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 les@leslieback.co.za .  I would love to hear from you.

Delicious Italian Food At Magica Roma

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 les@leslieback.co.za 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 les@leslieback.co.za
I would love to hear from you.

Grand Food at The Grand Café

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 practically ran 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 les@leslieback.co.za . I would love to hear from you.  Salty problems beware!