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About me

JeanneHorakDruiff headshot2015

 

Hello and thank you very much for visiting my site!

If you are a PR or want to work with me, you will find plenty of useful information on my PR queries page and I suggest you read that first., to save your and my time.

If you stumbled across my site and are simply curious to know more about me, read on – all shall be revealed below…

WHO AM I?

I am Jeanne Horak, born and raised in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. In another life, I passed my Bar exams and started practising as a criminal advocate; and I later lectured commercial law for eight of the happiest years of my working life. In 2000, my boyfriend (now ex-husband) developed itchy feet and a dream to work overseas and I decided to accompany him to London with the intention of staying a year. It’s now 20 years later and I am still in London, happier than ever, which just goes to show that life is what happens while you make other plans. I never returned to the world of legal academia (sorry mom, sorry dad!), but I still have a full time day-job in a City law firm in a knowledge management and training role.

When I am not at my day job, I am a food, wine and travel blogger; a freelance recipe developer; freelance writer who has written for various online and print publications including Crush, Food24 and Great British Chefs; and a speaker/trainer with many years of experience in lecturing a well as presenting seminars and hands-on workshops. I have spoken at a number of international blogging conferences, covering topics such as legal aspects of blogging; writing style and voice; recipe writing & editing; blogging for beginners; camera techniques; and post-processing. I am one of the founders and organisers of From Plate to Page, a food writing and photography workshop, where I taught food writing and photography; and one of the organisers of the South African Food and Wine Blogger Indaba conference.

5 RANDOM FACTOIDS ABOUT ME

  • I take pictures every day, both with my Canon DSLR and with my Samsung phone camera.
  • I have an unnatural ability to remember random and obscure song lyrics.
  • I have an obsession verging on OCD about putting things in chronological order.
  • I will choose savoury over sweet, and cats over dogs, every time.
  • I would take the following 5 movies with me to a desert island (a well-equipped island with DVD players and aircon, obviously!): Out of Africa; Dirty Dancing; Point Break; Muriel’s Wedding; and A Fish Called Wanda.

SO, ABOUT THE BLOG…

I have been a writer in some form or another since I was ten years old – from journals to poems to fiction to non-fiction. I started this blog in May 2004 before blogging was “a thing” and all my friends thought the internet was where you met axe murderers. I had heard that a blog was a way to make your writing available to an international audience, for free, with no technical programming knowledge required – how could I refuse? I started out with no game plan and no marketing strategy in an age when social media was but a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye. Sixteen years later, I love blogging as much as ever – it is the best creative outlet I could ever have dreamed of, and I would recommend everybody to try it once.

WHY FOOD?

I love how food forms the backdrop to all the milestones in our lives – a wedding breakfast, a graduation dinner, a farewell cocktail party. It ties us to our past and our family with cords that can’t be broken. And even in a foreign land, you can recreate the favourite tastes of your childhood and take comfort from them. To me, the story of what I eat is the story of my life, and you will find plenty of stories to keep you amused on my blog. Let’s just say brevity is not my strong point. Food and travel make natural bedfellows and they are two things that I have been in love with since childhood. As teenager I once told my mom: “Our family’s only two extravagances are food and travel”. Nothing’s changed.

DOES COOKSISTER HAVE A COMMENTS POLICY?

As a general rule, I don’t interfere with comments, other than to remove anything spam-related or that is obviously a punt for some commercial enterprise. I welcome discussion in the comments and you can say what you like, but if you make a snotty remark, don’t be surprised if you get a snotty response. Also please bear in mind that this is my cyber home. I wouldn’t tolerate people coming into my house and being rude to me, and I won’t tolerate it here. Play nice. And don’t even think of saying anything racist, sexist, insulting of a particular religion or otherwise inflammatory – I will remove it so fast it will make your head spin. This is a food blog, not a soapbox for people with an axe to grind.

DOES COOKSISTER DO REVIEWS, PRESS RELEASES AND FREEBIES?

I do occasionally accept items or books for review, and I am happy to be invited to events or on press trips – please see my full review policy for details. A lot of fuss has been made about bloggers accepting freebies and how this makes us all a bunch of unethical sycophants whose opinions are not valid – I can’t get excited about this “debate”. All  items received for free are fully disclosed and I retain full editorial control of all posts. Please feel free to read a few posts and make up your own mind about my ethics. Please do not send me press releases for items I have never used, recipes I have not made, or places I have never been, and then pester me asking whether I have published something about them on my blog yet. The answer is always going to be no. It isn’t going to happen. The same goes for guest posts – if I want you to guest post for me, I will invite you.

ANY ADVICE FOR NEWBIE FOOD BLOGGERS?

