Hearty Beef and Pearl Barley Stew with Spinach and Baby onions

What I love about this dish is that it’s both stew and soup combined. I think Rachel Ray coined this ‘culinary phenomenon ‘as a “Stoup”. I love stew and I love soup so the idea of them being combined is fantastic (to say the least). The stew side is the beef chunks and baby onions while the soup side of it is the barely and I suppose the spinach too. The barley bulks the stew up and, obviously, is the starch element to the dish – so there is no need to make rice or mash potatoes or any other side of starch, everything you’ll need is in the Stoup. Although I do suggest you have it with some crusty bread, after all it is kinda a soup.

This is a great dish to make for winter, it’s warm, filling, healthy and above all requires only one pot, yip it’s a ‘one pot wonder’.

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No Comments | In: Dinner, Lunch, soup | tags: barley, beef, beef barley stew, Donna Hay, spinach, stoup, winter. | Link

Kyly and Jay get Hitched

I suppose it’s only natural, with two elder sisters ‘ being only 11 and half months apart in age that their weddings fell only a few months apart. However, my grandfather thinks weddings/engagements have become infectious in our family and gives me 5 months till I’m hitched! I beg to differ, plus, being the (healthy) free spirit that I am, I am immune to the romantic-wedding-bug that seems to be lingering around our house. My grandfather will just have to wait, besides I have other sisters that are welcome to get married, although they are a bit young so I hope they too are not acceptable to any romantic bugs .

Any who,back to the weddings. Both Carina’s and Kyly’s weddings were fabulous, and as much in personality and taste do they differ (despite their proximity in age) as too did their weddings. Carina’s wedding was… well, very Carina and Kyly’s was… well, very Kyly. Carina’s was very traditional and so quite formal (see four posts down for pics); and Kyly’s was anything but traditional and so completely informal. In true Kyly style she opted for a less traditional wedding garb: a short wedding dress, lace gloves, a petite veil and to finish the look, a pair of Ox-blood Doc’s – and did she not look cute? Her, now, husband Jay too expressed his idiosyncrasies through his shoes as he wore Skate shoes. The two of them are such an adorably original couple!

 
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12 Comments | In: Pudding, wedding | tags: chocolate, chocolate ganache, decor, decorations, ganache, macaroons, perfect macaroons, secret to macaroons, wedding. | Link

Apple Tarts with Caramel Sauce

These tarts are wonderfully simple and superbly satisfying. Generally I am not a huge fan of apples, I tend to find them rather boring. Whatever the forbidden fruit may have been I am quite certain it was not the apple, I am more inclined to think it was an avo, however I must say that an apple does make for a great tart. Once an apple is cooked it goes from being tolerable to delectable. Whether you are talking apple sauce or apple tarte tatin the apple is simply marvellous when cooked. In other words, I find apples acceptable when raw; yet delicious when cooked.

On another note, I decided to have a little fun with the photos. I thought it when be a fun, slightly surreal idea to have  my hand in three seating positions. I also raised the sharpness levels in Photoshop to give it an old dinner-poster-ad look — hence the sugar cubes and old crockery.

 
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3 Comments | In: Pudding | tags: apple tart, apples, caramel sauce, forbidden fruit, surreal photo. | Link

Orange Chocolate Ganache Dumplings

Another post shot at The Woodlands Eatery, I just cant get enough of the place! Well, actually I did two recipes the day I shot there and only had time to post this recipe today.

Also, I wanted to post a couple of pictures showcasing my friend, Sarah’s, fashion label, Understudy Clothing. Sarah is not only a talented fashion designer, but co-owner of The Woodlamds Eatery. Her clothes can be found at MeMeMe and at The Woodlands Eatery Night Market held on certain Monday evenings (the next one will be in Feb sometime, I’ll keep you posted).

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11 Comments | In: Pudding | tags: brioche, chocolate, dumplings, ganache, makeupand delight, orange, Understudy Clothing, Woodlands, Woodlands Eatery. | Link

Carrot and Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Wow, it’s been a long time since I have done a post, 74 days to be precise – that sounds like ages when I put it like that (note to self: always count in months, not days!). The reason I have been neglecting my blog is most certainly not due to laziness, but the complete opposite. I have been so busy with work, that I have not even had the chance to admire other food blogs, design sites, catch up on celeb gossip,Facebook, or tweet, net alone go on my own blog.

During those 74 days I styled and cooked over 50 recipes! Which was fantastic, however it meant putting the ‘ol blog to one side and focusing on work – less folly and more work.

Any who, today I was lucky enough to shoot my post at The Woodlands Eatery (2 Deer Park VredeHoek tel: 021 801 5799 ). If you know the restaurant, you’ll understand why it is such a treat to shoot there – it’s food styling heaven: wooden tables, rustic, painted wooden panels, old window panes, pot plants, etc. The restaurant is one giant prop – it’s too fabulous.

 
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4 Comments | In: Pudding | tags: Banana, cake, Carrot, coconut, cream cheese, frosting, Woodlands Eatery. | Link