchus himself.

See you tomorrow with the low down on the evening’s events, that is if I can see straight enough to type.

Cheers!

I saw this wino, he was eating grapes. I was like, "Dude, you have to wait.
- Mitch Hedberg

Dinner with Princess & The Man's Man

We had an absolute blast with Princess & The Man’s Man last night.  I decided to be the designated driver, for once, and I have to admit I really enjoyed watching my 3 companions get wasted, they were extremely entertaining & hilarious.

After a delicious dinner that The Man’s Man made, Princess decided that it was a good idea to go on a cigarette run - mini road trip.

With wine glass in tow Princess had me in stitches by the time we reached the petrol station (6 min).  She is one funny lady.  Arriving at the petrol station she ran into the little shop nervously smiling because she needs a cigarette Now! Coming back almost wetting herself with laughter, she explained:

Princess:  may I please have 2 packs of Marlboro & 2 packs of Marlboro menthol?

Cashier gentleman:  eish, you smoke allot?

Princess:  hahahah, no we having a dinner at home and we drinking so much and …..

Cashier gentleman:  you having a party?  Bunch of girls? (staring into my car)

Princess: well (to tipsy to actually explain & needs a cigarette now) yes yes 

Cashier gentleman:  you lesbians?

Princess: (shocked) whahahah, no!

Cashier gentleman:  can I join?

Princess:  :) no no - like we said just a bunch of girls. 

Thee thee, by the end of the night it did feel like I was surrounded by only girls ;)

Apart from the amazing dinner, dancing until the wee hours of the morning and the greatest selection of 80’s music I have heard in years, my personal little highlight was my one amazing glass of wine: 

Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc 

My first sip was like taking a bite out of a guava, followed with a hand full of gooseberries. Soft succulent tropical aftertaste.  You would think it would be a sweet wine with all the fruit combination's, but definitely not.  Well balanced and well rounded.

Soos Nektar op die Tong.

Hope you all have a gorgeous weekend.

Our next stop today is our friend Busy Bee’s 30^th Birthday garden bash.

Cheers!

SOBER is actually an acronym that stands for: Son Of a Bitch, Everything's Real

Twice 30

Thank goodness it's Friday.
I love weekends & I am hungover, sigh, again.
Busy Bee came over last night to come and borrow some pretty decorations for her Big 30th Birthday party on Saturday & we decided it was a great idea drinking Dooswyn like water while packing the car. At the stroke of midnight the two of us were sitting in her candle lit garden, on a bench, singing drunkenly Happy Birthday to her, yes she was also singing Happy Birthday to herself.   We started at my house & ended in her garden?  Weird!

Tonight Hubby and myself will join our friend Princess at her lovely house for dinner to celebrate her 30th Birthday. We decided that there is no better gift to fit a princess but to buy her a nice selection of White wines, she LOVES her white wine.

I think I should invite Fat Bastard

I feel like this today:

picture via I cant see you

*box wine is not worth a tasting note right now I am too nauseous. Jig!

Have a gorgeous weekend all & here is to all the beautiful ladies in our life turning 30!  Happy Birthday!

Cheers!

An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do.
- Dylan Thomas

The 'Groot Dors' & my "little" friend Fat Bastard

So I woke up this morning with the Groot Dors!

It’s a Afrikaans saying; You know that feeling when you wake up with such a uncontrollable thirst and down liters of water thinking this will make it all better just to realize that the thirst is still there and the uncontrollable nausea enters your stomach?

Yes, that my dear wine lovers is the Groot Dors.

I felt that this might be the only answer to my thirst: 

picture via Wonder cafe

but the thought of the immense pleasure my hubby would go through assisting would just bruise my already tender ego.

So Friday Afternoon I went on my hunt for a good bottle of White and I stumbled on to …. EEEKKK… A BIG bottle of Fat Bastard Chardonnay! 1.5 liters of Delight & only R84.00? Sounds like a winner.

With my big bottle in tow I headed home. Entering the kitchen I was welcomed by gorgeous smells of fresh chopped basil, garlic, chili, parsley… mmm (stomach grumble) life is good.  Hubby’s preparation for dinner was coming along nicely.

All ingredients were fresh & no Butter! I know! No Butter? Seriously?!!

