The Italian Adventure

Italy.

What comes to mind?

Probably something along the lines of... PIZZA. PASTA. BREAD. ICE-CREAM. 

Yes, the stereotype is true... Italians LOVE pasta
Yes, the stereotype is true... Italians LOVE pizza.
Yes, the stereotype is true... Italians LOVE ice-cream.

I kid you not, Tim Noakes would be no fan of Italy. Pasta is consumed in large amounts every single day and no matter how cold it is, it is NEVER too cold for ice-cream. Italians are believed to be the highest consumers of ice-cream worldwide and after my 2-week trip in Italy, I know why - nothing beats an Italian Gelateria.

 

My Italian Foodie adventure was delicious, to say the least and my A type blood group was more than happy with the staple diet of carbs and lack of meat. One would think that after two weeks in Italy, I would be thrilled to be back to eating the South African variety of food but alas, I spent my first two weeks back in Cape Town preparing and consuming my favourite Italian meals.

There are 2 Italian Dishes (besides the obvious PIZZA) which became my Italian Staple:

1. The Amatriciana Pasta Dish (something that SA needs to bring on board their menus ASAP) 
2. The Aubergine Parmigiana  (a vegetarian's dream)

The Amatriciana is a smoky, tomato based pasta dish which is an Italian classic. Find a recipe here.

The Parmigiana is a cheesy, aubergine dish which can be served as a main or a side. Find a recipe here.

These two meals were the family favourite during our stay in Italy. Both dishes offer a rich, tomato base and cheesy flavour. YUM.

So now dinner is covered, but dessert? Well, Ice Cream of course. There is definitely no shortage of this delicious treat in Italy. Every street is lined with Gelateria's and this is no exaggeration. The Italians are spoilt for choice and within each Gelateria, the flavour selection seems infinite. My favourite was definitely the Coffee and Chocolate Hazelnut, while my little sister opted for Nutella ever single time.
 

I was lucky enough to stumble across the World's Best Ice-cream in San Gimignano, Tuscany. Gelateria Dondoli won first place at the Ice Cream World Championships from 2006 - 2009 and this was most certainly well-deserved. It was hands down the best ice-cream experience ever. The flavours were rich and the texture was exceptionally creamy.

 

I truly embraced the ice-cream eating culture in Italy and loved every second of it. According to a study done on an elderly group, the one thing they wish they had done more of in their life was eat more ice cream. Something the Italians are definitely doing right.

Life is short . Eat Dessert first!

 



Wine not?

Much to my hearts dismay, the thesis has taken over and my food blogging journey has taken a back seat over the past few months. Fortunately, wine has got my creative juices flowing and while I'm still an avid coffee supporter, I sense a "Wine Time" journey beginning - and what better season than with the approaching summer vacation.

Last weekend I found myself in the beautiful town of Stellenbosch visiting my cousin and "wine time" partner, Georgi. After the usual lunch catch up, we found ourselves contemplating how to embrace the summer sun that has thankfully graced the Western Cape with its presence lately. Our first and only suggestion seemed like a no-brainer: Wine Time. What better way to spend a Friday than soaking up the sun, sipping on wine and appreciating the happy giggles associated with it? "Wine Time" is a phrase we have coined this year to describe those days and nights where we sip on wine, pour out our hearts to each other and promise to make each other "maids of honour" (as girls do). So, we quickly rallied the troops (#squadgoals) and found a cosy spot in the delightful Brampton Wine Studio in Stellenbosch.

The Wine Studio is a stylish studio in the heart of Stellenbosch offering a wide variety of wine and food. The studio oozes ambience and atmosphere and the wine provides for a constant vibrant buzz in the room. One can take a seat at any of the chalkboard tables, which allows for the imagination to run wild as one doodles with the colourful selection of chalk. The studio has eight wines to choose from: a Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay, Rose, OVR, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Brut Rose MCC. The wine is delicious and the service is impeccable. Brampton provides a comfortable space to make one feel at home and allows for the inner-child to join the adult in the room. Georgi captured the essence of Brampton when she said:

"Brampton, the only place you can feel like a child and an adult at the same time"

 

We had the greatest afternoon in this quaint studio on Church street and highly recommend it to anyone who gets the chance, because as Brampton say:


