Baking in the Bush

Botswana

Botswana national natural symbols

Honeymoon time is over and I am back with you to share a great cooking experience I had during our holidays. We went to Botswana for my first Safari trip and it was wonderful. I could write pages about the animals and the scenery we saw and post hundreds of pictures, but this blog is about food really so I will try to stay focused and not babbled on about mating Leopards, baby Hyenas and pack of Wild Dogs…Maybe just one thing that might be of general interest… each country has a national flower, bird and animal. Botswana chose very well and is represented by the Lilac-breasted Roller, the Waterlilly and the  Zebra, and there is good logic behind it because you actually see these symbols within the country, less can be said about Lions and Britain…

Food in Africa was in average really good, but what really got me excited was to have warm freshly-baked bread and cakes in the middle of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Forget about cans of baked beans and raviolis from your previous camping trips, this is all about gourmet cooking in the bush. Continue reading

Lemon and Watermint sorbet

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It seems that John Wright isn’t only a master forager but a really good chef too. This adapted Watermint and Lemon Sorbet recipe features in his Hedgerow book and it is truly the ultimate summer dessert. The Watermint is fragrant and floral which makes the sorbet very light and refreshing. Continue reading

Foraging trip 1: The Elderflower Walk

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I am calling this number 1 because I had such a nice Sunday that I know there will be plenty more trips like this one still to come. We combined our walking book with our foraging book and had a day full of fresh air, exercise and free food. The pleasure of collecting your own ingredients in your own garden is extraordinary, especially when you’re lucky enough to have a garden in central London, BUT going for a walk in the countryside far away from everything AND at the same time being only 1h away from home AND coming back with bags full of edible treats…that is truly incredible. Believe me, my husband and I did it, and let me show you what we brought back… Continue reading

Our wedding

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Photographer Eoghan Brennan

We got married in September 2013 and, as crazy as it sounds, I wanted to do everything myself. The obvious reason could be to save money, as florists, catering and everything else is adding zeros as soon as you mention the W word. I wanted to have it all home made so I set off for the challenge of doing the flowers and the cakes (Yes, more than one) with my own ideas, my own hands (and my own sweat and stress). Continue reading