Sunday, 21 June 2009

IF - Drifting

 

bathlrg

A hot, steamy bath is a luxurious and sensuous way to clear the debris of the day, open intuition, soothe the psyche and indulge the self. Light some deliciously scented candles, fill the bath with bubbles, lie back and relax while drifting off to that tropical paradise far, far beyond reality.

Meanwhile, your man is in the kitchen preparing a meal to suit the mood. Could it be that delicious Vietnamese prawn salad for which he is justly famous? Possibly….

Vietnamese_prawn_salad_lge

Guy’s Vietnamese Prawn Salad:

  • 12 king prawns, cooked and shelled
  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce, or butter lettuce
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1 cucumber, finely sliced
  • 1 large mango,
  • 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon shelled peanuts, chopped
  • Sprig of mint for garnish
  • 2 limes, finely sliced

Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed and sliced

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, stir vigorously with a fork and set aside. Separate the lettuce leaves, wash and pat dry. Then rinse the bean sprouts and trim off any straggly tails. Next, combine prawns, mango and herbs in a bowl with the dressing.

Arrange the lettuce leaves, bean sprouts and cucumber slices on a pretty serving dish and add the dressed prawns, mango and herbs. Fling over the peanuts and serve with sliced limes. Paradise on a plate!

lunch.time

Wrap yourself in a fluffy towelling dressing gown and join him on the veranda to watch the sun go down as you sup on the succulent salad and sip a dewy glass of that Spier Private Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2008 which you stowed in your suitcase on your last trip to Cape Town. Blissfulness…..

35 comments:

Irene said...

Yes, go ahead and make me hungry for food that I absolutely can't eat. Just give me the bottle of wine and I'll go sulk in the corner. I love prawns but they are too bulky for me to eat with my gastric band and I would soon be choking on them. But really, I do enjoy reading your recipes, but I like your other adventures better.

Hugs,
Irene

Anonymous said...

Tessa - that salad and wine sound divine! What time shall I arrive for dinner?

Eleonora Baldwin said...

Oh Tessa, that salad sounds divine! Such a lucky lady you are. What time are you and Guy expecting us for dinner? :)

Spier winery... such fond memories there too!

Ciao, dear friend.
Lola xx

Hana Njau-Okolo said...

Love her contemplative posture, the bar of soap on the red washcloth. Simple pleasures combine perfectly here, in your offering of food for the mind, body and soul, Tessa!

Renee said...

Honest to God, the life you live. Sounds like a dream.

Love Renee xoxoxo

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

OOOH To bad it's father's day today cause I sure would have my husband sitting here getting all this wonderful and very, very, important information. hee he hee ! This is more than wonderful. I need this. It's such a welcomed post. We all need moments like this. I love the pictures and your painting is just breathe taking!!! I love it. What a beautiful moment captured. Thanks so much for the award. You have touched my heart today Tessa. You such a beautiful soul. It shows in your beautiful artwork and post and poems. You have a heart of gold of this I am sure. Thanks so very much. I am very honored. Sending you many, many hugs and well wishes. You are the best!!!

soulbrush said...

now this is the right sorta guy to have, you in the bath and him preparing the food....keep him. lovely art, and i will be posting your lovely award tomorrow. hugs, lots of them.

Rosaria Williams said...

Tessa, this is so sensual and inviting, and so easy to achieve. Now, how do we get a man to cook for us?

Lori ann said...

Haha, that was going to be my question! you had me all dreamy until the man cooking for you part! my sweetie can do alot but cooking, oh dear, no!

I'm coming over with lola.

Lorac said...

Oh romance! I vaguely remember what that is like! Sounds wonderful!

Woman in a Window said...

Naw! This stuff doesn't happen in real life, does it?

Does it?

Debra Keirce said...

I'm so there....Now if we could just push a button on our computer to turn this into reality!!

ceecee said...

Dear Tessa,
This is heaven, absolute heaven. I read recipes as if they were novels...and this is a delicious one. Beautiful photographs, and words. Living life as art.
I thought I would try to see if I could access your blog, and here you are...I was not able to the other day. Drift away......
Catherine

fashion fucsia said...