Check out Brampton's page on Zomato for an up to date menu and restaurant reviews and remember, its always the right time for Wine Time :)

HAPPY WINE TIME EVERYONE

Cafe Hopping & Coffee Shopping #2

The Coffee Shop Hopping continues! This time around, Cands & I visited Latitude 33, The Power & The Glory and Skinny Legs Café in Cape Town. Before I enlighten you on our awesome experiences, I thought I should quickly introduce us:

This is Candi Land. She is one of my oldest friends and housemate. She works at Topco Media in the CBD and when we can, during her lunch hour, we explore the coffee shops of Cape Town. She is a vibrant lady with a heart for adventure. She has been the perfect person to partner with in this venture as she always makes life so exciting.

I am Shan, the foodie and blogger. I only discovered my love for coffee in 2014 but since then I often wonder how I ever lived without it. Exploring restaurants and coffee shops everywhere and anywhere has to be one of my favourite things and I have loved sharing my experiences with all of you.

Our first coffee shop stop was at Latitude 33. This restaurant felt like home and I cannot wait to go back there! We made ourselves comfortable on one of the couches, near the fire, and fully relaxed while sipping on our honey nut latte & hot chocolate. The staff were super friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Our drinks were served with homemade biscotti which was absolutely delicious and readily welcomed by our bellies.

 

While cosing up on the couch, reading through the menu and appreciating our surroundings, we noticed two things: the coffee milkshake is the most popular order (even in winter!!) and the soups are phenomenal! The soups looked so appealing that I couldn't resist a take away Thai chicken soup which was super tasty.

 

 

 

I highly recommend this awesome spot on Bree street. The atmosphere is homey and above the restaurant is an awesome little clothes shop.

We believe that there secret to success is
the "lounge" that they create within the restaurant.

 

Our next stop was at The Power & The Glory - what a popular coffee shop!! We struggled to find seats in this vibrant corner café on Kloofnek.  The barrister at the bar greets you as you walk in and place your order before finding a seat. I ordered a cappuccino and homemade dateball and Cands had their Belgian cocoa.

 

The Cocoa was made of dark chocolate and was served with a marshmellow. At R22, I highly recommend this drink to anyone who gets the opportunity. It was divine!! The coffee was also delicious and only cost R18. The date ball, made from only nuts and dates, completed the experience - the perfect treat for those trying to be healthy.


 We believe their secret to success are the character-filled Le Creuset mugs that come in an assortment of funky colours - making the drinking experience all the more colourful.
 

Skinny Legs & All was our last stop on this leg of the journey (excuse the pun). The best way to describe this café is "simplicity".   White décor, unembellished tables and painting-filled walls. Nothing says clarity quite like Skinny Legs. In honour of today's winter sun, we opted against the coffee grain and ordered two delicious cold beverages. Candi ordered a fresh mint, lemon and ginger juice - which cleaned her palate like a bomb (quote, unquote) - and I ordered the raw chocolate shake made of Greek yoghurt, raw chocolate, banana and a little bit of honey. This creamy treat left me feeling guilt-free and satisfied.

We believe their secret to success is the alternative menu and healthy approach to eating and treating.

 

 

We are very excited for our next 3 stops:

• Street Food on Bree
• God's Army
• Motherland

We can't wait to share these adventures with you!





Cafe Hopping & Coffee Shopping

Cape Town CBD is full of vibrant coffee shops selling freshly brewed coffee, lunch and a selection of treats. My housemate, Cands, & I decided it would be fun to "coffee shop hop" through the streets of Cape Town and try out all the quaint and cosy coffee shops in her lunch hour.

So far, we have tried out 3 Coffee Shops in the CBD and have definitely not been disappointed! Our first outing was to Aroma Coffee Shop on Loop Street. We were welcomed by friendly staff and an accommodating manager who made sure the food came out timeously as we were in a rush. We enjoyed a great cup of coffee and a wholesome, delicious and reasonably priced omelette. This coffee shop oozed atmosphere and had a great menu to choose from. It is not often that one finds a good cup of coffee for less than R20. We so enjoyed finding and dining at this little gem that we decided to start our coffee shopping.

