New subscribers and everyone else, get your eBook at the Freebie link below.

I am not a great pasta fan and I can't remember if I have ever featured pasta recipes. Well, there is a first time for everything, so scroll down to the recipe section and take a look. Make sure to get your UK Lotto ticket (scroll down) and start dreaming! A £4,024,672 Jackpot was won last night!

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I happened to find this really nice Blog, please click on the link below and go browse around.....

Following with thanks from Brian at Kitsch'n'Zinc

Braai like a chef

It seems that as long as we have sunny skies we will have to endure the Great South African Braai. Don't get me wrong, I like eating outdoors, I like the informality of a simple meal eaten with friends and washed down with lots of the Cape's finest wines, I even like the odd boerie sausage and grilled lamb chop - what I don't like is burnt offerings, more charcoal on the meat than in the fire and seeing perfectly good food being destroyed by someone who actually thinks he's getting in tune with nature and doing a great job. So if we're going to carry on with this great style of entertaining let's lay down a few groundrules.
Chefs understand that preparation is the key to success, they even have a special term for it, mise en place - everything in it's place. That means thinking through exactly what you're going to cook, writing out a menu, shopping for supplies and doing basic pre preparation the day before. On the day the fire should be lit and be at the right temperature by the time your guests are ready to eat, meats should be marinated and laid out ready for grilling, accompanying dishes and sauces should be prepared and ready for service, braai tools and cloths in place. It's not rocket science but I'm constantly amazed at how people get these basics so wrong. Often the fire isn't lit and by the time the host starts ripping the chicken drumsticks out of their plastic covers or runs the rump through the microwave to defrost it then everyone is not only starving but suffering from alcoholic poisoning.
They say if you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen, I reckon if you don't understand the heat then you should get out of the kitchen. If you place meat in an oil based marinade and put it on a hot heat source you get seared, grilled meat but if the braai is not up to speed what you get is stewed meat. Choose the right marinade, cook at the right temperature, resist the temptation to poke, prod, prick and constantly play with the food, cook on one side and the turn once only with tongs and don't serve straight from the braai, chefs always allow meats to rest for 10 minutes or so before carving - do the same with your braai meats.
Finally a word about that " special " elusive flavour, Joe's unbelievable barbequed ribs, steaks to die for doll, lamb chops like we used to have in Zim in the old days - use whatever you feel happy with but remember 2 truths. Firstly when you apply heat to sugar and tomato they caramelise and burn, burnt caramel does not taste nice. Take a second to read what it says on the label about the ingredients in your favourite commercial marinade or barbeque sauce and then proceed at your own peril. Chefs prefer to use olive oil based marinades with fresh herbs, toasted spices, speciality vinegars or even yoghurts. Secondly salt is never added to marinades as it dries out the finished item, that includes the high level of salt in commercial preparations and finally any seasoning should be added to the meat at the end of the cooking process and not the start. Follow these simple rules and then phone me on 3768 55454 and I'll be round in a flash.
Foodwizard's Really Weird Brandy and Coke Marinade for red meats
750 ml coca cola light
250 ml light soy sauce
30 ml lime juice
60 ml brandy
200 g chopped onions
20 g grated naartjie peel
30 g chopped garlic
20 g chopped chillis
1 stick cinnamon
1 star anise
30 ml oil
Gently fry the onion in oil to lightly colour. It should take about 15 minutes. Add all the other solids and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Place cooked mix and all other ingredients in a blender and zap. Remember only use marinades once and then discard.

Interested in pickling? Click here for some great pickling recipes.

The UK Lottery never pays less than £3 million every Wednesday and Saturday (± R43 million) with frequent rollovers. You can get your ticket securely by clicking here.

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My Recipe CD has now been updated and now includes 50 Recipe eBooks as well as 8 Bonus eBooks (4 eBooks on making, marketing and selling crafts for profit) Click here to take a look and also download your free Low Fat recipe eBook (that works out to about R2 per recipe book! sheessshhh!)

Hello Peter,
Just to let you know that I received my recipe CD today in the mail and I'm over the moon about it.
I'm going to spread the word to others to order copies too. It's most certainly worth every cent..........
Thanks again,
LC

Glenacres Superspar sends out a really nice newsletter full of super recipes. To subscribe, click here and send the blank email. 