Beautiful painting Tessa!!
^_^

Delwyn said...

Hi Tessa

the salad sounds great. We eat a lot of mango with fish or chicken salads over summer and dressed with chilli-lime- sauce...now to get the man of the house to prepare it...hmmm I'll have to work on that...
I love the red washer in the painting...

Happy Days

Elizabeth said...

Bliss indeed!
Sounds wonderful.

adrienne trafford said...

wonderful in every way...even the meal is a work of art! xoxo

pink dogwood said...

I am envious - and I don't even eat prawns. Just the idea of soaking in a bath while someone prepares a meal for you and then the wine and then watching the sun go down - did I say I am envious :)

glad you had a great time and love the painting.

Linda Sue said...

Girl in the tub! EXCELLENT! my favorite therapy is tub therapy- as for man cooking something really delish- not going to happen here...Beautiful girl in the beautiful tub!

A Cuban In London said...

Continuing on the subject of Ifs, if I was you I would remove that line of 'bad poet' from your profile. This post was pure poetry from beginning to end. Salacious, picaresque and romantic. Many thanks. Wish your Guy a happy (and belated) Fathers' Day from me.

Greetings from London.

Renee said...

Tessa I saw on 'a thousand clapping hands' that she is unable to access your lovely blog.

Kisses to you my dearest Tessa xxxx

Love Renee xoxoxo

Polly said...

Oh, I love baths, even without candles and bubbles it's still great to immerse in the hot water at the end of the day...

I'm still looking for my guy to fix supper while I'm bathing but once I find him I'll definitely try this recipee. It looks and sounds delicious

Ces Adorio said...

You are a tease! I am so hungry and I thought I'd read your blog before I eat something and see what I find - oooh! I am craving argh! Oooh you eat well.

Cheffie-Mom said...

Sounds wonderful! And thanks for the recipe - can't wait to try it! enJOY your day!

xxx said...

Yum... but unfortunately I'm allergic to shellfish, but I do like a good soak in a lovely bath.

best wishes
Ribbon

indigene said...

Wow, what an amazing illustration! It reminds me of the Rueben's women! Then you add that amazing salad, and drive us to craziness with pictures and the recipe! Oh what a cruel person you are! Wonderful job!

My Castle in Spain said...

these prawns look and sound just delicious....
am about to have lunch right now...alas nothing as fancy and refreshing!
:-)

Grace Albaugh said...

Ooooh what a yummy evening. I'll order that right up.

Renee said...

Thank you for the clouds and now I am more uppity than downity.

That is horrible about the plastic in the nests.

When are people going to give a shit?

Love Renee xoxoxo

kj said...

oh, this is a movie script and you coyly used it to convince your fandom this is your life. ha!
(just teasing of course)

tessa, how lovely. you make me like you more every time i learn something else about you. here--you notice and appreciate. between the food and the sensuality, i'm full and satisfied...

xoxo

Elizabeth said...

Yum. And I love the top drawing -- did you do that? I haven't been here in a while, mainly because everytime I clicked on the bookmark for it, I'd get a very old post. I just thought that you hadn't been posting in a while. Silly me -- the bookmark was for that post only. I look forward to catching up!

Unknown said...

Oh bliss indeed! Every little bit and moment of it!
Have you tried the Robertson wine, Life from Stone? Very yummy!
xx

Silke Powers said...

Tessa, thanks so much for visiting my blog and then leading me back to yours! I just love it! Your illustration is amazing - I like the colors and the mood of it! And then the dinner...Vietnamese cuisine is one of my absolute favorites. I'll have to make this soon! Looks like you have a delicious life! :) Silke

Tessa said...

---->blowing bubbles of delight! Thank you all SO much for visiting and for your super special comments. I'd just love to have every single one of you over to our house here in the wilds of Hampshire so together we can cook up a storm!!

Renee said...

Good morning dearest friend.

I was wondering if you have met a lady named Kendalee yet. She is so fantastic and incredible and I was telling her about you.

She too is from Africa and I think that you two would completly hit it off.

She made a comment on my blog today and so you could go check her out through there.

She really is just a wonderful person just like you.

Love Renee xoxoxo