Food and Hospitality trends for 2011 as predicted by Baum + Whiteman, International Restaurant Consultants from New York.

I still find it fascinating to stay up to date with food and hospitality trends around the world. I found this article which highlights trends for this year. Some trends are perhaps more suited to America...but none the less interesting for us here in Africa.
I will kick off with the first few trends....and follow up with the balance of the 15 trends later.

Old Italian Favourites are making a return..... such as Meatballs and gravy....except my version here is a meatless Monday version!

Apparently this trend is so popular that Disney have opened a Meatball and Beer Bar, as well as some establishments offering Meatball Monday's....as opposed to our following of Meatless Monday's here in South Africa!

Money will always be available for fine dining experiences at good restaurants.

Competition between retailers for the Grab - and  - Go business.

 

Items such as pre packed salads, sandwiches, prepared meals and bakery items are popular as the pressure on working mothers increases. Food retailers and others are catering for this market and competing for a bite of the grab and go business.
I still believe in being old fashioned and baking my own treats, as illustrated in the image above!

Me, preparing for some catering at the Yacht Club.

Chefs and Restaurateurs have learnt the value of creating Pop Up Restaurants by using catering vans and wagons whereby they can take the food to the customers....this is a bonus to the restaurateur as they do not have to carry the fixed costs of a permanent establishment.
In a reversal of Roles, the chef now moves to where the customers are located, and not the customers searching for a suitable eatery!

Everyone is looking for a slice of the lucrative breakfast business.

  Many traditional fast food outlets are creating breakfast type meals that slot into their individual brands. Together with the grab and go business, the early morning breakfast business is just as important.

Celebrity Chefs are promoting healthy eating at schools.

Many celebrity chefs have created a following at local schools, where healthy meals are prepared according to the school budget. Together with this education on basic nutrition, eating local and ethical is also being promoted. Some schools even start their own vegetable gardens and encourage  the children to start creating their own small herb and vegetable patches at home if possible.


The balance of these food and hospitality trends will follow next time.

Dog Blog!

No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, a dog makes you
rich. - Louis Sabin.

The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce

It's no mistake that man's best friend can't talk!

.....Aha... lunch with Wiseman  means we get  treats ..... mmmmm .......

This blog is dedicated to all my special Canine Companions.....those present....and to my friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge.....


Life would be quiet, dull and lonely without the love, dedication and devotion of our special friends.
I dedicate this blog to my Canine family....and to all of you who also feel the same about your four legged family!

Our favourite escape..... paddling at the Waterfront.......
this is where we share and experience magical moments with fellow paddling team members and appreciate the beauty of Cape Town from the water.


 The friendship of a dog is without a doubt more intense and more constant than that of man. - Montaigne.





















 

Searching for inspiration in the garden.

How many 'rooms' can  you create....or dream of creating in your garden?

How I wish I had this tranquil courtyard at home?

Living with this heat in Cape Town recently, we have all been driven to find cool, shady spots for some relief from the heat. Herewith my inspiration and dreams................. 


Every garden should be blessed with the sound of trickling water.....cool and tranquil, to calm one's mind and refresh the soul.


I can clearly remember a lecture during my studies by an architect who believed in designing his homes with a central courtyard, with a pool, and all the living quarters flowed off the central, communal area......as the Roman's designed in ancient times. 

Take the inside, out......and enjoy entertaining outside in the peaceful setting of  the garden. The perfect  way to start the day with friends and family.....a breakfast on the patio.

Create a Lunar garden....best enjoyed when the moon is bright........plant grey foliage, white flowering plants and a touch of purple or blue.....it can be mystical and magical.

Use agapanthus and lavender as your purple and blue component in the Lunar garden.

Lanterns create added atmosphere....especially  at night when viewing your Lunar  garden!

These magical lanterns were bought in Turkey. They are made out of gourds and have beads inserted into holes drilled into the dry gourd. How beautiful are they?

Create a tropical setting using Palm trees and Banana trees.....and it helps if  you are lucky enough to live with the sea as the perfect backdrop!

Any deserving cook dreams of the perfect Potager where herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and edible flowers are grown. Here again it is fascinating to look at the origin of this type of garden......Monks used to plant medicinal herbs as well as vegetables side by side for daily use.

We should all go back to nature and cultivate our own herbs, salads ingredients, fruits and vegetables.

Fennel flowers always add a wonderful, sunny splash of colour to any herb garden...and the bees love them too!

Mint will always be lush, juicy and green if grown near a source of water....or as with this one, in a pot placed under a leaky overflow pipe!

Fragrant Lemon Verbena, another must for any herb garden.  Crush the dried leaves and place in your linen cupboard to keep it fragrant and to deter the fish moths.

This clove scented Perennial Basil also loves water and  also attracts the bees to the herb patch.
I always include this in my herbal tussie mussie's .....and everyone knows I am coming, as they can smell my herbs  before they see me!!!

Happy gardening, until our next inspirational gardening encounter!

I leave you with a Sunflower Smile...............they always make me feel good, bright and happy!!!

Easter is on its way.......

You are no Bunny.....until you love some Bunny.......

So, we had enough of Christmas and Valentine's Day, now is the time to be prepared for the Easter Marketing campaigns. ( Not that we have not noticed....and eaten Hot Cross Buns already.)
Is it not strange that years ago we could ONLY eat Hot Cross Buns at Easter time, and now they are on the supermarket shelves ALL year round! I guess the same goes for Mince Pies!

