Back Chat Goes To The Movies

Julie & Julia 

Directed by Nora Ephron:  Cast:  Meryl Streep, Amy Adams; Stanley Tucci; Chris Messina 

'Julie and Julia' is the first movie to have been inspired by what began as a blog.  The true story about 'chef extraordinaire,' Julia Child, and how she affected the life of  young writer and aspirant chef, Julie Powell, is the basis of this superb film.

Join Back Chat as we relive the experience.  Feel as hungry as we did all through the film.  Imagine the tastes and smells that emanated from the kitchens that produced dishes the likes of 'sole meuniere' and  'boeuf bourguignon'.   Then go and see the movie.

I would love to hear about your reactions to this delicious romp.  Leave a comment on Back Chat or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net.  And take note you chaps, THIS IS NOT A CHICK - FLICK !  This is for anybody who loves France and who loves French food.

Back Chatter On Tea

From the venerated tea ceremonies of the East to tried and tested Western methods, tea making and tea drinking are wonderful ceremonials.

In this article Back Chat celebrates this age-old beverage.  Join us as we follow the trail from bush to kettle to cup.  And at the end of the trail, relax and experience the delights of sharing a perfect cuppa.

Do you have any questions or thoughts about tea?  Post a comment on 'Back Chat' or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net . I would love to share 'Tea Time' with you.

Back Chatter on Oysters

'Only another oyster would find an oyster beautiful' wrote Dr R.Hedeen in his definitive book on oysters.  But to the true afficionado oysters are a thing of beauty.  Savour the sheer delight of a succulent oyster feeling it slip, like silk, down your throat - bliss!!

It is overwhelmingly extolled for its alleged enhancement of the human libido.  Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, emerged from the sea in an oyster shell and the legend was born.   But is it a legend?   Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every morning.

Back Chat lifts the veil on the mysterious world of oysters.  This is for those who love oysters and for those who have yet to learn to love them.
Should your curiosity be aroused and should you wish to know more about these amazing molluscs, please contact me at Back Chat, http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net   I would love to hear from you.

Back Chat Eats Out

Eugene and I adore Italian food.   Authentic, delicious Italian food made with the best and purest ingredients and with all the verve, passion and energy that the best Italian chefs bring to their creations.
So it is with unalloyed happiness that we have been regular patrons of Magica Roma for years and years.

Magica Roma Ristorante Italiano at 8 Central Square, Pinelands in Cape Town, is proudly Italian.  Everything about it is Italian, from the owner/chefs Ezio Debiaggi and Franco Zezia, to the food that emerges triumphantly from the kitchen.   Our hosts were named Cavalieri Del Lavoro (Knights) by the President of Italy Dr. Scalfaro,  for creating a completely genuine Italian restaurant outside Italy.  Having been accorded this signal honour,  they are bound to maintaining the tradition of Italian cooking using only the best ingredients.  Wine Magazine has, since the year 2000, included them each year  in the top 100 restaurants in South Africa.  Rossouw's  Restaurant has awarded Magica Roma 3 stars.  In addition to all of this, there are numerous glowing write-ups and mentions from all over the world.

RETOUR à PARIS

We were in Paris.  This city that draws us back again and again.  How we love it and how very quickly it envelops us in its magic.
We had driven to Paris from Montreux in Switzerland.  This would be our last port of call on our European odyssey.

Accompany us on a joyous ride as we revisit some special favourites.  Be there as we discover new delights to add to our burgeoning treasure trove of Parisian experiences.  We'd love to share all this with you.
Do contact me at Back Chat at http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net to find out anything you need to know about our favourite place on earth. 

MONTREUX - SWITZERLAND

Montreux, the queen of the Vaud Riviera.   Pristine, ordered and beautiful beyond words and of course everything working like clock-work in true Swiss fashion.    So different from other 'Rivieras' that we had visited in the course of our travels.  

Eugene and I had entered another world and another culture.   Different from the laid back, slightly chaotic and mildly eccentric French and Italian Rivieras.  We love them all.  Back Chat invites you to join us on this adventure.   If you need to know more, post a comment on Back Chat or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net.  I would love to hear from you.

Back Chat Eats Out

When Eugene and I visited The Grand Café at 35 Victoria Rd, Camps Bay, for the first time, we felt as if we had been transported back in time.  Back to the wonderfully bawdy era of the Belle Epoque music hall.   Lights shaded with naughty red shades, chandeliers, velvet drapes, huge fat cushions like voluptuous danseuses, antique candelbra and roses everywhere.  

We had come to see an old friend, restaurateur and chef extraordinaire, Seelan Sundoo.  Our passion for food had drawn us there.  We know his food and for years have been indulging our taste buds during his tenure at La Perla, where he had practically run the show.  But now he had moved on and naturally we followed.


 Suzette Main acquired the lovely old building on the Camps Bay beach front.  With restaurant experience gained in London and Europe, she immediately saw the possibilities of what was once a private residence.  It was transformed into The Grand, which became the younger sister of the Grand Café and Rooms in Plettenberg Bay.
Seelan developed his passion for food in his grandmother's kitchen and in the course of his travels around the world. 

