ile de pain

I apologize, it's been so long since my last entry, but I have been obsessed with baking bread!  Yes, you heard right! BREAD ...  and not just any bread.  I have been practicing how to perfect the art of French Artisan bread.

We went on an amazing 4 x 4 trip awhile ago & stopping over in Knysna for a few day's we stumbled upon this beauty: ile de pain 

What an amazing bakery-cafe.  Liezie Mulder & Markus Farbinger have created, together, the unique culinary landscape that is ile de pain ("Island of Bread").  Their shared vision culminated in the opening of the bakery-cafe in Knysna, with it's wood-fired oven, in the Farbinger family tradition dating back to the 1700's.

We totally fell in love with this delectable little cafe & after tasting their lip-smacking fresh bread I just had to purchase a cd teaching you the art of making the real mccoy.   French Artisan bread.

An estimated 5 hour process & I can't start explaining how much I love it.  I think it's very therapeutic & the end process is so satisfying that I just want to start from scratch again.  Instant gratification.

I will have to take some pictures on the next round, the bread disappears way to quickly, no time for a snap shot ... I blame Hubby ;-)

I have a new found love for bread ... and BUTTER!  Who can resist a slice of hot fresh bread with a smeer of butter melting into it... YUM!

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!