Our next coffee date was at the not so secret Jason's Bakery in Bree Street. This coffee shop is always buzzing and one often struggles to find a seat due to its popularity! I had a Cappuccino and Cands had Horlicks. Jason's brews their coffee strong as each coffee is poured as a double shot so if you need that extra caffeine kick, it is definitely the place to go. The coffee at Jason's is also well-priced at only R20 for a cappuccino. Jason's has a blackboard menu of a selection of foods that they regularly change to keep the clients interested. They serve a selection of salads, sandwhiches and other lunch specials.

The most recent coffee shop we have explored is Clarke's Dining Bar. This was definitely our most fun outing so far. I had a freshly pressed fruit juice and Cands had a delicious bowl of Cauliflower soup with fresh homemade bread. The staff were extremely flexible and allowed me to make my own concoction up for my juice! We sat around the counter by the kitchen and watched one chef slice bread using a fancy contraption and turn it into the most delicious gourmet sandwich. The restaurant felt alive and everyone was enjoying themselves. Two men came in for their lunch hour and ordered the burger and chips. After their meal, they raved about how delicious it was and proceeded to order a second round. Yes! Clarke's food is so nice, that they ate it twice!!

We got chatting to two American's at Clarke's Bar - suggesting to them what they could do as they had a couple of hours to kill in Cape Town. I whipped out my packet of chewing gum and they promptly shot out their hands, requesting a gum for themselves. This sparked a spontaneous mini-conversation and momentary friendship. We are now linked on instagram and follow their worldly adventures, one post at a time.

Fully on board the coffee hopping train, we have our eyes set on some other caffeine havens! Our next few stops will be:
- The Power & The Glory
- Skinny Legs & All
- Latitude 33

We look forward to sharing our new coffee shopping experiences and we hope you jump on board and start your own adventure too :)

Feel free to comment or suggest any quirky spots that serve a good cup of coffee...

Domestic Goddess

Meet Carol. A domestic goddess in the truest sense of the word and one of my very special friends. Caroline Booth, soon to be Caroline Toich, is a 22 year old from East London. She is a qualified teacher, a talented baker and owner of her own swimwear range - Cayor.

Carol is always baking and does so effortlessly! She produces the most decadent cakes, cookies and treats and loves every second of it. Although it is more a hobby, than a profession, Carol is willing to bake and sell cakes, biscuits, rusks and so much more for anyone craving something sweet or needing eats and treats for functions and social events.

Carol has 5 recipes which have proven to be her most popular: Marshmellows, Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, Lemon Meringue and Cookies. I have never met anyone who makes so many biscuits and funny enough, her nickname at school was "Cookie". Funny how some things just work out right?  

Carol makes two types of Marshmallows: Pink Rosewater and Vanilla coated in Coconut. Truely delicious and leaves everyone wanting more.

 

She also bakes the most decadent, over-indulgent chocolate cakes which are to die for. Her triple layered chocolate cake filled with caramel treat and smarties between each layer is covered with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with crushed flake and oreo. This has been a hit with her family, especially her youngest brother, Neill who requested this as his birthday cake. She also bakes a classic double layer chocolate cake.

Carol's Carrot Cake (my personal favourite) is topped with cream cheese icing and pecan nuts. It can also be made as mini cupcakes and is an all time winner according to her family and friends .

Her lemon meringue pie is one of her fiances regular requests and the images of this delicious dessert are enough to leave one's mouth watering. A layer of crushed tennis biscuits, topped with a lemon tart layer and finally a crisp meringue is a tease to one's tastebuds. 

Finally, Carol's homeamde biscuits. These bisuits are made from a family recipe and are Caroline's favourite childhood memory. She uses a simple butter biscuit recipe and then her creativity takes over. She covers them in sprinkles or sliced cherries and fills them with chocolate vermicilli, Nutella, choc chips, nuts - basically anything's one heart desires. 

"You can't buy happiness but you can buy cupcakes and that's kind of the same thing". If you would like to order from Caroline, you can email her at cooks27@gmail.com

Come Dine With Me

I’m sure most of you - if not all of you - have watched or even heard of the show “Come Dine with me”. It is known for its eccentric characters and dramatic voice over, but there are also fun food ideas and good laughs that come from this show.