Here is a quick and easy cake for all you microwave addicts:

MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
60ml Oil
2 ½ Tbsp Cocoa
250ml (1 cup) Self Raising Flour
250ml Sugar
250ml Boiling Water
Pinch of Salt

1. Mix together all the ingredients
2. Pour into a greased Tupperware Jel-o-ring
3. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes

Go take a look at my Wacky Sarmies page, there are some great sarmie ideas!

From Angie:

2 slices of bread
Beefy Bovril(Fray Bentos)
Soft Fried egg in Rama Margarine

I cut the sandwich into 4 and dip it into All gold tomato sauce.
My son loves it too..
I wash it down with a nice big glass of cold Milo, or Chocolate nesquick!!

Here are tips number 26 to 59 (1 to 25 in previous newsletter)

How can I eat more veggies?

26. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3 PM.

27. Doctor your veggies to make them delicious: Dribble maple syrup over carrots, and sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans.

28. Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.

29. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.

30. Rediscover the sweet potato.

31. Use prebagged baby spinach everywhere: as "lettuce" in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta and added to salads.

32. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.

33. Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful
ones such as oranges, mangoes and melons).

34. Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave and top with your favorite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day.
Makes a great quick dinner.

Can you give me a mantra that will help me stick to my diet?

35. "The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period."

36. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."

37. "I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forego a cookie now."

38. "I am a work in progress."

39. "It's more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating."

I eat healthy, but I'm overweight. What mistakes could I be making without realizing it?

40. Skipping meals. Many healthy eaters "diet by day and binge by night."

41. Don't "graze" yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.

42. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.

43. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks.

44. Ignoring "Serving Size" on the Nutrition Facts panel.

45. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.

46. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal.

What can I eat for a healthy low-cal dinner if I don't want to cook?

47. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit and wheat germ.

48. The smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-cal beverage. Then at home, have an apple or baby carrots.

49. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple.

50. Precooked chicken trips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.

51. A healthy frozen entree with a salad and a glass of 1 percent milk.

52. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!

53. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

54. Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced- fat cheese and low-cal Italian dressing.

55. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, mustard with horseradish.

56. Heat up a can of good soup.

57. Cereal, fruit, and fat-free milk makes a good meal anytime.

58. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway.

59. Precut fruit for salad and add yogurt.

Source: Sunday Times

1939: Hitler invades Poland, sparking World War 2. Jan Smuts becomes SA Prime Minister for the second time. Gone with the Wind premieres, also The Wizard of Oz. The first KFC is opened. The Ossewa Brandwag is founded. The Springboks and the MCC played their famous Timeless Test. It was agreed that the match would continue till there was a result. It was abandoned as a draw after 10 days and nearly 2000 runs because the England team's boat home was about to leave.

This dates from the 1890's and is from a book titled  Cape Cookery, Simple Yet Distinctive.

Potato fritters

Mash 1 lb mealy potatoes while hot. Mix with them 2 oz. butter, a little salt, 3 well beaten eggs, 2 oz. sugar, and ½ a grated nutmeg. Stir well, and drop some of the mixture into boiling lard a spoonful at a time. Fry a delicate brown, and serve with lemon and sugar.

I came across the following amongst the recipes on my computer, source unknown:

Just when you thought you should be making Chateaubriand of quail on a parsnip rosti with fine beans in a soy and mirin veloute, food trendsetters say you should make Bunny Chow.

This only-in-South-Africa combination of Asian curry, European bread, and South African apartheid was originally created in Kapitan's Vegetarian Eating House on the corner of Victoria and Grey streets in Durban.

Back in the bad old days, the traditional fare at Kapitan's was a bean curry and a few slices of bread in a bowl, commonly known as a "penny bread and beans". But because of apartheid laws, black customers were not allowed inside the restaurant, and with no Styrofoam packaging, the owner started selling quarter loaves of bread filled with curry, wrapped in newspaper and sold with a soft drink (traditionally Cream Soda, to cool the sting of the curry).

Another theory is that Bunny Chow originated in the KZN region, when the first Indians landed to work in the sugar fields. The workers didn't have time to make the traditional Indian beads, so had Western bread with the curries. Since it was cumbersome to carry the curries in separate containers, they cut the bread loaf in half, hollowed the soft part of the bread and filled it with their favourite curry, topped it with the soft bread, wrapped it, and off they went to work.

Sadly, Kapitan's Vegetarian Restaurant, who had counted Indira Gandhi and footballer, Bruce Grobelaar among their customers, was closed down in 2002 after trading for 80 years (the owners of the building cancelled the lease). Today The Gulzar Bunny Emporium in affluent Umhlanga has become the first "gourmet" bunny chow restaurant in the country. Besides its unique shape, the bread comes in five different flavours - pepper, garlic, cumin, aniseed and sesame and patrons can select their bread and then create their own bunny via a buffet for just R29.