I did not want to meddle so I just let it go, sipped on my glass of Chardonnay & pulled our take away menu closer.

So dinner went smoothly with Love Tailor and The Dude.

Fresh, light steamed Salmon with herb crust, grilled prawns, also with fresh herbs, still no butter, and steamed veggies with a big crispy salad to match.  We were definitely prepared for Love Tailor’s diet requirements. By the end of the meal I was licking my fingers, yeah you heard me right, dinner was delicious & no butter needed (blush)

My little friend - Fat Bastard was good to me.  I over catered a bit thinking everyone will have some, but only myself and hubby ended up drinking… no wait … finishing the whole bottle. He he he, explaining the next mornings Groot Dors.

The Dude brought a bottle of Red, which he finished by himself,  and Love Tailor declined politely, because of the diet, which suited the crazy lady in me quite happily, more for me, I mean us.

Fat Bastard Chardonnay

I ended up getting my taste of butter after all. Yay! 

Full-bodied Chardonnay & with the first big mouthful it had a beautiful buttery complexity with a toasty finish. Gorgeous.

Summer is arriving and this brings forth my hubby’s love for entertaining and he comes up with invites to celebrate a specific day in history, just so that he can have a Braai. 

Hubby:  “but Tipsy, it’s the celebration of the first monkey that went into space, we have to braai” hahha, oh goodness.

I have to admit, I love his silly invites, spending long summer day’s with friends & loved ones and indulging in a good glass of Vino …  from now on Fat Bastard will be added to the guest list.

Cheers all.

 I've taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.
- Sir Winston Churchill

Dinner with Love Tailor & The Dude

We are having some friends over for dinner tonight & it's going to be a challenge, which we love, cough cough ;)

By the sounds of it Love Tailor is on a very specific healthy diet (which I probably should be on), and she can only have a small piece of fish (i think) & some steamed veg ...

and The Dude is suffering from some; "i can't drink alcohol or my limbs swell" disease which I hope is not contagious! eeeeek! However, in great spirit, as only The Dude can pull off,  he is getting an INJECTION so he can drink tonight.  I feel special (teary eyed), proud, amazed, & worried all at once.

We have prawns & fish on the menu & by the sounds of it hubby & I will be the only two tipsy drinkers ;) Hey, more for us, not complaining... or I could be a good hostess and serve non alcoholic wine?????!!!!! Does this even exist?  JA NEE ;)

Tune in tomorrow for the low down on the evenings events....

Happy Friday all!

Cheers!

 I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.
- Frank Sinatra

Spring dinner & a gorgeous bottle of Rooiberg Chardonnay Reserve 2008

So I am a romantic, straight down to my core.  I love candle lit bubble baths, followed by a candle lit dinner surrounded by roses, a gorgeous bottle of wine, Ella Fitzgerald playing in the back ground, and snuggling close to my gorgeous hubby like it's a first date.

To celebrate the birth of Spring, I decided to do a delightful "Welcome Spring" dinner for hubby and me.  I chose a recipe out of Marie Claire: real + simple (a must have cookbook)

And this was the result: Chicken leg quarters with herby stuffing - I know I know, these are not quarters, but don't count your chickens...   The Afrikaner in me changes recipes sometimes & this time I added a not so healthy finish (which was not part of the recipe); a creamy basil & Dijon mushroom sauce.  That, on top of the fresh basil and cashew nuts in the stuffing (also not in the recipe) made this meal delicious... if i do say so myself :-)

Our wine for the evening was a gorgeous bottle of Rooiberg Chardonnay Reserve 2008.  I have never tried this before and it complimented our food perfectly, pat on the back ;)
It was a beautiful full bodied Chardonnay which went very well with the chicken. The taste that was most interesting for me... You know when you suck on those caramel sweets?  Now that initial flavor was in this wine mixed with a bit of vanilla and also beautifully matured & rounded for a 2008, not being the least bit green or young.

A Gorgeous Reserve wine which, at a low price of R52, from Pick & Pay was an awesome deal. Honestly I would have thought this wine was an older bottle it was so well balanced,  I can only day dream of how amazing their 2006 must be... drooool.

Unless something goes dramatically wrong with their soil or winemaker, this is definitely going on my list of "must always have a bottle in the fridge" white wine & one of my next farms to visit when we are in Cape Town.