My family and I decided to have our own “Come Dine with me” weekend during our holiday in Cape St Francis and it was such fun! We divided ourselves into 3 pairs and decided to choose 2 courses per night.

My partner and I paired up and planned an evening with a “homely” theme. I mean, what’s better than a Sunday Roast and Warm Chocolate Cake?

My dad and mom paired up for a “fine-dining” experience with Bacon-Wrapped mushrooms and my dad’s signature Potjie dish.

My 11 year old sister, Jenna and 20 year old brother, Christopher, teamed up for a night of fiesta in “Mexico”.

We were certain the Mexican fiesta was going to be a disaster considering my sister is 11 and my brother, well- he has never had to cook a day in his life. But we were pleasantly surprised. VERY surprised actually. 

The games began with a revealing of menu’s on day 1.

Night #1

The 4 guests of the night walked around the outside of the house and to the front door. We rang the doorbell and “introduced” ourselves to the hosts- who greeted us with champagne, wine, beer and smiles plastered on their faces.

My mom had lit candles and decorated the table beautifully and we all chatted around the table while the starters warmed up in the oven. We were served Bacon Wrapped Mushrooms stuffed with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Cheese. One of the most phenomenal starters I have ever had.

My brother, sister and boyfriend, all “anti-mushroomists” (no this word does not exist) ate their mushrooms without even a moments hesitation. This is the beauty of bacon: wrap anything in this heavenly strip of saltiness and you will have everyone on board.

We then waited and drank and waited and chatted and waited some more, until our main was (finally) served. I’m sure you’ve picked up that timing wasn’t their strong point- so they were slightly penalised ;)

We were then finally served Lamb Potjie and Homemade Rosemary and Olive Bread. It was delicious and they got 10/10 for presentation. They had baked the bread in muffin tins so that we each received our own savoury muffin with our dinner. It was a brilliant idea but unfortunately the olive flavour was a bit over powering and was not a hit with us guests.

Overall, the night was a success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. My parents had set the bar high and we were all excited for the rest of the week.

Night #2

Our theme was "Touch of Home". I think the preparation that went into hosting the night and planning the meal blew my boyfriend away! We spent the whole day either in the kitchen or at the shops. The entire day - no exaggeration! It was loads of fun though. I absolutely loved experimenting in the kitchen and we had such a good time cooking and baking.

We decided on a main course and a dessert. Our main course was Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Pork (recipe compliments of Pinterest – another “hobby” of mine) and our dessert was Warm Chocolate Cake covered in cream. We also cut up some crudités and placed chips in a bowl which was served as welcome snacks with our very own homemade hummus. Delicious!

The night was a great success and such fun! We began by serving the welcome snacks with drinks, followed by our main course of Pork, Creamy Potato Bake and Fresh Salad. The food went down well and everyone complimented us! We then played our traditional family card game "Kings & Idiots" before we tucked into the most delectable Chocolate Cake anyone has ever eaten (if I say so myself). My dad is the biggest fan of Chocolate Cake and I knew this recipe would steal his heart! The cake was warm, moist and according to dad: "hands down the best cake  ever!”

Night #3

The final night of our "Come Dine With Me” experience - a night in "Mexico". We were all sure that the night would end in takeaways, but Chris & Jenna proved us wrong. They set up a dining area in the lounge, on the floor and placed cacti on the table along with Mexican beer - Corona.

We each had Mexican name tags on our place mats that had been carefully thought out, as well as stick-on moustaches. This evening was light-hearted, fun and full of surprises. My brother served us nachos off a sombrero and they were delicious!

They had underestimated the quantity of food and had catered for an army! We ate nachos for 3 days afterwards. They then served us the “mystery moustaches” which were so cute! They had made brownies with kit-kat fingers in the middle and cut them out in the shape of moustaches! They were heavenly and needless to say- we over indulged in chocolate!

The entire weekend was such a blast and a great idea! It gave my mom time to relax, with a few days out the kitchen and it allowed us to all have some fun and experiment. It also created family bonding time! I recommend it to anyone going on a holiday with a crowd, but remember, even with family, competition is fierce.

The final scores were close but James and I stole the glory and won overall!