Sleeping Beauty Hike

Nestled at the foot of the Sleeping Beauty mountain peak, a well-loved landmark which never fails to capture the imagination -Riversdale has earned its name of the Floral Paradise of the Garden Route because of the abundance of indigenous Fynbos - which covers the mountains and surrounding areas. This floral rainbow was in full bloom, which made it the perfect day for hiking and magnificent scenery! If you look closely, it is possible to make out Sleeping Beauty asleep on the Mountain. 

Early Sunday morning my parents and I packed the picnic basket and attempted this beautiful hike! 

It took us 3 hours to get to the top, where we enjoyed our picnic with the most amazing view!!! I would recommend this hike to all nature lovers, and to all the locals who have not yet experienced the true beauty of Riversdale! And I might add, remember to stretch afterwards because you definitely will feel it the next day!

Fun in the sun!!!

Dog & Fox

Dog and Fox is a very popular pub in Wimbledon Village and we decided to celebrate Valentines Day as well as our last dinner together here, as I was leaving for South Africa the next day to surprise my dad for his birthday!
Cavernous and high ceilinged, the pub is split in to a dining area with table service, and an expansive main bar area in which an eclectic array of furniture enables vast number of customers to be seated comfortably. The interior is very bold surrounded by dark wallpaper, with the restaurant area boasting tasteful lighting and attractive wood panelling, and a main space that borders on dingy, despite the inclusion of a few plush sofas and armchairs and a rich burgundy colour scheme.
Scottish Head Chef Keith Stewart has been serving classic European cooking at The Dog & Fox for the past six years. His passion for top quality seasonal produce is reflected in their menus, and the choice to always serve foods that make the most of the British Farmer's Larder.

We started off with the most divine Salt and pepper squid served with a lemon mayo! John had the Fish and Chips and I had a Chicken couscous salad which was also very tasty! We had a great celebration as it was our last night together (and not knowing when we will see each other again), so tequila and Jagermeister attended too, which we both regretted the next morning!!! 

Dog and Fox is a lovely pub and is ideal for watching saturday afternoon rugby matches! I will definitely go back for the squid!!!

Here is my recipe for Salt and Pepper Squid:


1 dried red chili
3 Tbsp maldon sea salt
2 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
500 g rice flour
1 kg squid, cleaned
500 ml peanut oil
2 limes, cut in half


Dry roast the chili, salt and peppercorns in a pan over a low heat until the salt starts to turn golden and spices fragrant. Place into a mortar and pestle and cool.  Once cool grind into a fine consistency.
Mix through the rice flour. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan to 180 C (a sugar thermometer is the safest way to check your temperatures or use a deep fat fryer). Cut squid into thin strips keep the tentacles whole, Dust lightly in the flour mix and cook a small batch at a time to retain the heat in the wok to give your squid crunch, Drain onto paper towel and place onto you plate. Serve with some chopped coriander over the top, a bit more salt if you wish and also some lime wedges and lemon mayo! 

Great with an Asian beer!!

Nobu Berkeley ST

"...heaven on earth and sex on a plate." - Kate Winslet

John and I were incredibly fortunate to be invited by Rob and Phil for dinner at Nobu Berkeley ST.  Nobu Berkeley ST is located in the heart of Mayfair. The highly rated Nobu Berkeley ST is now one of London's most fashionable restaurants and has also been the venue for some of the capitals most high profile parties.In January 2006 after only five months, Nobu Berkeley St received a Michelin star, following in the footsteps of Nobu London.

We were welcomed at the entrance as we arrived and our coats were removed. Amazed by the stylish, yet relaxed lounge bar and continued to the top floor, where our seats were pulled out.  As we sat down, 4 servers surrounded us and shouted an unknown phrase. Im guessing it was "welcome" in Japanese, but I can be wrong! 

Of course I studied the menu before we went and knew exactly what I wanted to taste. Rob and Phil arrived and we started off with a fruity Chenin Blanc from France. We decided to order something from every section on the menu and shared it between the four of us. I am not being dramatic when I say, this was definitely the most exhilarating dining experience I have ever encountered. We were in Japan's Food Heaven.

