Window on George

“Twee blommetjies vir Mamma  want sy kook my kos.  Nog twee blommetjies vir Mamma,  sy maak nare knope los.  Twee blommetjies vir Mamma  want sy sing vir my.  Nog twee blommetjies vir Mamma,  sy sit pleisters op ‘n sny.  Twee blommetjies vir Mamma  want sy luister as ek kla.  Al die blommetjies vir Mamma.  Sy is die mooiste, beste Ma”  -Alba Bouwer-  Hierdie blou blommetjies groei orals in die wereld, selfs hier in die woestyn in Riyadh.   Die eerste keer wat ek hulle gesien het, is toe die 4jarige Janie hulle in die veld in die Vrystaat vir my gepluk het.   En met uitgestrekte handjies hierdie gediggie aangehaal het.

Veal from Pakistan Mint & Coriander and Aubergines from Saudi Arabia Sweet Peppers from Morocco Rosemary from "my garden" Goya Corn Meal from Spain https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/member-recipes/Osso%20Buco%20%20Eat%20This%20Meat%20Immediately!/1809 The result is an Italian classic that melts in the mouth, and it really is very easy to make.

While I was walking in Petra, Jordan, last weekend,  I had flashbacks of another awesome (in the true sense of the word) place. A place which nestles high in mountains made of solid marble. Where a shrine with crystal-clear pure water commemorates the men who lost their lives building the dangerous roads, blasting their way through high gorges and treacherous mountains, prone to earthquakes, mudslides and floods. The name Taroko means "magnificent and beautiful" in the  Truku language  of the  Truku  indigenous tribe. Long ago a Truku tribesman saw the beauty of the azure Pacific when he walked out of the gorge. On seeing the magnificent scene, he cried "Taroko!". And so it became the name of the place, in a fashion not dissimilar to how the island,  Formosa , got its name. The gorge itself was carved into the marble by the erosive power of the Liwu River.  The force behind the steep valleys and narrow canyons is a (geological...

To make the perfect Sunday, have a slow breakfast of Greek yoghurt so thick you can slice it tomatoes from Crete honey from Santorini creamy eggs laid by happy Greek hens bacon! Greek cheese pastries a double espresso AND a moccacino. Then stroll down to the square and feast your eyes on the STUFF and the interesting people ogling it. Resist the temptation to buy anything, and don't give the gypsy children playing the accordion  any money. Take stealth photos. Then grab a seat at the street cafe, order a Greek coffee thick and sweet and watch the sun set over the Acropolis. For Mandy For Janie For me http://seasonalcookinturkey.blogspot.com/2011/12/sahlep-wonderful-turkish-winter.html Salep - a drink made from Orchids! For Lizz for me also for me! me me me! the graffiti on the bench reads "rebel" sigh contentedly