I’ve been struggling to come up with blog posts lately, mainly suffering from ‘writers block’, which to me is weird as I am immensely passionate about fare and find I can talk about food for hours on end if you pick my brain I will happily engage in conversation about my basic knowledge of food. However there’s just one little problem, you see I’m an introvert, and a rather shy one. But like an onion I have so many layers, if you peel me back…
I tend to compose posts and recreate recipes only when inspiration has struck. My kind of Inspiration, could be that instantaneous revelation of how ‘ugly’ distorted veg is hardly ever used these days, or asking myself questions, like “why can’t candy floss be savoury?” Yes, these are indeed the strange yet wondrous questions I ask myself.
(Cue the Oprah voice) I Love Bread! and thank god I am not gluten intolerant. I cannot imagine my life, I cannot imagine life in general without the sustenance which is bread. So as an ode to my great love of bread, I recreated a recipe adapted from BBC GoodFood , a no knead focaccia with an interesting twist.
The photos were taken yesterday early noon as soon as the bread came out of the oven. I started making the dough Monday evening already to ensure successful proving. The red grapes were really sweet, strangely enough not only did they look like cherries but they had the same sort of sweet taste too. These grapes are great for snacking without all the guilt of crisps or sweets. I’m a notorious snacker and I’m trying to make a real effort to snack healthier these days, more for health reasons than anything else.
A tad off topic, this time of year Cape Town gets very busy, the craziness lasts till mid-end of January, I do love that fact that people continue to visit our unique country and city. There are many times I feel incredibly privileged to live around such beauty and authenticity. The crazy traffic on the roads and in the shopping centres is something you learn to tolerate and avoid if you’re lucky, but there’s no place I’d rather be this time of year, than right here in my home city.
Dominique x
Pavlovas are without doubt one of my favourite desserts! I’ve always found them quite daunting and intimidating to make, until yesterday I took a leap of faith and tried out a recipe from Donna Hay,that leap of faith and trust in a legend’s recipe truly paid off! I’m slowly getting into the festive season spirit, and what better way to start it off then with a festive pav! I added a little something extra(as always) I had a punnet of Blueberries sitting on my fridge shelf about to go off, to accompany and top the Pavlovas I made a quick blueberry compote using castor sugar to equal parts of water(a few tablespoons until it just about covers the blueberries)
Okay, time to let the cat out of the bag…remember that piece of news I’ve been teasing you all about? So, last week with the release of the December issue of the Food&Home Magazine, I was chosen and featured in this issue as their ‘Blogger of the month’! Exciting right?! 🙂 I feel incredibly honoured and so grateful to be chosen by Food&Home Magazine, check out my Instagram feed for the photo of the feature. If you’re in South Africa head out to get your copy of the issue, not only to read the feature, but there are so many gift ideas and amazing recipes for entertaining this festive season!
I shot this series of photos this morning and took me a while to shoot and edit thereafter, feeling like a train hit me, down with the common cold. So, to cheer myself up, I experimented with different backgrounds, aperture settings and light exposure, yes these are things that cheer me up! The above photo with blue backdrop, I crinkled up some tissue paper and painted it with water based paint to get that effect. I can never get enough of backdrops and backgrounds, I’ve recently noticed that there are online stores in the United Kingdom and Russia that make and sell backdrops for food photography. There are some incredibly beautiful backdrops at both stores, all of which are rather expensive if you have to include shipping costs too! I would love to make my own backdrops using stone and wood, but have no idea where to start…
Do you have any backdrops you love or know how to make? Share in the comments section.
Did you know, the reason beekeepers overalls are white is that bees can’t see white? This is according to the renowned bee researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, Mike Allsopp. This is only but a few facts and wisdom that Mike generously imparted upon us. The Secret Life of Bees workshop was held at the picturesque farm, Babylonstoren in Simondium about 40 minutes outside of Cape Town. Apart from staying at their 5 star luxury farm hotel, Visitors can walk about in their lush and exotic gardens and thereafter have a rustic farm fresh lunch at the Greenhouse or if you’re looking for more of a trendier farm to table experience, Babel is the place to dine!
What was probably one of the hottest days of the year so far, the workshop started off with a walk through the gardens towards the farm loft where Q&A’s and a very insightful talk by Mike had us buzzing(excuse the pun)with insight and excitement. Here’s another fun fact, honey is a 50/50 mixture of glucose and fructose and only adult bees feed on honey. Under usual circumstances and normal temperatures, the workshop starts off with attendees going to the apiary first, but at 32 degree weather at 11:00 am it was advisable we visit the on-site apiary last.
