The Corkless Mind

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  • West Coast Mussels 

    West Coast Mussels 


    The West coast of Southern Africa has an amazing array of indigenous flora and fauna. One of my favourite places to go and visit is Paternoster where the talented chef Kobus Van der Merwe has his highly acclaimed restaurant ‘oep ve koep’. Driving past, one can very easily mistake this local gem for just a convenience store, once inside that’s when you really see there certainly is more to it than meets the eye. One of the dishes I had the last time I was there, was a beautiful mussel dish with smoked Angelfish and a umami rich broth I simply had to drink straight from the bowl. Chef Kobus has a book called ‘Strandveldfood’ that epitomizes the West coast for its lush and laid back feel. He focuses on fynbos foraging and in doing so responsibly and with thought. He utilizes the knowledge he has gained from a few sources including renowned fynbos expert Rupert Koopman,everyday he forages locally for the restaurant and uses only what he needs for that day. 


    As an ode to one of my favourite places to regroup and gather my thoughts, I recreated one of the recipes from the book minus the smoked angelfish. The photos were taken late afternoon. The photos of the West coast were taken in St Helena Bay and the first one was taken a few weeks back in Jacobsbaai.

  • Not your average doughnut

    Not your average doughnut

    I always crave doughnuts, it’s my absolute go to, like ice cream I never say no to either! These are only just a few on my list of comfort food dishes. 

    The doughnuts in the post were purchased (yes, I know store bought) shamefully so, they taste just as good anyway. Lately there’s been something of a doughnut frenzy in South Africa, with Krispy Kreme finally making its way to our shores, and a dessert bar called My Sugar in Sea Point, that creates the most insane looking doughnuts and milkshakes. With that in mind I thought I would take inspiration from all the doughnut hype and put together a few that is so easy to recreate at home with some of the store bought treats. 

    I really wanted to show how the meringue frosting should look when ready to spread over the doughnut, stiff glossy peaks is what you need. I also think that it looks so pretty gracefully glossed over the balloon whip. Please pardon the reflection in my mixer bowl, I’m not quite there yet with editing…
    The photos I took are just after 13:00 and styled and set in my usual little corner in my living room. 

  • Matcha Madeleines

    Matcha Madeleines

    Since last week I had been obsessed with all things green and this week is just another continuation of that healthy obsession. Perusing a baking feed on Pinterest I noticed a scarlet Madeleine that instantly took my breathe away I knew I had to recreate it and add my own twist to it. 
    Matcha, in recent years have been taking the western world by storm. Matcha is a fine green tea powder that derives from the same source as green tea leaves. It has been dubbed as a superfood with many health benefits. Loaded with antioxidants, if consumed regularly only then will one reap all the health benefits of prevention of cancer, lowering of cholesterol and blood pressure and strengthening the immune system. 

    The Madeleine recipe is from Woolworths Taste magazine’s website, the only difference is the addition of Matcha into the batter towards the end of folding. I had only just recently bought my very first Madeleine pan, as I really wanted to recreate the scarlet Madeleine and make it my own. I dipped the madeleines in white chocolate and with the beautiful golden Madeleine in the middle I added Matcha to the melted chocolate mixture, simply because I love the contrast in colour and who knew matcha tasted spectacular in white chocolate!? 

    The photos were all taken in the height of a very nasty storm (believe it or not). I absolutely adore the lighting as it makes everything appear so pure. 

    I’m trying to be creative when it comes to props in my photos, as good props are rather hard to find, so at this point I find myself just scavenging around my apartment looking for interesting things that would give my photos that extra special touch. 

    This post was collated whilst listening to the whimsical Si tu vois ma mère by Sidney Bechet. (Yes, I am dreaming of Paris :)) 

    In honour of her up and coming birthday, I leave you with a Julia Child quote. 

    “People who love to eat are always the best people” – Julia Child. 

    *information sourced from Eat out and Tea Mill*

  • Unusual Suspects: Celery.

    Unusual Suspects: Celery.

    For as Long as I can recall has this tall green beauty been overlooked as just a snack for dieting fundies, a flavour packed punch for many a mirepoix or that dreadful ants on a log image that comes to mind. Celery is a vegetable that derives from the Apiaceae family. That being the same family as carrot, parsley and coriander. Prior to writing this post, I had no clue that there were so many health benefits attributed to Celery. Packed with Vitamins A, C, and K and also contains folate and potassium which is good for cardiovascular health. 