But why is it called Bunny Chow? Your guess is as good as mine, as there are as many explanations as there are fillings. Some believe the chubby appearance of the meal resembles the body of a bunny rabbit. Another theory is that "Bunny Chow" is a combination of "bun" and "achar" or "atchar" a spicy Indian/Malay pickle or relish. Over the years "bun achar" came to be pronounced "bunny chow".

Yet another says the name comes from the words "banya chow." Banya was an old name for the Indian population in Durban. Some insist the term Bunny originated from the fact that the bunny chow can only be eaten with hands, imitating the rabbit. The word Chow, was a cliché used for food.

Others say it's because it's a kind of bun, while, Indian playwright Ronnie Govender maintains the eating houses in Grey and Victoria Streets served a distinctive Gujarat-style of vegetarian cooking called "bhunia" - hence the name.

Finally, some say a man known as Bunia started selling hollowed-out half loaves of bread filled with Gujerati-style broad bean curry in his takeaway. Bunia became bunny and eventually the strictly vegetarian fast food was adapted to include meat.

Traditionally, bunny chow is a hollowed-out quarter, half or full loaf of bread filled with any available curry including vegetarian, beef, mutton, chicken or beans. If you're using meat, boneless is best (for practical reasons).

The Bunny Chow should be freshly made out of mature curry (curried mince is also delish) and the centre bread - or virgin, as some call it - is first removed to make room for the curry, then placed on top of the Bunny before it's wrapped. The virgin is also eaten, of course, mopping up the gravy. Some chefs add sambals to their Bunnies but you don't have to. A fingerbowl and plenty of napkins are a must. And don't mind outsider stares.

There's nothing that beats the real thing, but if you want to, or really can't find a loaf of white bread, you may use ciabatta rolls instead. But it won't be Bunny Chow, or anywhere near Proudly South African, now would it!

So there you have it, if you haven't yet made or eaten a Bunny Chow, what are you waiting for?

Nature is wonderful. I envy the jobs of the game rangers and their wealth of bush knowledge. I have often wondered where one can read up on all the interesting facts. I would like to make this a regular feature of this newsletter, if you are able to contribute or would like to comment on the contribution below, please email me.

Here are some facts you might or might not have been aware of:

Heart and liver: The elephant heart weights 22kg and circulates about 450 litres of blood. Inner "cleaning" is performed by a 77kg liver.
Water and trunk: To drink it's 9 litres of water at a time, the elephant uses its trunk which weighs 113kgs.
Tongue: Helping the swallowing process is a 12kg elephant tongue.
Food and intestines: The approximately 250kg food eaten every day passes through 18m of intestines. Eventually processed into about 100kg of elephant dung per day.
Digestion: Elephants only digest about 40% of what they eat, and therefore, they need to spend two-thirds of every day eating.
Gas: An elephant 'releases' 2000 litres of methane gas per day!
Skin: Its skin weighs 450-750 kg.
Tail: The tail weighs 11 kgs.
Fighting: The longest recorded fight between two elephants was recorded at 10 hours and 56 minutes.
Matriarch: Elephant herds consist of females and the young. A herd is led by a matriarch (grandmother). As young males reached maturity they are chased away by the herd. Bull elephants join the herd for mating.
Gestation: An elephant's gestation (conception to birth) is 23 months.
Sound Most of the communication between elephants occurs at an infrasound level.
Call: It is estimated that an area of fifty square kilometres is filled with particular elephant "call" in infrasound. This might increase to about three hundred square kilometres  at dusk due to lower temperatures.
Eyes: An elephant’s eyes are very small in relation to its head. The eye contains very few photoreceptors and they cannot see very well further than a few hundred feet.
Speed: A herd ambles at about 4 miles per hour and can charge at more than 25 miles per hour.
No jumping: Elephants cannot run or jump. They can however walk very fast and climb.
Swimming: They can swim considerable distances. In deep water they hold their trunks above the water like periscopes.
Trunk: An elephant’s trunk is the most versatile of all mammalian creations being used as a nose, arm, hand and multipurpose tool. It is powerful enough to kill a lion with a single swipe, yet the finger-like lobes at the end are adept enough to pluck a feather from the ground.
Trunk muscles: The trunk is boneless, and is composed of an estimated 40 000 muscles.
Tusks: Elephant’s tusks are elongated upper incisor teeth, which grow continuously throughout the elephant’s life. They are not always an exact match, as this depends on which side they favour much like left and right-handed humans.
Ears: An elephant’s ears are covered in veins, which form distinct and unique patterns which can be used to identify individuals - much like human fingerprints. An elephants ears are packed with blood vessels, and when flapped, they quickly lower the animal’s body temperature. This swiftly circulating blood is cooled by about 15 degrees Fahrenheit while in the elephant’s ear.