There are a few beekeeping methods, such as the Top bar beekeeping,the non-movable frame colonies and the extraction beekeeping methods.The most recommended is the extraction method which requires re-use of frames and the addition of honey chambers to increase production. There are many types of extraction methods too, and the most widely used is Langstroth type of hives. One will notice that on most of the hives we see today, it is fitted with aluminium tops, this is to ensure insulation of temperature and to keep the hive and bees cool. At 37 degrees Celsius, the hive is at a normal temperature, anything above this is far too hot for the bees. The worker bees are all female and have a life expectancy of 20-45 days, the worker bees are responsible for all hive activities. The queen bees are also female, and in every colony exists only one queen. The queen bee starts mating at a precocious age of only 3-4 days old. How is a queen bee formed? Baby larvae is fed Royal jelly, which then develops into a queen bee. The incubation period for a queen bee is approximately 14 days, a normal worker bee, 18-21 days, and a drone cell 24 days. The mere purpose of a drone is to mate with a queen and thereafter immediately dies.
Honey is ripened nectar for the adult bees as said above, wax is synthesized by the bees and for every 8g of honey there is 1g of wax. Propolis, termed by Mike as ‘Bee Glue’ originates from plant resin and bees use it to stick to everything, close gaps and has antibiotic properties for the bees. However, there seems to be a common misconception according to Mike, that there is a trend specifically in health stores that it has tremendous health benefits to humans, this he says is false.
After picking Mike’s brain about all things bees, we headed out to the Greenhouse for an aesthetically appealing lunch, the curried beef, lentil and waterblommetjie pie served was delicious and filing but a tad heavy for that day’s unforgiving heat, but the refreshments on hand, such as their homemade lemonade and iced tea was beyond heavenly, bursting with so much flavour.Using only what is on the farm, the cordials used in the iced tea and lemonade can be purchased at the Farm shop, something I wished I had done before I left to go home! On the table was a platter of freshly gathered seasonal vegetables of which a light and crisp salad was served on the side and as an extra special touch a plate of actual honeycomb with freshly baked bread on the side. I think this was the very first time I ate honeycomb, and what a treat it was! Going back to the loft we all had to be kitted out in beekeeping suits, all suits had to be baggy enough, so the bees couldn’t easily sting us through the suit if it were too tight. Ankles had to be covered up as well, so I brought along my rain boots as recommended by Liesl and Mike. Kitted out and on the back of a truck with hay bales we sat on and admired the scenery as we were chauffeured to the apiary which was about 2km’s from the farm on the same property. Once there, Mike lit the handheld smoker and gave us a run down of do’s and don’ts when lighting the smoker. Tip number 1: Always ensure the smoke that the smoker emits is cool enough, demonstrated by blowing the smoke on your wrist or hand, if it is cool enough for you, then it is safe enough for the bees. Like all things to do with fire, never leave the smoker unattended, this has been done in the past and has been reported to have burned down property, vegetation and even harm/kill the bees.
Mike’s hand full of calm and slightly sedated bees. Not to be attempted at home.
Heading into the apiary is quite an experience for the avid bee lover or for someone who wants to get over their fear of bees. The first hive that was opened was rather nervous, but after a few puffs of calming smoke, all was well and the bees seemed a lot more hospitable from the second and third hive. A few of things we spotted was a queen right at the bottom of a hive in a corner, where she would usually be, a worker bee being born, and a few bees feeding. The late afternoon heat was unforgiving and many of us were spent by the time we went to the apiary, but for most of us it will be an experience we will never forget!
Blue skies with a chance of bees!
The workshops take place annually, hosting only two in October, as this is the most convenient time, so as to not disturb the bees or their habitat. I would strongly recommend this insightful workshop to any avid or potential beekeepers, anyone who, like me is passionate about food or anyone looking for more information about bees with a sensory experience and meeting like minded individuals as an added bonus.
A sensory and educational experience it certainly was, I have gained so much insight into bees, their lifestyles, threats against them and their habitats. I definitely have more of an appreciation for bees now more than ever.
I look forward to sharing my next adventure with you!
Dominique x
**This post was not sponsored, all costs for the workshop I have paid for**
I was one of a few very fortunate chosen attendees who got to experience Convivium table this year. Convivium took place over the 22 and 23rd of October. Day 1 was by invite only, through an application process, one would submit a motivation as to why they should attend day 1. I was beyond chuffed when notified I had been chosen to attend along with a select few. The event was hosted by Frankie Fenner’s Andy Fenner and The Shortmarket Club’s Wesley Randles. The aim of the event is to bring together local food producers and young and aspiring chefs, or anyone looking to be educated and inspired by where our food comes from, and of course to get us all connecting with one another and learning about our food culture.