Back Chatter On Salt

Salt has been around since before recorded history and is absolutely essential to our well being.  Our bodies would not function without it.

But the discussion rages on,  'to salt or not to salt'?
 

Back Chat lays out the facts and figures.   You decide!!!
But if you still have lingering doubts or unanswered questions, post a comment on 'Back Chat' or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net . I would love to hear from you.  Salty problems beware!

Back Chatter on Eggs

The egg is nature's fast food.  An amazing micro-meal packed with nutrients and an essential ingredient in our kitchens.  

Eggs may have become an essential ingredient in our kitchens, but are we as comfortable buying eggs as we used to be?   A bewildering array of names and choices is available on supermarket shelves.

Back Chat helps you solve these problems and sort out any indecision.  Parents of young children, carers of the elderly and anybody in between, this is for all of you.

Should you still have questions that need answering, do contact me at Back Chat http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net.  I look forward to many eggstraordinary conversations.

Incidentally, which did come first, the chicken or the egg?

Back Chatter on Chocolate

It flatters you for a while, It warms you for an instant and then it kindles a mortal fever in you."

So said Madame de Sévigné, the famous 17th-century letter writer.

Back Chat goes back 3000 years to trace the origins of chocolate and then travels up to the present day.   Join this voyage of discovery and see where the adventure takes you.

If you have chocolate tales to tell or questions to ask, please contact me at Back Chat at http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net .  I look forward to many chocolate conversations.

Back Chat Eats Out.

As anybody who has read 'Travels With Back Chat' will have realised,  Eugene and I are pretty passionate about food.  We have eaten in many parts of the world and have come to think of French food as our spiritual home.

So it is with great joy that we have become regular patrons of The Foodbarn' at Noordhoek.   Franck Dangereux is the maestro who creates the magical meals.  Originally at La Colombe, now at The Foodbarn, he is cooking for everyman and still maintaining the standards of a michelin star restaurant but without all the michelin hype.

Tuscan Temptation

Tuscany teases, tempts and tantalizes.    There is a sensual quality to everything from the superb food to the fine art that one encounters wherever one goes.  The Tuscans themselves are a joyful people, fiercely proud of their glorious place in the sun.  Eugene and I have been completely seduced by the sheer lusciousness and beauty of everything.

Explore this lovely area with Back Chat and experience a large dose of La Dolce Vita.  If you would like to know any more, do contact me at Back Chat or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net . Ciao for now.

Rendezvous on the Riviera - A Month in Mougins - Part 1

Our 'Paradise On Earth' is the French Riviera.  Eugene and I love all things French and the French Riviera allows us to indulge that love.  Also the beauty of the scenery and the quaintness of the little villages and the 'vielles villes' that charm with their mellow age and distinction.

Join Back Chat on a romp through the high- roads and by- roads of this magic place.  Do come along and have the time of your life.

Rendezvous on the Riviera - A Month in Mougins - Part 2

"Our Paradise on earth is the French Riviera." Join Back Chat in the second of a two part series. "Only the French have the artistic quality, panache and quirkiness to preserve this dream place from becoming prosaic and commonplace."

My Secret Paris

Paris is a place of special dreams for my husband Eugene and me. In this article I have written about some of our experiences that do not involve major tourist destinations, Our Secret Paris. We discovered these during our many visits to the 'City of Lights.'

Join us in this magical city and share the wonderment. I would be most happy to share our secrets and knowledge with you. Contact me at Back Chat or by email at leslieback@telkomsa.net. I look forward to hearing from you.

Back Chatter on Olive Oil

Olive Oil has long been seducing our taste buds. This oil in all its unctuous glory has annointed the food of princes, potentates and people of every walk of life.

Let Back Chat take you on the fascinating Journey of Olive to Oil. Enjoy the ride and if you find that you have a problem or would like to know more, please post a comment on Back Chat or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net. I would be delighted to hear from you.

Back Chatter on Milk

Milk has always been an elixir of life. It is one of the basic staples of our diet. It is important that we know more about one of nature's most valuable foods.

In this article Milk, The Facts And Figures, you will find much that you need to know about milk. If you would like to know more, please  post a comment on 'Back Chat' or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net. I would be most happy to hear from you.

Back Chatter on Coffee

The glorious aroma of coffee brewing - a heady fragrance that seduces coffee lovers world-wide.

Coffee lovers have very definite preferences and opinions as to which ingredients and varieties produce the perfect cup.   BUT are we comfortable when confronted with the array of coffees and coffee beans in speciality shops and supermarkets?

Back Chat takes you on a fascinating journey through the bewildering world of coffee.   Enjoy this learning experience and become confident in your choices.   If questions or problems still remain, do contact me at Back Chat at http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net.  I would love to help you find the answers.

Back Chatter on Gluten

Checking for allergens when buying a food product is par for the course.  We all do it.  There is usually some substance to be avoided.  Gluten is one of these substances.

Mothers of young children know all too well that gluten intolerance is not a 'new age' fad.  It is a very real condition.   We have all struggled over food choices for our family members that present with this problem.

Do contact Back Chat if you need more information.  Contact me at Back Chat at http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at leslieback@telkomsa.net .  I look forward to being able to help you with your problem.