From: Zulucam 

Do you have family and friends all over the world? Does it cost you a fortune to buy and mail gifts to all of them? Why not buy one Recipe eBook and email it to everyone! Just think about the savings on postage! For my selection of eBooks (and CD's) just click here.

Afrikaans Newsletter

Subscribe to my Afrikaans newsletter
 

Potjiekos recipe

Another new feature, from now on I will feature a potjie recipe with each newsletter. For those of you who are not familiar with a potjie (cast iron three legged pot) you may use a dutch oven.

Venison potjie with dried fruit

Ingredients
25 ml oil
1 kg venison, such as springbok, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
5 ml whole cloves
5 ml mustard powder
5 ml dried (or 10 ml fresh parsley)
5 ml braai spice
salt and milled black pepper
340 ml beer
500 ml Coca-Cola
75 ml Worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapple pieces in juice
250 g mixed dried fruit
125 ml chutney
50 ml natural yoghurt

Method:
Heat the oil and brown the meat in batches. Don't do too much at once as the meat will draw water. Remove the meat from the pot. Fry the onion and garlic in the remaining oil, adding more if necessary and add the spices. Stir-fry for another minute. Add the meat, beer, Coca-Cola and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about two hours or until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and cook or another hour. Stir in the yoghurt shortly before serving. Serve with rice or mealie pap and a salad. Serves 4-6.
 

Smile a While

Definitions
The Washington Post asked readers to take any word from the dictionary... alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter... and supply a new definition!

1) Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2) Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
3) Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
4) Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
5) Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
6) Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
7) Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
8) Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

ROMANCE MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

A Lesson in Name Changing - All this name changing can be VERY confusing. Someone who left South Africa a few years ago will now be totally lost:

 I phoned a colleague in Cape Town and wanted to leave a message.
"Please ask him to phone me in Polokwane," I said.

"Where?" his secretary asked, sounding as if she had bitten into a
lemon, "Polokwane, where's that?"

"Between Mokopane and Makhado in Limpopo ," I said.

"Where is that?" she asked patiently.

I could hear she thought she had a joker on the line.

"Well, "I explained, "you drive from Tshwane past Bela-Bela and Modimolle through the tollgate. Continue past Mokopane but watch your speed as speed traps make lots of money from those travelling too fast.
Polokwane is just after Mokopane but if you reach Makahado you have gone too far." I wasn't sure how we'd ended up on the road route when all I wanted was a telephone call.

"Just hold it right there, sir," she interrupted. "Where is Makhado?"

"Between Polokwane and Musina," I said, trying to be helpful.

"Excuse me, sir, but where is Musina?"

"Musina is between Makhado and Harare."

"Do you live in Harare ?" she asked as if she'd suddenly seen the light.

"No," I said, "I am trying to explain where Polokwane is."

"In Zimbabwe?" she asked hopefully.

"No, in Limpopo," I corrected her.

She gave a helpless sigh and said: "Please can we start again."

I thought at this stage she might be thinking she was live on air with Leon Schuster and she became a bit wary. "Where is Tshwane?"

"That's easy," I said, "between Bela-Bela and Egoli."

"No sir, I mean the town."

"So do I," said I, figuring she was now into soapies while I was still on the road, so to speak.

"Egoli is on the other side of Tshwane when coming from the direction of Bela-Bela," I said.

"Excuse me, have you perhaps had too much to drink?"

"No," I said, "I am not drunk. They changed the name."

"Do you mean someone has changed your name?"

"Not my name, the town's name."

"What town's name?"

"Pietersburg."

"You live in Pietersburg!" she cried with delight.

I could detect the dawn of understanding. "No," I said, "I live in Polokwane, formerly known as Pietersburg."

"No ***?" she blurted.

"No ***!" I confirmed.

"So you're phoning from Polokwane previously known as Pietersburg?"

"Exactly."

"Now what were all the other names you mentioned?"