The event was held at a farm just outside of Malmesbury, Cape Town. A very bumpy and turbulent ride on a gravel road lead to us to a farm called Kalmoesfontein. There was this unmistakable old charm of a rustic farm that I relished in and in my mind for that day I was of course a farm girl! The air was crisp and fresh with excitement. Upon arrival and registration a coffee of our choice was served by Rosetta Roastery to perk us up and served with an infamous Pasteis de nata from The Hoghouse. Breakfast was served by Bree street’s The General Store with lovely little jars of Yoghurt and granola topped with fruit and the most filling and flavourful sausage rolls. This was all before talks began at 11:00.
The first speaker was one of the most revered chefs in the industry, not only in South Africa but internationally making waves, was Margot Janse. Margot spoke about her work with Isabelo, helping to feed more than 240 pre-primary and 1300 primary school children daily in the Franschoek area. Not only feeding these kids but reconnecting with the community by doing so. Her overall theme for her talk was that we should all remember it’s all about “actions not intentions”. Next up, was Pavs Pillay from WWF representing SASSI(South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative) Pavs’ talk was chock full of facts and information most of us had never heard of. Speaking of which, did you know that 80% of the carbon dioxide we breathe is trapped in the sea? And the sea is the biggest emitter of that. SASSI ensures that every consumer has access to their platforms, via the really easy to navigate website or their very convenient mobile app which I constantly rely on, whenever I’m not sure about the status of a fish/seafood. Their rating system is transparent and rigorous, in that it is updated through live time. What I gathered throughout the day through every talk, was that there is a concerning disconnect between consumer and produce, meaning, most of us have no idea where exactly our food comes from, or the exact species/genus of the said produce. SASSI has noted that there is currently a consumer awareness level of between 4-44%. Pavs’ talk has really put the state of not only our marine ecology in perspective but that of the entire food culture. One of the other talks I really enjoyed, I might be biased, as to my love for Indigenous fynbos, Roushanna Gray, from Goodhope gardens nursery runs seasonal foraging courses, something of which I had been wanting to attend for some time. Roushanna started out with an interactive demonstration with the audience, involving the entire crowd standing up and us in the first row(representing the amount and rarity of the fynbos kingdom) remaining standing. This was truly an eye opener to learn that there are 6 different floral kingdoms and over 9000 different species. Currently fynbos foraging is not sustainable in the summer months, it is however recommended in the wet winter months to forage, as this is it’s peak season. Roushanna passed around a bowl of a fragrant and beautiful bouquet of fynbos which filled the outside space we were sitting in with so many evocative scents, taking me back to my late gran’s garden. Fynbos foraging should always be done with an expert. Lunch was a strenuous hike(for the unfit,like me)up a wheat field situated in a rather steep hill, once up the hill, arrows pointed us in the direction of a leafy forest, to which there was a festive lunch set up with the chefs cooking lunch already up and going getting lunch started as quickly and effortlessly as possible. The hike up was more than worth it! Exactly like the fairytale pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Lunch was Trout cooked directly on the wood in the fire with askoek(bread cooked in the coals) and the most colourful vegetable spread, crunchy radishes with a tasty vinaigrette and broad beans cooked in a hand held grill over the fire, all made for contrasting smokey and fresh flavours. Whilst being down to earth rustic, lunch was certainly a taste experience I will never forget!
The rest of the day saw speakers like Jono Le Feuvre from Rosetta roastery, Adi Badenhorst the owner of the farm of which we were generously hosted, Kurt Ackermann Co- founder of Oranjezicht City Farm market, Ross Simmons an origami artist and Pieter and Koot Prinsloo from Daybreaker cattle farm. Pieter and Koot a father and son partnership, pride themselves on grass-fed beef raised in a unique and natural environment with the intention that meat is naturally produced with minimum intervention possible. No antibiotics, growth stimulants and animal by-products are used on or fed to their animals. The Daybreaker farm also supplies some of the products in the Frankie Fenner butcheries.
After so much information overload, it was time for interactive workshops with, Hope on Hopkins Gin, where we got to do some Gin tasting with different botanicals, and a kombucha tasting by Theonista, one of which of which I tasted was infused with fynbos botanicals that Roushanna Gray supplied and consulted on, as a collaboration. Unfortunately I had to leave before dinner was served, but by the looks of it, I missed out on quite a meal!