If you are a newbie blogger looking for advice, you are probably better off visiting the tremendously helpful posts by Delicious Days; David Lebovitz or sites like Tips for Food Bloggers, Food Blog Alliance or Blogger School which contain a wealth of information to answer your every blogging question.  You are also free to ask me foodie questions, but few things enrage me more than spending my precious leisure time putting together a detailed answer to a recipe or restaurant query and then not even getting the courtesy of a simple “thank you” e-mail.   I keep a record of all the reader questions that I have answered on my Cooksister FAQ page.  Take a look – maybe I have answered your question already.

HOW CAN YOU CONTACT ME?

If you haven’t already found it elsewhere, my e-mail address is emailcooksister AT gmail DOT com. I love feedback and suggestions and try to answer all e-mails, even if it takes me a while. I also check my blog comments every day so please feel free to leave one – I love hearing from readers!

If you like my writing or photographs so much that you would like me to commission me to write or photograph something for you, please e-mail me – I am always happy to discuss projects and negotiate rates. Please do not write to me and ask me to provide you with free content because “the client does not have the budget to pay” and offer me “good exposure” instead of payment. The answer is no.

If you want to make sure you never miss another Cooksister post, please sign up to receive each new post direct to your inbox via e-mail. You are also most welcome to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

AND BY THE WAY, WHAT IS A COOKSISTER?

A koeksister (pronounced “cooksister”) is a delicious plaited, deep-fried syrup-dipped pastry from (where else?) South Africa.

 

Koeksisters

 

  1. Elizabeth says

    April 20, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    Dear Jeanne

    I tumbled on your site while googling for snoek fish. I enjoyed reading all about you, the site and what you do. What an incredible being you are!

    I would like to know whether you know of any place here in the US where to get snook in any form. I am dying for it.
    I live in California, originally from Windhoek, Namibia.
    Please help. (The koeksisters make me drool)

    Blessings

    Elizabeth

    Reply
  2. Margaret says

    June 9, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    I came across your website while reminiscing about snoek! My husband and I have many memories of South African recipes and food from our childhoods and former lives in Rhodesia and South Africa. Your very entertaing blogs and recipes have fired our imaginations to go back to the foods we remember so well. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. carmel says

    December 31, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    I cam across your site while looking for a New Year lunch starter recipe which would include smoked salmon. My choice fell on smoked salmon and avocado stacks. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good treat for my guests tomorrow. Keep it up. Good website with excellent recipes. Wish you an enjoyable New Year.

    Reply
  4. Nadia@maisontravers says

    February 4, 2016 at 1:39 pm

    Just came across your blog. Love it.
    I too was born and raised in South Africa, lived in Paris, London, Copenhagen and Los Angeles. Now living my dream in Dordogne, France and running cookery lessons from my country kitchen as well as doing a food blog.
    http://www.maisontravers.wordpress.com

    Reply
  5. Fabienne says

    March 30, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    I really like your blog! Keep on traveling and writing 🙂

    Reply
  6. Andre Brink says

    May 18, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Jeanne.

    I just had to look up your blog. In the last week we have received two requests for traditional South African foods, mentioning your name, at my tour guiding business in Cape Town, South Africa. I am very impressed with you have achieved with this blog.

    Personally I am a foodie. My taste is for artisan dining, organic and heirloom foods and recipes. In this I have an active interest in traditional South African cuisine.

    And lastly. I thank you for the business that I get due to your efforts.

    Andre Brink.

    Reply
    • Jeanne says

      May 18, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Andre – you have made my week… no hang on, my month! Thank you for such a lovely comment. Sometimes it feels like you keep churning out this content and nobody is listening, but then I read something like this and it makes me so very happy that I have done my small bit to promote the cuisine of my country 🙂 I wish you all the best with the tour guiding business – the visitors must be LOVING the exchange rate :o)

      Reply
  7. Julie Mullan says

    November 10, 2016 at 3:31 am

    Hi Jeanne
    So envious that you live in London. Lived there for 25 years but now in Oz where two of my children emigrated. Not the same.
    Gem Squashes: Thanks for the advice so far. How long do the seeds take to germinate.
    Looks forward to advice. thanks Julie

    Reply
  8. Dems says

    March 18, 2017 at 12:39 pm

    Wow… you are such a good writer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. I just found your blog and wanted to know more about you. Go Africa. I was born in Nigeria but moved to Canada for studies and decided to stay.

    I love your blog and your photos. Bravo.

