Waterblommetjie Bredie

When it comes to stews, I believe us South Africans have a firm upper hand. We are the kings (and queens) of a wide array of comforting bredies (Afrikaans for stew - say brear-dee) that will warm the coldest of hearts.

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Sweet Chili Chicken Livers

Okay. I know. Chicken livers are public enemy numero uno for most people. Sandwiched somewhere between Bush and Bin Laden. But way lower on the list than say, tripe. You know - stomachs, brains, eyeballs and other unmentionables. *Shudder*

Livers though? Definitely *not* the same as tripe. It won't hunt you down and give you nightmares. Nor will it remind you of monsters and other creatures of the undead. Promise.

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Chili Con Carne

When I've had a really crappy day, I usually don't feel like cooking. In fact I don't feel like doing anything more than curl up into a little ball and cry my eyes out. Fortunately I've learned through experience that, while crying your heart out is immensely satisfying, you usually only end up with a stuffy head and red eyes to show for all your efforts. Not a great prospect. Releasing my frustrations in the kitchen however has always led to positive results. The chopping, mixing, frying and tasting seems to have a calming influence on me. Especially when paired with a glass of wine and a listening ear in the guise of TheHusband.

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Green Chili and Chicken Enchiladas

Yes it's that time of the month again friends: time to dust of our aprons, sharpen our knives and get daring. Daring with a capital "D" that is!

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.

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Rumpsteak

                                                                         Image credit: Pink Couch Studios

It has been described as a "one man explosion" and Gaetan Schmid does not fail to deliver. He masterfully slips into the shoes of just about every character you would expect to find at a proper French restaurant - from the meticulous and effeminate Patissiere Chef, the bumbling Sous Chef and the gruff butcher/bull fighter (my personal favourite) to the floorstaff consisting of the showy Jacques as barman and the coquettish Jacqueline as waitress.

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Vietnamese Chicken and Pineapple Soup

It is freezing in the Western Cape at the moment. Yes, I know I proclaimed my love for winter just the other day, but it would be nice if the temperature could be dialed up to juuuust a notch above freezing. Just saying.

This month Joanne from Eats Well with Others chose Vietnam as the theme for the Regional Recipes event and when I saw that I did a silent "hell yeah!" in my head. Because you see, I  love asian food. Chinese take out (the greasier the better), all-you-can-eat buffets and tempting noodle-y dishes at our local Thai place, you name it, and I'll probably like it. Sad thing though: I tend to not cook a lot of asian food at home. Yes I do the odd stirfry, but that's where it stays. Mostly.

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Orange and Goat's Cheese Tart

I am Marisa and I'm addicted to cheese.

There I've said it.

No surprises then that me and Sigrid (from Cooking and Eating with Polkadot Cupcake) unwittingly managed to engineer a cheese slut confessional via twitter on Friday. And in the process a few more renegade cheesists 'fessed up too. However it was Nina from My Easy Cooking who suggested that we participate in a quest for cheese domination. And even our most famous SA blogger export, Jeanne from Cook Sister, jumped on the bandwagon.

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Red Pepper and Kidney BeanTagine

My creative pot (metaphorically speaking) was placed on the back burner the past few days in favour of a relaxing few days away with friends. We wallowed in the hot springs, made liberal use of the waterslides, putt-putt and trampolines and spent our nights braai-ing. If you've ever contemplated a midweek break but was unsure if you should go ahead: wonder no more!

We came back refreshed, energised and steamy from the inside out and was welcomed home with wintry Cape weather - cold, overcast and drizzling.

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L'Africana Pizza

When Meeta from What's for Lunch Honey announced the Monthly Mingle's theme for May, I know quite a few South African foodies were very excited to share our unique cuisine with the rest of the world. I was no exception. Enthusiasm - check. The choice of what to make that would best showcase our diverse country was a bit more difficult.

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