I realised the poor lass needed a lesson in the geography of our country pretty quickly, so I explained: "Egoli is Johannesburg . Tshwane is Pretoria If you travel north you pass Bela-Bela, formerly Warmbaths, after that Modimolle that was Nylstroom and Potgietersrust that is Mokopane now. After Mokopane you get Polokwane that was Pietersburg, then Louis Trichardt that became Makhado. After you have passed Makhado you get Musina that was originally Messina ."

"And Musina is by the Limpopo !" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Yes," I said, "but the Limpopo I was speaking of is the province."

"What do you call the river then?"

" Limpopo," I said.

"Blerry hell!"

I got the following from Pat in Aussie

FOR IMMEDIATE SALE

· Open topped tour bus (ideal for hubristic "Victory Parade" or similar)
· Four-hour booking of Trafalgar Square (booked months ago, now not required)
· 2 tonnes of confetti
· 10,000 copies of CD recording of 'Jerusalem' sang by English cricket team (need to offload ASAP; make good coasters)
· 40,000 miniature Union Jack flags (pre-ordered, now no takers)
· Box full of MBEs, OBEs and other miscellaneous gongs (can't find anyone to pin them on)
· Trophy cabinet (empty, used for only 14 months and won't be needed again)
· Smug, self-satisfied smirk (recently wiped off)

Everything must go!!
All serious offers considered!!
Enquiries to:

Mr F Flintoff c/o
England & Wales Cricket Board
Lords
London NW8 8QZ

There were Five country churches in a small TEXAS town:
The Presbyterian Church , the Baptist Church , the Methodist Church, the Catholic Church and the Jewish Synagogue.

Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels .

One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels.
After much prayer and consideration they Determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will..

In The BAPTIST CHURCH the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.

The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

But -- The Catholic CHURCH came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter

Not much was heard about the Jewish Synagogue, they took one squirrel and had a short service with him called a Bris (circumcision) and they haven't seen a squirrel on the property since!

Dill

For many, when you think dill weed you think pickles. Did you know that Americans alone consume more than nine pounds of pickles per person each year? In Europe and Asia, dill has long been a staple herb. What’s a seafood dish without the crisp flavour of dill?

Dill weed is botanically known as Anethum graveolens. It is a member of the parsley family and it’s native home was eastern Mediterranean region and western Asia. The word dill comes from an old Norse word dylla, meaning to soothe or lull. It dates back in writing to around 3000 B.C. where its mention was found in Egyptian medical text books.

The leaves, flowers, seeds are all edible. The plant has thin, feathery green leaves, of which only about the top eight inches are used. It is very easy to grow at home in the garden or in containers. Dill weed has a flavor likened to mild caraway or fennel leaves (it even looks a bit like fennel).

Note: If you grow your own dill, be aware that the mature seeds are toxic to birds.

Dill weed contains the chemical carvone, which has a calming effect and aids with digestion by relieving the discomfort of intestinal gas. The seeds are also high in calcium: 1 tablespoon provides an equivalent of 1/3 cup of milk. Dill is said to promote lactation in nursing mothers and has been historically used as a weak tea given to babies to ease colic, encourage sleep, and get rid of hiccups.

Romans considered dill good luck and also used it as a tonic. A couple of centuries ago, parents would give dill seeds to children to chew during church services to keep them quiet and alert during long sermons. This usage caused them to be called "meetin' seeds."

Dill Cream Dressing

Great on cucumbers and a wonderful dressing for potato salad too!
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped, fresh
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Beat together all ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. More mustard and some lemon juice can be added to suit individual taste.
Milk or cream can be added for a thinner dressing. Chill an hour or more before serving.
 

South African Languages

South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others - African, European, Asian and more - are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.
The country's Constitution guarantees equal status to 11 official languages to cater for the country's diverse peoples and their cultures. These are: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.

In each issue I will feature one of the languages.

IsiZulu
IsiZulu is the language of South Africa's largest ethnic group, the Zulu people, who take their name from the chief who founded the royal line in the 16th century. The warrior king Shaka raised the nation to prominence in the early 19th century. The current monarch is King Goodwill Zwelithini.