Nobu Matsushisa and executive chef Mark Edwards have created a menu, which includes the Nobu classic dishes, but with many new items, some of which are cooked in a Japanese wood-burning oven.  At one side of the restaurant there is a 12 seater sushi bar and on the opposite side is the Hibachi table, available for parties of twelve people. 

We started off with smoked salmon and Halibut sashimi followed by a spicy tuna sashimi salad

Salmon and avocado inside out sushi cut rolls, spicy yellow tail rolls and crispy Pork Belly with spicy Miso, and then for Chef Nobu's signature dish, the Black Cod Den Miso. It was everything and more than what I expected. It was truly as Kate Winslet described it to be: "...heaven on earth and sex on a plate."

Baby spinach and grilled shrimp salad

 Traditional Nobu Style

 Beef Toban

Black Cod Den Miso 

For dessert I had the Chocolate Bento Box served with Green Tea Ice Cream, which was a chocolate fondant, and John had the Nobu Chocolate Tart Served with Sake Kasu Ice Cream & Hot Chocolate Sauce - it was beautiful. A deconstructed chocolate tart made up of a round chocolate ball served on a bed of crumbs which melts as the server pours the piping hot chocolate sauce over the ball, only to find a majestic chocolate ganache surprise inside. Both the Green tea and Sake ice cream were delicious. Finished the meal off with dessert wine and an espresso. It was so delicious I did not want it to end.

Here is the recipe for the Black Cod with Miso, contributed by Chef Nobu...

This sweet and silky fish dish, which has been cloned at restaurants all over the country, is fairly simple to make, though it's somewhat time-consuming: Chef Nobu recommends marinating the black cod in a good deal of the sake-miso marinade for 2 to 3 days.


Black Cod with Miso
3 Tbs mirin
3 Tbs sake
1/2 cup white miso paste
1/3 cup sugar
6 x 180 g skinless black cod fillets
Vegetable oil, for grilling
Pickled ginger, for serving


In a small saucepan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, just until dissolved. Transfer the marinade to a large baking dish and let cool. Add the fish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Heat a grill pan and oil it. Scrape the marinade off the fish. Add the fish and cook over a high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until flaky. Transfer to plates and serve with pickled ginger.

It is worth it, believe me...

The Hummingbird Bakery

Early January, John found a beautiful apartment (very much a of a clean white beach look) in Southfileds (next to Wimbledon).We packed our bags and moved closer to the city - It is quite the mission moving when you only have access to public transport.We had to make two trips from Woking to Southfields.  I had a week left in the UK so I was trying to get to all the places I hadn't been to before and Notting Hill was first on my list. 

Sitting on the tube, the lady next to me (with a strong South African accent) asked me for directions. She wanted to know where Portobello Road is. I had no idea, but I was going there too! We started chatting about Cape Town and traveling. Both of us got off at Notting Hill Gate and ventured towards the Portobello Road Market. 

Portobello Market in West London is one of the most famous street markets in the world. It is a popular destination for Londoners and tourists alike.  It goes straight through the heart of Notting Hill, the trendy area of London made famous by the film. I was in search of the blue door of the travel bookshop.  As I found the famous "Notting Hill" sign, an old man whispered from behind, "That is not the real door!" "It isn't?", I asked. So he told me the whole story of how much it is worth and that it is actually just around the corner from us. I thanked him and as I was heading towards the renowned door, I stumbled across something more beautiful than blue...a little pink and brown bakery called The Hummingbird Bakery.

In my somewhat vindictive, must-taste-all driven quest to taste any cupcake I come upon, almost every experience has been reaffirming of the fact that I can bake a moist cake.  In most high street bakeries the cake isn't usually worth eating, much less often is it impressive.  But the cupcake I bought at the The Hummingbird Bakery in Portobello Market on a whim was hands down the best cupcake I've ever purchased.  I had the Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting. The cake was wonderfully textured with great flavour.  The frosting had the perfect balance between sweet and acidic, and over all it was a fabulous cake.

