Years ago, our Italian colleague remarked during lunch, “I can taste they have not prepared the food with love.” At that point, any food prepared by someone else was delicious, even canteen food. I needed time to comprehend his remark.

I had limited cooking time with a career, household and three children to drive around. With a vegetarian husband and carnivorous sons, cooking was in my “get-it-done” category. I suspect not much love ended up in my one-pot dishes.

When my sons left the nest, their cooking skills were limited to fried eggs, flapjacks, and barbecuing. Jacques values healthy living, and with a limited budget, he had to depend on his cooking skills after school. Soon we were impressed with his creativity in the kitchen.

Jacques’ business – The Cinnamon Club

Jacques was part of the Kruger household for a long time during the Covid confinement. He offered to take responsibility for the household’s main meal, which he had to finish by a specific time in the evening. He was obligated to consider all the relevant food allergies and harness his creativity. In the process, he discovered that a vegan lifestyle overcomes most food allergies.

After completing his business degree, Jacques decided to focus on his love and passion for cooking and baking with plant-based products. He likes to experiment with various herbs and spices. He used to add a bit of cinnamon to all his creations, and this habit inspired his business name, The Cinnamon Club. Please look at his beautifully presented vegan and gluten-free cakes on his web page – The Cinnamon Club.

My cooking inspiration

Jacques, meanwhile, inspired me to be more creative with cooking. Every week I try a recipe from another country with all the right ingredients, herbs and spices. I make a point of identifying the country the different items originate. With the peeling and preparation of the dishes, I appreciate the uniqueness and perfection of the fresh produce.

We live between the farms and can buy farm-fresh produce. We get fresh milk at the dairy near our house. In spring and summer, they also make strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and other types of fruit available in the fridge next to the road. Contrary to what we are used to, farm products here are slightly more expensive than in the shops because they are fresh from the farm.

Baking bread

It is easy to seduce Charl with bread, and he likes to bake it himself. When our German language skills have improved, we would like to participate in a bread-baking course. Charl still has a dream of owning a bakery in the future. In the meantime, I spoil him with the large selection of bread available at the local bakery.

The German-speaking countries are known for their fermented products. One of Charl’s colleagues, Stefanie, spoiled us with bottles of pickled vegetables and pickled red onions. She grows her herbs with which she pickles them. The fragrances are heavenly and an excellent gift made with love. Stefanie promised to send me some of her pickled pumpkins with vanilla in the fall. I am very much looking forward to seeing and tasting it.

I have come a long way in the kitchen with inspiration from various places. However, I now understand what Gaetano meant by “One can taste when someone prepared food with love.”

Regards

Emsia