I was always more of a summer person - until I spent this January, which I spent schivtzing under a 37 degree sun, with a hungry newborn pressed to me around the clock. With sweat seeping into my skin folds in prickly trickles, I fantasised about those winter mornings that are so cold your nose hurts when you breathe in; about the special smell of a Highveld night in June; about sheets that send a chilly jolt down your legs when you dare move out of your warm spot in bed...
Happily, autumn is more than living up to my expectations. I really love this time of year - there's something incredibly wonderful about a change of season. I suppose because, most of the time, we soldier on in a world that's focused more on cell phones than sunsets, but when the world shifts into a new season, nature asserts herself in a way that can't be ignored. Maybe it's the crispness of the air or the brightness of the sky, maybe it's the coppery boldness of the leaves, but there's something about autumn that makes it feel as if you're standing on the brink, about to take a step into something wonderful.
And, it is also a marvelous season to eat cake. Cold afternoons call for cozy comfort, and there's nowhere better to answer this need than in a cafe. So, earlier this week, Leya (my three-year-old) and I traipsed off to Oregano, a tiny spot in Linden I've been wanting to try for ages.
Oregano isn't actually a restaurant or cafe; it's home to a catering company, but it does have one or two tables inside and - most importantly - a table laden with exquisite pattiserie. It's a place made for lingering over cappuccino while you pick off the last crumbs from your plate with your finger.
Choosing our treats of the day wasn't easy: it was a tug of war between milk tart (my favourite), brownies (also my favourite), caramel cheesecake (baked on a brownie base, drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with caramel popcorn) and cinnamon buns.
Eventually, I went for a cinnamon bun, and I certainly wasn't disappointed: crackly with sugar on top with loads of sticky goo in between the whorls of buttery dough, I was licking my fingers with each bite. Leya chose a gingerbread man, which was a bit of a disappointment to me - I was really hoping she'd go with a brownie and we could 'share' (ie I would pass her the odd bite). But, as she said, we can go back "every day" to try something new (proving that a) even at such a young age, she totally shares my food philosophies - I couldn't be more proud if she had started reciting the table of elements in French, backwards, and b) all the cake I ate while pregnant with her has probably turned her into a ganache fiend).
Although Oregano doesn't do breakfasts or lunches, there were some great-looking savoury pies on offer, as well as truly beautiful breads.
Definitely a place I'll be returning to.
www.oreganocatering.co.za
Happily, autumn is more than living up to my expectations. I really love this time of year - there's something incredibly wonderful about a change of season. I suppose because, most of the time, we soldier on in a world that's focused more on cell phones than sunsets, but when the world shifts into a new season, nature asserts herself in a way that can't be ignored. Maybe it's the crispness of the air or the brightness of the sky, maybe it's the coppery boldness of the leaves, but there's something about autumn that makes it feel as if you're standing on the brink, about to take a step into something wonderful.
And, it is also a marvelous season to eat cake. Cold afternoons call for cozy comfort, and there's nowhere better to answer this need than in a cafe. So, earlier this week, Leya (my three-year-old) and I traipsed off to Oregano, a tiny spot in Linden I've been wanting to try for ages.
Oregano isn't actually a restaurant or cafe; it's home to a catering company, but it does have one or two tables inside and - most importantly - a table laden with exquisite pattiserie. It's a place made for lingering over cappuccino while you pick off the last crumbs from your plate with your finger.
Choosing our treats of the day wasn't easy: it was a tug of war between milk tart (my favourite), brownies (also my favourite), caramel cheesecake (baked on a brownie base, drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with caramel popcorn) and cinnamon buns.
Eventually, I went for a cinnamon bun, and I certainly wasn't disappointed: crackly with sugar on top with loads of sticky goo in between the whorls of buttery dough, I was licking my fingers with each bite. Leya chose a gingerbread man, which was a bit of a disappointment to me - I was really hoping she'd go with a brownie and we could 'share' (ie I would pass her the odd bite). But, as she said, we can go back "every day" to try something new (proving that a) even at such a young age, she totally shares my food philosophies - I couldn't be more proud if she had started reciting the table of elements in French, backwards, and b) all the cake I ate while pregnant with her has probably turned her into a ganache fiend).
Although Oregano doesn't do breakfasts or lunches, there were some great-looking savoury pies on offer, as well as truly beautiful breads.
Definitely a place I'll be returning to.
www.oreganocatering.co.za
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