Travel reviews

 June 2024: The Garden Route from George to Tsitsikamma National Park

September 2023: Madikwe Safari Lodge

April 2023: The Seychelles (Mahé, Praslin and La Digue islands)

 

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Mandarin Chicken

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So much was lost when Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Lives, homes, jobs,... but also the little things that we hold dear to our hearts: photo albums, treasured heirlooms or beloved recipes. The Times-Picayune collected and published some of the latter that people went looking for in the years that followed Katrina. Mandarin Chicken was one of these recipes.  This clipping was sent to us by my partner's stepmother a few years ago. Since then, we have received nearly a hundred requests to share this recipe. Note: Every Chinese restaurant in New Orleans has its own version of Mandarin sauce. It seems to us that this one needs a few pinches of Chinese five spice in the sauce. Also, it is usually served with crushed peanuts and chopped scallions sprinkled on top. This recipe comes from Fong's Chinese restaurant in Kenner. MANDARIN CHICKEN Egg Batter 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons cooking oil 2 eggs 1 cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon Accent 1/2 teas
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Hazelnut dacquoise with praliné feuilleté and chestnut buttercream

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This is a creation of mine, combining two recipes that I thought would work well together. Pretty happy with the result. DACQUOISE 90 grams ground hazelnuts 100 grams whole hazelnuts (I used walnuts instead) 100 grams confectioner's (icing) sugar 3 large egg whites 35 grams white sugar PRALINÉ FEUILLETÉ 200 grams of pralinoise (55% hazelnut content) 100 grams of crêpes dentelles (I used "Gavottes") CHESTNUT BUTTERCREAM 370 grams (whole jar) of chestnut cream 150 grams PHILADELPHIA cream cheese 125 grams unsalted butter, softened Preheat oven at 180°C (about 350°F). For the dacquoise, coarsely chop the whole hazelnuts and toast them in a pan, stirring from time to time to avoid burning. When toasted, set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites with handheld mixer adding white sugar in small amounts, until fully incorporated and mixture thickens and forms glossy peaks. In a separate bowl, mix ground hazelnut and confectioner's sugar together. Fold del
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The Garden Route: from George to Tsitsikamma National Park

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 We figured the mild temperatures of late Fall / early Winter in South Africa would provide the perfect weather to explore the Garden Route. Luck was with us too, because we arrived in George after a straight week of rainfall.The flight from Johannesburg was short (a little under two hours) and cost us about ZAR 6000 (approximately EUR 300), including one checked luggage each (with FlySafair). We rented a SUV with First Rental Car, a company we had previously used when we went to Cape Town. In spite of several sections of road work along the way, the drive from George to our first accommodation north of Plettenberg Bay (approx. 125 km or 80 miles) was extremely pleasant, with scenic views over the ocean, coastal towns and beaches to the right, and the striking mountain range to the left. For our first stop, we chose to spend a couple of nights at the Trogon Treetop House and Forest Spa, (https://www.trogonhouse.co.za) located in The Crags, about 25 km past Plettenberg Bay. Nestled in t
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