A slice of Martin Senekal decadence - can you say mini cakes?

I have no idea how I stumbled across this, this morning at work. Considering the my work is not at all foodie related. But since coming across it, I can't get the miniature cakes out of my mind. Unfortunately, it's not on the Jozi foodie fix track but in Cape Town.

It's Martin Senekal confectionery designs http://www.martinsenekal.com/ and what wonderful designs they are. Also with some interesting flavour profiles and combinations. As soon as I can work out a same day delivery service I'm ordering what looks like a piece of heaven.
The fact that they're mini make them all the more appealing, it packs some serious eye candy with only mini cake size calories, Oh yeah!
These are my top picks of cakes I'd try based on the picture alone on the website.

I love lemon cake! Lemon cake with italian meringue & sugared lemon slices



To try something new! Green tea cake with black sesame &cream cheese and candied pineapple



Because the raspberries channel Marie Antoinette Vanilla cake raspberry frosting, belgian white chocolate and fresh raspberries


For the chocaholics Chocolate cake with cocoa frosting, ganache and pistachio truffles





If these live up to the way they look, I would for sure have them at a wedding. Actually who am I kidding, I'd even create an occasion to have them on display. I mean just looking at them don't you just die?

Channelling my inner Rachel Zoe "I Die!"

Today's craving - seared duck breast

I have actually had this craving for over a week. Duck breast with crispy skin on a bed of bok choy. My first restaurant stop would either be OyO in Bedfordview or The Orient in Melrose (they're part of the Thai Africa group so basically the same menu), for the duck breast with plum sauce. However I have a secret weapon at home my brother, who does restaurant quality duck breast, well any meat in fact!

I found this recipe online (I love google!) and will be trying it out this week sometime. I live next to Cyrildene, so I think I should be able to source my ingredients in our little Chinatown.

Courtesy cookglobaleatathome.com

http://cookglobaleatathome.com/2011/05/13/pan-seared-duck-breast-with-gingered-carrots-bok-choy-and-tamarind-lemongrass-sauce/

I just love the way slightly salty bok choy compliments duck. I also think the famous blueberry reduction may go well with it. I still can't edit myself, so the options will be tamarind and lemongrass sauce or blueberry reduction.

Sunday lunch in The Attic

Just had sunday lunch at the Attic in Parkhurst, for the bf to meet the best friend. I thought somewhere cosy like the attic would be appropriate. And if I needed a drink, which thankfully I didn't, the Attic can do those well too.

 I ordered the Sunday roast which was a pork roast and crackling with an apple sauce and gravy, young seasonal vegetables and potatoes. The pork was perfectly cooked and tender topped wonderfully with a tart apple sauce. The potatoes were crispy outside and soft inside, although a large helping by my standards. But the older man next to me had no problem polishing them off. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, carrots still had a slight crunch.



Although the service left a lot of wanting, it was made up for by the perfect piece of crackling. Compliments to the chef! But the waiter was less than attentive and distracted, which meant I ended up walking to the entrance to pay the bill and he says "I hope you enjoyed the afternoon" to which i replied "It was fine" but I doubt he read between the lines.

What I loved about this lunch is that it's home style comfort food made to perfection. Nothing could pale the comfort I got from the crackling that needed both hands to break in half and crunch, crunch, crunch!

Today's craving - Lemon Meringue

I have just developed a craving for a slice of lemon meringue. One that has the right balance of sweet and tart, the condense milk-esque sweetness cut by the tart lemony-ness.



My first stop for this would be Tashas, although I have heard that there is a place in Craighall that has the best lemon meringue in town.

Cape Town Coffee Chronicles

I happened to have a day of meetings in Cape Town today and luckily got to fly in last night. Which meant I could get a coffee run in, well coffee bean run, this morning before my first set of meetings at 08:00am. I was in search of Ethiopian coffee for the bf and a few bags for a colleague. Today was a lovely slightly chilly Cape Town morning but surprisingly dark at 07:00am.

My first stop is Truth, which has an industrial feel, with a art gallery on the one side, then barista and huge bags of beans stacked on the other.There is one other customer sitting outside coffee in hand and I am welcomed by the friendly baristas and the strong, chocolatey smell of coffee beans.

On the pick up at Truth were the Resurrection beans and the antithesis blend. I also managed to squeeze in a caffe latte as well, piping hot and smooth with a kick, which was well needed. The barista asked me if I had seen anything like it, referring to the barista foam art. I said no, because I have no idea what this is, I guess a sea horse?! 

Next stop is Haas coffee which is two blocks up and three blocks across in Bo Kaap. It has a very cosy feel and is coupled with the Haas store (Haas design). My pick up here was a The Jailbreak, which is a strong Ethiopian blend. I also had another latte, this made of the Malawi blend which is stronger than the Truth latte but lovely nonetheless, a real kick in the ***.

So by the time I got to my meeting at eight I was all abuzz!

Copenhagen Pt 2 (Hotel brunches)

I checked into what was/is dubbed as one of the hip and trendy hotels in Copenhagen, First Hotel Skt Petri. I was told lady gaga had stayed there, obviously not in my standard suite but she was there nonetheless. Yes I'm really a monster in the closest!


Skt Petri breakfast crowd

So I think Copenhagen is an expensive city to eat in, well off of the hotel room service at least. A hamburger on the menu cost DKK195 which is R258, yeah I know! So based on that I found that the breakfast buffet was a steal at DKK195 and the Sunday brunch, which allows for eating from 12:00 to 15:00 at DKK235.

Brunch is served with a Mimosa (champagne and OJ)



Muesli and Yoghurt with fresh sweet melon to start. Followed by a selection of cheeses with sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes and charcuterie. I always go for a camembert and then the cumin cheese.

 

I do have one warning: beware the herring, it is a danish delicacy, but it tasted like pickled fish that had gone off to me. Perhaps my palate isn't as developed as I thought. Feel free to try it and let me know what you think.

For dessert I had the carrot cake and tiramisu, yes on one side plate!Very african of me, no?!  the carrot cake was topped with a wonderful lemon icing with orange zest, I loved the zing!

 I spent the entire allotted three hours at brunch in the Copenhagen sun, not for the food but mostly because there was a hottie at the table next to me. I mean they had to do something to compensate for not having the eggs benedict on the brunch menu.

Then it was off to walk the streets of Copenhagen! sigh how I miss Euro tripping