I left the bakery feeling very happy. I loved it so much I took John there on the weekend. This time the Bakery was humming and we were queueing outside. We shared a chocolate brownie with a creamy chocolaty frosting, which was also delicious.

I do recommend you pop in for a flat white and a quick sugar fix.

Everyone seems to enjoy Red Velvet Cupcakes covered with lovely swirls of Cream Cheese Frosting. While a year round favorite, their red and white color scheme make them particularly well suited for Christmas or Valentines Day.

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cups castor sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp liquid red food colouring

1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar

1/2 tsp bicarb

Cream Cheese Frosting:

227g cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

60g icing sugar, sifted

160 ml double cream
A squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 175 C and line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.  In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12  muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 -23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:  Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add the lemon juice and more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.  I decorated the cup cakes with blossoms which I made from Fondant icing!

Happy Baking!

Snow Man!!!

It finally snowed in the new year. I was so excited, I sprinted out the back door and fell flat on my but! I was down on the ground for 5 minutes and got back up and posed for photos! It was so painful but I didn't care, I was so excited! 

The next morning John and I made our snow man! So much fun! We of course had a snow fight.

Pennies for eyes, a strawberry for his nose and he was lucky enough to get a beanie and a scarf

View from our new apartment in Wimbledon

There is something so whimsical about snow that it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. 

It makes me so happy. 

We had the most amazing Baileys Hot Chocolate in Cardiff, so here is my version of the most delicious comfort drink!

Baileys Hot Chocolate (for the cold snowy days)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups cream 

1/4 cup cocoa powder

115 g milk chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup Baileys

In a large bowl, mix together cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add milk and cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring every few minutes. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the milk to the cocoa and sugar, mixing thoroughly to create a paste. Once it is a paste,  add it to the milk and turn the heat down to low. Whisk continuously until smooth (do not let it boil), then whisk in chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and add the Baileys. Top with mini marshmallows.

Cardiff

We decided to skip the London Hype during New Years and took the train to Wales. When in doubt always go to the capital city, so Cardiff it was.

It only took us two hours and we had arrived.  I love traveling by train, especially in the UK, because the country side is so beautiful with the rolling green hills and reminds me so of home. A proper Welsh pub is the first place we went to when we arrived. Neither John or I could distinguish wether the locals were speaking very bad English or Welsh. It is such a funny language. Sounded like German crossed with Russian crossed with Irish - if that makes any sense!

 It was very cold and wet when we arrived so the comfort of a warm pub was in order!

Dinner at GBK

Castell Caerdydd

Cardiff Castle is one of Wales' leading heritage attractions and a site of international significance. During 2000 years of history, the Castle has been a Roman Garrison, a Norman stronghold and in Victorian times was transformed into a gothic fairytale fantasy.

We started the tour with a Firing Line exhibition and film presentation. We then got our audio guide to explore the Castle grounds which lasts approximately 60 minutes. Standing on top of the Castle's open air roof, you look out on the rest of the Castle and city skyline and the views are simply breathtaking. It started to rain heavily so we opted for  a warm coffee at the café.

 Welsh National War Memorial

Enough site-seeing for one day! It was time to hit the pubs! All the pubs had great buy one-get one free cocktail specials! I think we literally tried all the cocktails on the menu and then did some more pub crawling!

Wales Millennium Centre

 New Year's Eve

The weather was so wet and cold that we ended up seeking for shelter in pubs and restaurants quite regularly. Fortunately the rain stopped and we went strolling through the streets. There were carousels and market stalls everywhere. John even won a little Tigger for me!

This was a traditional Welsh dance (similar to our "Voortrekkers") which they were performing for live television. We had to cheer them on.

We grabbed a beer at the Heineken stall and bounced to the live bands that were performing. Our countdown to the new year was in Welsh and English! I know we were missing out on London's amazing fire work display, but being just the two of us in a foreign country, was truly something special!

Happy New Year!!!