Thee, blush, the hangover on this was delightful, not that painful "please put me out of my misery" headache that you get from most young/cheap white wines, but instead more of a "i need a hug" headache that did not last long.

Do yourself a favor and go get this for one of your Spring events this weekend & I would love to know what you think?

So here is to a gorgeous week & weekend & good luck to all you poor snotty nosed people out there that is suffering because of all the blooming blossoms around you. :(  my husband is one.
Keep your chin up, your tissue close and drink your sorrows away. ;)

Cheers all!

I am a drinker with a writing problem.
- Brendan Behan

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

Well, it's official now! It's Spring! I do love the spring, that beautiful time of the year when everything around me blooms & with that my spirit blooms and I can't help myself but feel that we need to eat, drink & be tipsy.
Our garden is in full bloom with jasmine & lavender and Oh that smell... Oh oh oh.

I am totally obsessed with lavender and one day, when we own our dream farm,  we will have fields of lavender, like this:

and I will run around feeling like a little girl again, GA GA with happiness, like this:

Happy Spring everyone!
Here is to showing skin, light dishes, plenty of wine and good friends that will grow old with us!

Okay, feeling extremely sorry for myself today.  After an amazing evening with copious amounts of wine flowing I woke up this morning hating that evil bottle of wine, or two, or three - I will NEVER drink again - yeah, sure ;)

Hubby's attempt at dinner was beyond amazing! Well done! The Salmon was absolutely grilled to perfection with a slight pink inner "tummy" stuffed with blue cheese and pear, accompanied with roast sweet potatoes and a crispy green salad... Amazing.

Wine Wine Wine = great times with great friends.  

The Buitenverwachting was finished before dinner, so can't tell you how it tastes with food, eish.

The Haute Cabriere was absolutely perfect with the Salmon - a definite recommendation.

So there you go. All and all it was a successfull evening and thank goodness I did some tasting notes last night. Eina!

So go open a bottle of wine and enjoy your afternoon –I am sneaking my first Gin & Tonic for the day, shhhhh  ... Hey a girl needs a regmaakertjie. :) Don't judge me.

"You must believe in something. I believe I’ll have another drink."
- W.C. Fields

Kicking off the evening...

So while waiting for the Restauranteur & Peapod, I got thirsty ... the kind of thirst only a glass of wine can sooth, at least that is what i convince myself of ... So I opened my first, never tried before, white wine of the evening: Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc 2009
I know I know, I should wait for the guests, but hey life is short & hubby is game.

Now if you go onto their website it's the idealistic farm you would love to retire on, with a beautiful sunset glistening over the mountains... sigh.
Anyway, back to reality & taste: 

Nose: The nose is flinty with undertones of fruitsalad and cut-grass.   Yeah, that's it.  Fruit bouquet. 


Op die tong:  A lovely remainder of dried fruit roll hangs around the tongue after the wine has disappeared into my belly – this I love.


Pallet:  No lingering aftertaste at all, this I find sad & tricky, makes me keep on sipping glass after glass to keep it lingering - oh no! ;)

The two bottles after this will be 

Now this BEAUTY is a known feature in my life.  I absolutely LOVE this wine & would like to keep my tasting notes for another day with a recipe from the wine owner herself, she is gorgeous and I can't wait to share her cooking skills with you.

Cheers! 

Dinner tonight

Tonight we are having some great friends over for dinner and hubby is cooking. Hmmmm... he decided to do this beautiful Blue cheese & pear Salmon dish, with his own unique twist, I can't wait.  I am getting quite excited to shop for a selection of appropriate white wines that will stand up to such a rich dish.

Come back tomorrow for the verdict on hubby's cooking and to learn something new on a few bottles of white.

"I read about the evils of drinking, so I gave up reading."
- Henny Youngman

♥ Leaine's Kitchen: Learning to Eat with Limitations ♥

Wow, love this lady's work.  She is amazingly talented in the kitchen & all her cooking is healthy and YUMMILICIOUS & there is a variety of dishes to choose from straight down to dessert!

This is a must follow and do yourself a favor, try her recipes - you won't regret it for a second & your body will thank you for it.

Keep up the amazing cooking & inspiration Leaine & I will come up with some nice wine pairings for a dish or two ;)

 Leaine's Kitchen: Learning to Eat with Limitations