How to find a bargain in Hyde Park Shopping Centre:

First, pop in to Burberry. Admit to yourself that the coats with price tags north of R15,000 (US$1,900/GBP1,200) are quite nicely tailored.  Stand like a country yokel in front of the R2,000 (US$250/GBP150) T-shirts, trying desperately to see how they are superior to the R45 polycotton version you just rejected as downright shitty in Mr Price. Then shake your head in disbelief and head downstairs to the Culinary Equipment Company.

Believe it or not, they not only have a large selection of utensils and tools actually helpful in producing good food rather than just looking good in your kitchen, but their prices are, give or take, similar to catering wholesalers. Except that catering wholesalers do not generally stock such excellent quality French-made large crepe pans. And catering wholesalers certainly do not have a coffee bar where an unpretentious barista can pull an excellent, moderately priced, crema-laden espresso without even a hint of hipster attitude.

Happy Christmas to me, happy Christmas to me, happy Christmas to me-e-e-e...







Le Parfait straight sided screw and clip top preserving jars: R20-R30 ea.

history lesson for the day

A random snippet from our London-Paris-London-Mallorca-London trip in July, this amazing fact: did you know that the Romans had glass manufacture all sorted out by AD 100? It was a surprise to me. If the thought had even crossed my mind I would have assumed they only had ceramic or some kind of tin or lead alloy for drinking ware, or the usual gold and silver for the rich.

But not only did they have glass, they were already making baubles of loveliness like this.

Although the patina of 2000 years does add a certain something, I'd bet that this would be the next hot thing if someone made it today.

(British Museum: Mould-blown glass beaker. Made in the eastern Mediterranean about AD 70—100. From Tyre.)