    Reply
  9. Margaret Robinson says

    August 19, 2017 at 11:10 pm

    I’ve read your food blog for, well it seems like forever, and love it. However, until today never read about you, the 4 weddings or anything else that was really personal. I so enjoyed the read. Thank you for having a post where it is indeed about the food and not a place to rant and rave about all things wrong with the world. It is a genuine pleasure to read your blog every week!

    Reply
  10. Michael Wilton-Cox says

    December 19, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    Jeanne, I just came across your blogspot when looking for anything on Gem Squash and I am devastated! I have missed out on so much by not finding you earlier. I will try to make up for that now I have and will try some of your tempting recipes.
    I am British but lived and worked in South Africa from 1971 to 1976 and still love the country. Only old age and health prevent me from travelling back there now, although have been on business trips a few times over the years. My eldest son was born in Florida just outside Jo’burg where my wife and I lived and worked (I was one of the expat engineers who helped put in the television transmitters and the TV studios when it all first started, and only left SA when the SABC realised they needed us no longer once on-air).
    I love South African cooking/food and am lucky to have a small shop specialising in South African items in a nearby village, so can still get my biltong fix!
    Thanks for an interesting blog, I will follow assiduously now.

    Reply

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Jeanne | Stylish food & travel


Are you a cook... or a baker?
I fall firmly into

Are you a cook... or a baker? 
I fall firmly into the "cook" category. Baking is too precise, too fiddly - and best left to those with an affinity for it, I always say! But every now and then, only a cake will do. Say, for example... when you celebrate your blog's SIXTEENTH birthday!! 🎉🍾 Yes, last month Cooksister.com turned sweet sixteen, and to celebrate I baked this sticky spiced plum upside down cake. It's a very forgiving recipe and it's worth every single calorie 😁. Click on the link in my profile to see the recipe or save this post so you can find it later: https://www.cooksister.com/2020/06/sticky-spiced-plum-upside-down-cake.html

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappoint
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Anybody else got Lockdown Itchy Feet Syndrome...?? If it isn't an official disorder,  it certainly should be!

I have always been a dreamer, a planner, an explorer. Few things excite me more than stepping onto the soil of a country I have not visited before. When I am going through tough personal times, my go-to self-help therapy has always been to arrange a trip - to throw off the metaphorical bow lines and sail away to a new adventure. 
But then... Corona 😞  I can honestly say that I am enjoying working from home; enjoying having the time to run every day; enjoying cooking proper meals; enjoying my own company; enjoying the lack of FOMO. But OH MAN, I miss travel. 
This image was taken 2 years ago in St George's, Grenada - my first visit to the Caribbean but  certainly not my last. This photo has me dreaming of the day I can throw off those bow lines and travel again... How are you dealing with the lack of travel during this time?

Am I the only one feeling faintly sad at all the S
Am I the only one feeling faintly sad at all the Spring bulbs that were planted last year that have been flowering in parks and public gardens with nobody (or fewer people, anyway...) around to admire them? Spare a thought for the gardeners at Holland's famous Keukenhof who planted SEVEN MILLION bulbs last winter in preparation for the garden's annual 2-month opening... but because of Covid-19 Keukenhof did not open at all in 2020. 
But the good news is that for the first time in its history, Keukenhof was virtually open this year, meaning you can enjoy the best of the Spring flowers virtually, from the comfort of your armchair.  Keukenhof posted an amazing series of videos to their YouTube channel featuring magnificent 360 degree tours of the 2020 flowering bulbs; a run-down of the best photo spots; talks by various Keukenhof gardeners; and even a visit from Spongebob Squarepants!  You can check out their YouTube channel here https://bit.ly/2WWkahW. Or you can visit my blog  https://bit.ly/2zMgrLL  to see more of my Keukenhof images like this one of a river of tulips from when I visited a few years ago.

Have you visited Keukenhof?  What were your favourite Spring flowers? ⚘⚘⚘

When people tell me they don't like Brussels spro
When  people tell me they don't like Brussels sprouts, my inner voice always cries out the same response: oh honey, you're just doing it wrong! Sesame ginger sprouts are nutty, zingy and delicious - the opposite of the overcooked grey stinky sprouts of your youth, and so easy to make! 🔖 Remember to save this post so you can make the recipe later! The recipe is also on my blog - click the live link in my profile. 
For 4 people you need:
500 g Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and cooked (I roast mine in a hot oven)
1 x 2cm piece of ginger cut into fine matchsticks
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Salt & pepper 
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the ginger till fragrant. Add the sprouts, mix well and heat through. Remove from heat, add the sesame oil, season and serve topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Did you know that 6 February is Waitangi Day, the
Did you know that 6 February is Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand? .

