I saw the New Year in at the Giggling Gourmet's Cook's Playground in De Waterkant. I was fortunate enough to be able to assist Chef Jenny Morris in adding the final touches to many of the sumptuous dishes she prepared for the guests and was pleased that I watch a lot of the food programmes on TV, enabling me to carry out my duties with a little aplomb. I've always maintained that the finest kitchen tools are our hands, and the sprinkling, scattering and drizzling and subsequent manual tossing was a sensory delight, making me aware once again of how little effort I put into everyday cooking.
Using a cookery book and following new ideas comes in handy after nearly 40 years of producing meals which are supposed to be appealing, nutritious and delicious. What a burden is placed on the poor housewife who may have no interest in cooking at all - I do believe it is time for all family members to involve themselves in the production of food. Now there's a great New Year's resolution!
It was lucky our revelry was rocking, as over the road was a street party of note, with strobes lighting up the facades of the buildings surrounding the venue and the infectious thumping beat of whatever genre was on the turntables - we only became aware of it when we left just after 2am. Further towards the centre of Cape Town, there was a similar celebration in a square near a city hospital, but that ended at 2.30, no doubt in accordance with some by-law, and peace fell over the City Bowl instantly, allowing residents to visit the Land of Nod, even if only for the brief few hours before sunrise.
On the downside, as we drove through the streets, which were full of pedestrian revellers, it was sad to note how many youngsters were engaged in the sordid side of life from which most of us are protected, and I am sure more than one of us counted our many blessings.
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