There is an urgent need for a gap to be closed, a reconnection to be made with our food culture, educating ourselves and others can make a real difference. We need to be supporting our local producers and connecting with them is essential in maintaining a relationship that is mutually beneficial.
What the founders and organizers of Convivium have been doing, is truly admirable and inspiring, by starting a food movement that takes us back to basics and taking the time to educate young professionals or anyone interested in the industry is something that should become an everyday thing amongst us all.
I challenge you to reconnect with your local food producers, and have a proper conversation as to where your food comes from, ask questions and be curious.
Dominique x
**This post was not sponsored in any way, all travel and ticket costs was paid for by myself. **
Semifreddo, is Italian meaning ‘semi cold’ dessert. Unlike its cousin,Ice cream, this frozen delight does not include churning or tempering of eggs in its process of making, but whipping and lots of it, best be sure you have an electric handheld beater for this one.
The recipe comes straight from one of my regular inspirations, Donna Hay. I’ve never made Semifreddo before, this seemed an interesting recipe to try out and experiment with, and what better time than right now, being on the precipice of summer! The recipe is super easy to recreate at home, with little effort and or need for any other equipment.
While I’m on the topic of frozen dessert, it’s no secret that my obsession with ice cream is, well, an unhealthy one. There’s a new ice cream parlour that has opened its doors not too long ago in Cape Town central, that I absolutely have to check out soon. But more on that later! I went sourcing for backdrops and background material yesterday and found these lovely gems at my local tile store. I love the texture it lends to the overall look and feel of the shot. For now I’m leaning towards a more rustic style in my photos. I am completely enamoured with the depth and character it adds to shots.
Remember that exciting bit of news I mentioned a while back? I’m counting the days till all can be revealed! 🙂
September in South Africa, means Spring is here, there are many debates and theories as to the actual official start of Spring. With the arrival of a new family member last week, I do feel there is much to celebrate and what better way with wine! I saw the recipe from Donna Hay and immediately felt inclined to recreate it. I used one of my favourite’s Pierre Jourdan Tranquille Blush from the Haute Cabriére wine estate and a lovely strawberry and mint syrup(store bought from Woolworths) with soda water and fresh berries and mint to garnish. Top tip: instead of ice which will water down your cocktails or wine spritz, freeze some grapes or berries and add to your drinks.
Last week I took the practical experience gained recently from the workshop and put it to use doing what I love best, shooting food. I took some beautiful photos of the berries and whilst loading on to the laptop most of them somehow disappeared into (I’m assuming) an untouchable dark abyss. Feeling rather defeated and being rather busy, eventually picked myself up and dusted myself off and admitted to the rookie mistake and tried my hand again at another shoot, I really wanted to recreate the feel and mood of those I took last week. Moral of the story, don’t give up even if the task at hand seems monstrous or impossible. This does not just apply to my little faux pas last week, but to so many life lessons learnt along the way.
Berries always signify a start of a new season ahead, a brighter more festive one. The photos of the berries were taken just before 13:00 yesterday. The photos of the berry spritz were taken last week round about the same time. And yes, that is a charger plate which I have repurposed and sprayed to use as a prop for my photography. I decided to try both moody shots and lighter ones, I love the juxtaposition of the light in the shots and how the berries and drinks are portrayed in different light. Personally I adore the darker, moodier shots, to me, it creates so much depth. But like many other things it’s all about the photographers preference and style.
I’ve been struggling to come up with blog posts lately, mainly suffering from ‘writers block’, which to me is weird as I am immensely passionate about fare and find I can talk about food for hours on end if you pick my brain I will happily engage in conversation about my basic knowledge of food. However there’s just one little problem, you see I’m an introvert, and a rather shy one. But like an onion I have so many layers, if you peel me back… 
(Cue the Oprah voice) I Love Bread! and thank god I am not gluten intolerant. I cannot imagine my life, I cannot imagine life in general without the sustenance which is bread. So as an ode to my great love of bread, I recreated a recipe adapted from BBC GoodFood , a no knead focaccia with an interesting twist. 
The photos were taken yesterday early noon as soon as the bread came out of the oven. I started making the dough Monday evening already to ensure successful proving. The red grapes were really sweet, strangely enough not only did they look like cherries but they had the same sort of sweet taste too. These grapes are great for snacking without all the guilt of crisps or sweets. I’m a notorious snacker and I’m trying to make a real effort to snack healthier these days, more for health reasons than anything else. 
The Corkless Mind 
