2015 August
3 - email sent to family and friends and XCentric subscribers
Hmmmm, here
in Joburg we’re not sure if it’s still Winter ... or maybe Spring ... but
we are sooo not complaining! The skies are mostly open and sitting in
this Wintry sun is just pure heaven! But if the little wind blows ...
head indoors for that warm cuppa.
This issue
we celebrate a few fresh tomato recipes. As always, I’ve just chosen a
few recipes ... ones that you’ve probably not tried out yet. And yes,
there really are fresh tomatoes in the spice cake ... and no; it’s not THAT
kinda spice cake.
http://www.xcentricideas.co.za/images/2015/XCentric%20Ideas%202015%20Issue%207.pdf
The tomato
puree a la Alma is really good!!! That I’ll bottle and give to friends /
family. It’s a lovely way to use fresh tomatoes.
Keep warm,
keep trying my recipes and keep sending me those lovely emails!!! Love
them.
Your-cannot-stop-experimenting-cyber-chef,
Alma
Longer chattier version of email:
I have
decided I really do not like polenta. While reading a novel, they were
raving about ‘southern cornbread’ and even gave the recipe (which included
vanilla instant pudding mix). I felt compelled to try out this
recipe. The recipe uses yellow maize, but I couldn’t find it, so I used
Polenta. Well. It was okay, I suppose. But I really really
hate the grittiness of the polenta.
Tiramisu is
also on my list of not-favorites. I’ve tried it a few times and decided
that the coffee and/or liquor in the dessert, soggies (okay, that’s not a word
– let’s try again) – make the lady fingers too soggy. Or watery.
The other
day in Randburg at Cafe del Sol Olivedale (http://www.cafedelsol.co.za/), I ordered a Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
(My hairdresser Chantal has been raving about this darn cake.) Well, at
R60 a slice, WITHOUT any cream/ice cream it isn’t cheap. Hein had a
really good chicken salad (the chicken pieces are coated in parmesan cheese and
fried – yummy) and so the bottles Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil was on the
table. After a few bites of this rich cheesecake, I sat back ... grabbed
the Balsamic Vinegar, poured some on the side of my plate. Scooped a bite
of Peanut Butter Cheesecake and then Balsamic Vinegar ... oh my gosh! It
was pure heaven!!!!!!!!!!!
I called the Manager and suggested they make a
Balsamic Vinegar Ice Cream (since they made basil and liquorice ice cream
already) to serve with this cheesecake. I took half of the cake
home. After dinner that night, I poured Balsamic Vinegar on plate next to
the cheesecake. Hein asked for a bite. I asked him ... with or
without the Balsamic Vinegar ... I HAD TO FIGHT HEIN FOR THE CAKE!
Hein admitted that although it really sounds a bit strange, the Balsamic
Vinegar works really really well with the Peanut Butter Cheesecake.
Besides
absolutely loving chocolate ... I also really like a good slice of cake.
So I’m on a cake-mission. And I’m not meaning the normal versions ...
lemon meringue, carrot cake, chocolate cake, blah blah blah. I want
decadence ... I want heaven. The Doppio Zero restaurant in the
Cradlestone Mall had a Hazelnut Meringue Chocolate Cake ... and then they
discontinue it. It was sooooo decadent.
But most cakes look good
(and different ... imagine cheesecake on the bottom, red velvet on top of that
and then meringue right on the top ... sounds good? It looked impressive,
but nah ... it was dry.)
I have also realized that I am quite ADDICTED to experimenting ... I have to try out new
recipes. I have to tweak a recipe. Sometimes they are not so good
... it’s okay ... I just have to keep on trying. If I see (or read or
hear about) an interesting recipe, I Googled it till I find something similar.
After 2
months at the gym, Hein is doing really well. He has a personal trainer a
few times a week to help him get fit. Sadly since yesterday morning some
idiotic bug haunts Hein flu-wise, so he’s chilling in bed today. I still
adore my morning water-aerobics but when I go with Hein, I do cycling. My
longest time on a bike was Friday ... 1 hour 15 minutes. Wow, my bum was
numb! And that was on a bike with a back, so the seat is really more comfy
than the normal stationery bikes.
If you are
in South Africa and know the shop ‘The Big Blue’ – please pop in there on a
regular basis. I seldom look at the clothes, but I giggle a lot over
their ‘gadgets’. 
The other day I bought a shower cap that resembles a
queen’s crown. When it was our 23th wedding anniversary, I wore that hat
while doing water aerobics. They also have really cute little gifts.
It’s fast
approaching dinnertime, so I’m saying goodbye ...
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