I am marking the occasion with this photo was taken just over 3 years ago on the shores of beautiful Lake Pukaki on the South Island, looking across at Mt Aoraki.  I loved my visit and planned the trip completely independently – here are some tips for anybody thinking of visiting the South Island. .
🔖Click “save” to bookmark these tips for later! ➡️ 1) Take more time than you think you need. In a week you will barely scratch the surface of the South Island - I would say 2 weeks is a comfortable amount of time. ➡️ 2) Don’t assume that summer means hot weather! Even in December (the height of summer) temperatures peak at about 21C in Christchurch. Pack layers. ➡️ 3) Do spend time in Queenstown. It is stunning and one of my favourite places I have ever visited – great for hiking in summer, skiing in winter, sailing on the lake, adventure sports and a base for many surrounding natural attractions. ➡️ 4) Take day trips from Queenstown to Milford Sound and the Franz Josef glacier (but be aware that the weather is often not great). ➡️ 5) Take a road trip! The roads are excellent and generally empty – and it means you get to pose in places like the shore of Lake Pukaki 😊 .
Have you visited New Zealand’s South Island?  Would you like to?  Let me know in the comments!

"Don't just stand there, let's get to it: strike a
"Don't just stand there, let's get to it: strike a pose there's nothing to it!" (Madonna)

Nicole Kidman's is both hands on hips. Meryl Streep's is only left hand on hip. Victoria Beckham's is right hip out, left foot forward (and no smile!). Mine started as a joke many years ago - the earliest evidence I have is from 2005 😎 Do YOU have a signature pose? Tell me in the comments or DM me a pic!

This particular pose was struck on the @chateaulhospitalet estate in the Languedoc, looking out over @gerardbertrandwines vineyards all the way to the Mediterranean. You can read all about my stay there now on the blog - click on the live link in my profile

Even if you are not a French speaker as such, you
Even if you are not a French speaker as such, you may be surprised by the number of French words you already know: rendezvous, entrepreneur, souvenir and ricochet need no introduction. All have been adopted into English wholesale, with their original French meaning and spelling. Perhaps they should apply for settled status post-Brexit... But sometimes a word’s literal translation in French bears no resemblance to what the word has come to mean, such as canape. Although we know the word as meaning a small piece of pastry or bread with a savoury topping served at drinks receptions, the literal translation is a decorative antique sofa. When a clever chef first came up with the idea, the topping was thought to sit on the bread or pastry like a person reclining on a sofa, and the snacks came to be known half-jokingly as canapes. Fact! 
I enjoyed these very elegant canapes (LOVED the lacy little potato lattices!) with Code Rouge sparkling wine before a jazz dinner at Gerard Bertrand’s flagship wine estate Chateau L’Hospitalet in the Languedoc.  The dinner was as  spectacular as the canapes and you can read all about it on my blog now – click the live link in my profile above.

The Christmas decorations may be long gone, but Ol
The Christmas decorations may be long gone, but Old Spitalfields Market where this photo was taken is very much open and is one of my favourite London markets. Here are my top tips for visiting Old Spitalfields:

1.  The closest station is Liverpool Street which is only a 5 minute walk from the market.
2. It's open daily, with over a hundred stalls, but on Wednesday the focus is on fashion & on Thursday the focus is on antiques & vintage.
3. The busiest day is Sunday - get there early to beat the crowds!
4. Make sure you sample some of the excellent street food on offer - I love the 8-hour pulled pork bagels from Dirty Bagel, topped with cheese melted by blowtorch in front of your eyes; or the traditional raclette at Abondance.
5. Don't forget to check out the amazing Shoreditch street art in the area around the market, either on a tour or self-guided walk.
6. The Truman Brewery just east of Spitalfields hosts a massive collection of vintage clothes stalls, and more street food - don't miss it!

Thanks @meetakwolff for the 📸

"You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Yo
"You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so... get on your way!" (Dr Seuss)

How are you starting the new decade? Staring at the mountains ahead, worrying about how hard they will be to climb and whether your shoes will be comfortable and whether it is going to rain along the way? Or striding confidently towards the mountains ahead, looking forward to the fresh air filling your lungs and the sense of purpose as your legs carry you ever higher, and relishing the prospect of an amazing view from the top?

There is no finer metaphor for life than a walk in the mountains and I have already made my choice as to how I plan to tackle the mountains of 2020. What's your choice? 
Wishing you all a very happy new year and amazing views from the top of every personal and professional mountain that you climb!

This particular mountain is in the Austrian Alps where I hiked last summer. Thanks to @thepassionatecook for the 📸!


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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
Jersey-royals-salmon-salad2 © Jeanne Horak 2019
Beef-Udon-noodle-stir-fry-title
P2PIrelandRhubarb © J Horak-Druiff 2013
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