    Today I decided to put this hardworking underdog on a much deserved pedestal. Instead of going the traditional inside the box route of just using celery for savoury dishes, I wanted its true beauty and potential to shine through in a dessert. This refreshing recipe is straight from Food52
    Waste not want not tip: don’t throw away the sprouting inner little ribs of the celery, remove the core place in a glass jar with a little water, just covering the base of the core and leave to fully sprout for a week then transplant into potting soil, and just like that you’re growing your very own celery! Those lush green aromatic leaves are also perfect scattered over a simple salad to add texture and taste! 

    The Granita recipe from Food52, is tweaked of course, I added fennel and Apple. I might have said this before, but I like using recipes only as a guide and adding my own unique twist to it. I think this is how one discovers what kind of cook you are. 
    The photos were taken in the early morning, with some much needed sunshine. Nothing beats natural light, especially in the early morning. I find this is when I take most of my shots that I love. 

  • Coconut and Lime Panna Cotta.

    Coconut and Lime Panna Cotta.

    This week to compensate for no ‘unusual suspects’ installment, I’ve been fixated with coconut and lime, so very versatile, from sweet to savoury there’s no limit to what you could do with these beautiful tropical ingredients. Even though it’s full on winter, during the day the sun has been making quite an appearance however with a bitter cold snap lingering. With that in mind, my palate needed some relief from the wintery, hearty stews and rich soups. Inspired by the rich and creamy texture and earthy flavour of coconut and infatuated by the perfumed zesty flavour profile of Lime, I made a coconut and lime Panna Cotta.
    The recipe is a simple Panna cotta one, of which I borrowed off of Delicious. Possibly one of my favourite sites at the moment, so many ideas and inspiration that keeps changing on a weekly basis. I tweaked the recipe a bit to taste. That’s the best thing about recipes, they are mainly guidelines to which you can make it your own and experiment.

    I took these photos in two different sessions in the same day, so as to get an indication for when the best time for the best kind of light is (in winter that is)…  Respectively taken Early morning and late afternoon. I find I am still trying to figure out my style of shooting and styling, this may take some time together with experience.

    I used toasted coconut shavings, coconut milk and lime zest as a garnish.

    “What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good foodies a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn . I love it!” – Jamie Oliver.

  • The Ultimate Toasted Sarnie.

    The Ultimate Toasted Sarnie.

    This has to be my go to comfort food it’s quick, easy and oozing with melted goodness. I made three different toasted Sandwiches, a Nutella and Caramelized banana, an oozing egg and cheese toastie, and for the ultimate one a Gorgonzola and Caramelized pear with rocket. All of which were on freshly baked Brioche loaf. 

    Picking a favourite, was a tough task, but somebody had to do it! For me, it’s the Gorgonzola and Caramelized pear with rocket. Simply because of the complimentary contrast in flavour of the earthy Gorgonzola together with the sweet Caramelized pear and peppery crunch of the rocket, for me is a match made in heaven. 


    I toasted the brioche toasties in a non stick pan over high – medium heat, with lots of butter (please no margarine) butter is rather costly, but I prefer to splurge on one or two items a month, and this is it. The melted almost burnt butter imparts a nutty flavour and creamy warmth into the toasted sarnie. For the simple cheese toastie, I added more cheese on top of the bread to create a cheesey crust, this is the ultimate top tip for more crunchy goodness! I used Gorgonzola and a mild soft Mozzarella. Look for a mild flavoured cheese that can melt easily. I usually use a Gouda cheese. Also, grate the cheese finely to make the melting process and time that much quicker. 


    Everyone has their own way of making toasties, which I think could be indicative of their personality, same could be said for style of cooking. 

    A special mention to Ou Meul bakery at Willowbridge (Tygervalley) for especially baking a loaf of Brioche for me. Unfortunately they no longer bake them for their usual menu. If you can’t find any brioche loaves, a normal white loaf or brown, low Gi (if you will) works just as well. I used the brioche because of its sweet buttery soft texture and taste. For me, this is the ultimate and indulgent vehicle for a great toastie.  

    “I don’t believe you can ever really cook unless you love eating” – Nigella Lawson.