In any case, being the creative creature that I am, I love to be able to set the scene and pull out my Easter decorations, especially as it is not a common sight here in South Africa. If one visits department stores in Europe now, they will be dripping with Easter decorations......How I wish I could be there!!!

Create interesting settings using a variety of  textures.

So, here is a taste of my Easter inspiration.......Enjoy!

The challenge....to bake homemade Hot Cross Buns this year !!!!

Once I have the desired,  fruity and spicy result, I shall share it with you!!!

Why not create an Easter decorative wreath as well? I add a couple of Easter Eggs between the foliage, or in the centre.

Create a bit of an Easter Egg hunt with small eggs hidden in the wreath....be different.

Until my next dose of Easter inspiration....have a bunny good time!

Love Life....and Live Love, today and always......

Nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless he's owned a dog. -----Gene Hill.

A dog wags its tail with its heart......these homemade peanut butter cookies will put an  extra wag in your  dog's tail today!
Happy Valentine's Day to my 4 legged family!

Reflections or shadows of the past.....what are you remembering today?

The most difficult matter is not so much to CHANGE the world as yourself. ( Nelson Mandela)

Reflect upon
your blessings,
of which every man
has plenty, not on your
past misfortunes, of which
all men have some.


Charles Dickens.

Light always follows darkness......Anonymous.

I love my blue and white collection......a collection of old memories and special people in my life, and of new dreams for the future. The lacy reflection of the net curtain is also attached to special memories.
...Some things are loved because they are valuable; 
others are valuable because they are loved.

Love is above all, the gift  of oneself.

Happy Valentine's Day, and remember that the way to your man's heart is through his stomach!

If Nigella can do it so can I........

....except I do it with bottles !


Yes, Nigella collects cans with interesting and colourful labels from around the world, and uses them as containers for flower arrangements with an eclectic mix. I do the same with bottles......of course the main reason is to recycle and be creative at the same time.  

Develop a good eye and collect bottles with interesting, embossed textures .
For the table arrangement at your next dinner party, be brave and adorn your table with bottles all of various heights and dimensions.
Walk around your garden and collect foliage with various shades of green and various textures....some shiny and smooth, others thick and fleshy.
Make sure to also include some aromatic and fragrant herbs as well. You will be creating a natural insect repellent and air freshener at the same time!


  

Become a bit of a hoarder and collect all sorts of bottles and jars.
Your excuse can always be that you require a bottle to shake up a fresh salad dressing!!!

.....and this will be the result of your collection....of  bottles and  foliage.

Keep the herbs in water for a couple of days, then you will be able to plant them.
This also means that you always have a gift handy....who would not like a bunch of herbs.....
even some that are ready to plant....all for free!

Be creative, yet again and decorate the jar or vase with some raffia tied securely  around the jar.
Here, I also added some beads into the jar for some added colour...a great way to tie in with your colour scheme or party theme.

Detail of the beads, raffia and the mint ready to plant...Yippe more mint for the garden!!

Collect odd bowls, jugs and storage containers from Flea markets and  antique stores.

This will come in handy when you urgently require an emergency gift.....pack some Muesli or Granola into jars, or deliver a healthy breakfast to a friend in hospital, or pack and enjoy as a breakfast on the beach.

OR

Breakfast by the pool....why not? Just plan for a few minutes of healthy eating on a lazy Sunday morning.
Raid the garden for those delightfully tart gooseberries, and add a touch of calming fragrance with a bunch of lavender and a few sprigs of mint.






And so where else, other than the garden can you add a touch of green?

The perfect fragrant touch for any guest.... a hand towel adorned with lavender .
A handy and fragrant gift to leave as a surprise on the bed. 

When you run out of space in the kitchen, turn to your bathroom......my other favourite room to adorn with herbs and bottles.... especially if you have guests visiting. It is so rewarding to create a tranquil retreat in the bathroom.

Go ahead and spread your wings......

Breakfast in a glass.....Smoothie edition, take 2!

Five star service, a smoothie with a smile, and a chance to use those hidden treasures.
I just love being creative and pulling out gems from the past and mixing the old with the new and adding some fresh inspiration. Go ahead and do the same!

Smoothie served African style....make believe you are sitting next to your favourite water  hole in the game reserve.
We can all dream!
Serve with a touch of class on a platter scattered with crystal hearts and sit back and enjoy!  

Oh what a topping! Honey, cinnamon and some crunchy bits!

To make a bland smoothie exciting takes a few seconds.....serve up creative combinations and drink to good health. ( As long as you do not cheat and add ice cream to the smoothie! I remember this from my Coffee Shop days.... people want to believe they are eating healthy foods, but they still want to be sinful and add the forbidden ingredients!)


Herewith a recipe for some smoothie inspiration from Disney World.....Designed by Chef Mickey....of course, it is called, 'Suns up Breakfast.'

Mix equal parts of  Berry yoghurt with Plain yoghurt, a ripe Banana, a handful of ripe Strawberries, a large squeeze of Honey, a splash of fresh Orange juice, a sprinkle of ground Cinnamon and 2 Egg whites.
Place in a blender goblet and blend until smooth and frothy.
Serve in a chilled glass, top with honey, cinnamon and a strawberry on the side.
Cheers to great health and a good start to the day!