A tonal language and one of the country's four Nguni languages, isiZulu is closely related to isiXhosa. It is probably the most widely understood African language in South Africa, spoken from the Cape to Zimbabwe but mainly concentrated in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The writing of Zulu was started by missionaries in what was then Natal in the 19th century, with the first Zulu translation of the bible produced in 1883. The first work of isiZulu literature was Thomas Mofolo's classic novel Chaka, which was completed in 1910 and published in 1925, with the first English translation produced in 1930. The book reinvents the legendary Zulu king Shaka, portraying him as a heroic but tragic figure, a monarch to rival Shakespeare's Macbeth.
• Home language to: 23.8% of the population
• Family: Bantu Language Family
• Varieties:Tthe central KwaZulu variety, the KwaZulu coast variety, the Natal coast variety, the lower Natal coast variety, the south west Natal variety, the northern Natal variety, the northern-Swati border variety, the Natal-Eastern Cape border variety and some urban varieties
 

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.
 

Recipe Requests

Looking for a specific South African recipe? Email me and I will do my best to find it for you!

Add your suggestions to my Elephant Stew and Wacky Sarmies recipes.
 

Featured Website

Every issue I feature an interesting website with South African links.
 

South African Production House for Television and Corporate Communication They are responsible for one of my favourite TV programs - Groen

 

The Recipes

PASTA WITH 3 SAUCES

500g Pasta of your choice, cooked as per instructions on the packet

BOLOGNESE SAUCE
500g Minced Meat
1 Tin Tomatoes
1 Small Tin Tomato Paste
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Carrots, Peeled and Finely Chopped
2 Sticks Celery, Finely Chopped
2 Cups Dry White Wine
1 tsp Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
Salt & Black Pepper
A Little Olive Oil
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and brown the meat
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes

TOMATO SAUCE
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
2 Large Onions, Finely Chopped
Parmasan Cheese
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the onions lightly
2. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes
3. Sprinkle with cheese before serving

ARRABBIATA SAUCE
1 Tin Tomatoes
1 Fresh Chilli
6 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Chopped, Fried Bacon or Ham
1. Bring all the ingredients to the boil gently, allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then add the bacon or ham

Serve the pasta in a large serving dish with the sauces on the side. Finely grated mozzarella of parmesan cheese can be served with the pasta and a green salad


Bacon and mushroom pasta

375 g spaghetti
6 rashers bacon, sliced
200 g big brown mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
410 g one can Nestlé Ideal Milk
125 ml dry white wine
15 ml cornflour

Method:
Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet, drain, keep warm.
Heat pan, add bacon, cook 2 minutes.
Add mushrooms.
Cook further 2 minutes.
Add shallots and combined remaining ingredients.
Cook stirring until sauce boils and thickens.
Pour sauce over pasta, toss to combine.

Biltong and pasta salad

Ingredients
DRESSING
50 ml prepared honey mustard
50 ml apple cider vinegar
150 ml sunflower oil
20 ml freshly chopped parsley
SALAD
150 g beef biltong
500 g gnocchi shells
10 peppadews, sliced
2 yellow peppers, cubed
1 onion, finely chopped
6 courgettes, sliced and lightly fried
100 g feta cheese, cubed

Method:
1. DRESSING: Whisk mustard and vinegar together until well mixed. Add oil slowly, whisking continuously. Stir in the parsley. 2. SALAD: Pour dressing over biltong and allow to stand for half an hour. Cook pasta according to pack instructions. Drain and mix in biltong and dressing to coat the pasta well. Allow to cool. 3. Add all remaining ingredients, toss well to combine and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cheesy sausage pasta

Ingredients
400 g spaghetti
10 ml sunflower oil
4 frankfurters
4 spring onions, sliced
350 ml ready-prepared white sauce
100 g blue cheese, crumbled
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets
80 ml unsalted peanuts, roasted

Method:
Boil pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente. Heat half the oil and fry frankfurters for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the pan, slice and set aside. Heat remaining oil and add spring onions to the pan. Fry for 30 seconds, then stir in the prepared white sauce and blue cheese. Simmer gently for 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Boil broccoli in a little water until tender. Drain well. Drain pasta and add sausages and broccoli. Toss well to combine. Stir in the sauce, season to taste and sprinkle with roasted peanuts. Serves 4.

Chicken & pasta bake

Ingredients
30 ml butter
1 onion, sliced in rings
1 red pepper, sliced in julienne strips
1 punnet fresh brown mushrooms, sliced
3 small courgettes, sliced
10 ml garlic Italian seasoning mix
500 ml cooked chicken, chopped
500 ml fusilli, cooked
400 ml cheese sauce
190 ml Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:
Sauté onion, red pepper and mushrooms in butter until soft, then add courgettes and seasoning and cook for another minute. Combine vegetable mixture, chicken, fusilli and cheese sauce. Mix well and place in ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 180 ºC for 30 minutes. Serves 4-6.

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