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Hi there!
Hope you are
all keeping well! I have added some new stuff to my website, a
Travel page with interesting links and clickable
maps to help you plan your South African holiday and find accommodation,
(also a link to a great site with UK and European holidays).
Herbs page with a new herb added with every
Newsletter I send out, and a
Shopping page where you can shop online.
Did you know that
you can ski in South Africa? Tiffendell is the main resort in SA,
click here to take a look at their slope through their webcam!. Keep
this link, in winter time it must be beautiful!
The theme for this
Newsletter is Sidedishes, more specifically BBQ and Potjie sidedishes. I
have griddle cakes, pot bread, salads and dumplings, so if you want a
slightly different bbq or potjie next time, scroll down and try some of
the recipes. One that I am certainly going to try real soon is the Tswana
dumplings or dambie, a different way to prepare dumplings!
I inquired about "skottel-braais"
in my previous newsletter and one of the replies I got was from someone
working for a firm in Pretoria that manufactures cement mixers. Where the
gearbox is mounted they cut out a circular piece of steel that looks
exactly like a "skottel". These they sell for scrap metal. So I went there
and got myself two "skottels" at a VERY reasonable price. My
brother-in-law will now weld on 3 feet and a handle for me and for his
trouble I will give him one of the "skottels". The feet and handle will
screw out to make transportation easy! These are ideal for preparing
a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs over the coals while camping!
Have you ever had a
Bunny Chow? A WHAT?? I can hear you say? As far as I am convinced it's the
best thing since sliced bread. The article below will explain fully, but
for outdoors I think its ideal! No dishes to wash or get rid of,
everything is eaten! The following is courtesy of the
Food 24 newsletter
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 breads, 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.
Click here for the complete article on Food 24
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A Bunny Chow I
enjoyed at the Carnival City food court |
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There you go, next
time when you invite friends around, be different and serve each a Bunny
Chow!
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Reduce your monthly short
term insurance premium,
click here for a free online quotation!
And while you are busy,
click here and apply online for your Barclaycard or Manchester
United card! |
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The
Herb Section - Tarragon |
The name
"tarragon" derives from the Latin word for "dragon", which is also
it's Afrikaans name. This is possibly because it has a fiery
taste, or because it's roots are serpent-like. It was once
believed to cure bites from venomous creatures.
There are different varieties of tarragon. The Russian is much
hardier than the other varieties. The French tarragon has a
coarser flavour, and can be distinguished from the Russian by it's
thicker, coarser leaves. French tarragon is an indispensable
ingredient in French cuisine.
Tarragon is a perennial plant, which dies down in winter, sending
up new growth in spring.
Tarragon likes light, well-drained soil in the sun or partial
shade. All it needs is a yearly dressing of compost. A spadeful of
compost per plant should be dug in during the dormant winter
period. In autumn, cut the plant back to 5cm and cover with a
layer of grass and leaves to protect the leaves from winter frost.
Tarragon grows up to a metre tall, and leaves can be picked at any
time, with the main crop being harvested in late summer.
Tarragon will attract butterflies to your garden.
DOMESTIC USES
Tough leaves and stalks are quickly broken down when tarragon is
added to your compost heap.
COSMETIC USES
Tarragon was once thought to be a very good antiseptic for skin
problems.
A crushed tarragon leaf pressed over a pimple, helps bring it to a
head quickly.
MEDICINAL USES
Tarragon leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals.
If chewed, tarragon leaves with sweeten the breath and act as a
soporific.
An infusion is a good appetite stimulant and an aid to digestion.
Leaves, pressed onto a aching tooth will ease the pain.
CULINARY USES
Tarragon is used to make tarragon vinegar. Add several sprays of
tarragon to a good white vinegar, leave in the sun for 100 hours,
replacing the tarragon about ten times. Strain, rebottle and add a
fresh spray of tarragon for decoration.
Tarragon added to butter, makes a delicious herb butter for meats
and vegetables.
Add tarragon to chicken stuffing, preserves, pickles and mustards.
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Thanks to everyone who has mailed us fridge magnets depicting your
State, City or Country.
If you collect fridge magnets, I will gladly swop with you!
Please
email
me and we can make arrangements. Thanx a lot! |
My website is interactive, there are a few
pages you can contribute to:
Elephant Stew -
add
your suggestion 
Wacky Sarmies - add your fav sarmie (some great sarmie ideas here!)
Animal Facts - Some
interesting stuff here
Discussion Forum - Add to a current discussion or start a new thread.
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Why not post a message on the
Discussion Forum. The topic can be food, wildlife, travel or
photography related, or anything else of interest. Let's see if we can
get some interesting discussions going |
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Griddle Cakes
Very easy to prepare and a hit with the kids!
500 ml self raising flour
5 ml salt
1 egg
50 ml cooking oil
milk
water
Sift the flour and salt together. Break the egg in a 250 ml measuring cup and add the oil. Fill the cup to the 250 ml mark with a mixture of milk and water. Beat well.
Mix the flour and liquid to a form of dough. Shape into little balls and flatten them with your hand. bake the cakes for 12-15 minutes on a
griddle over the coals, turning them once.
Serve hot with butter and syrup.
Biltong and Beer Pot Bread
Here we use a flat bottomed cast iron pot.
500 g self raising flour
1 tin beer (as you can see, this is a guy thing!)
finely grated biltong
1 ml salt
Combine all the ingredients and place in a greased flat-bottomed pot. Cover with the lid and bake in an oven at 180C for 45 minutes.
Or alternatively place pot on some charcoal briquettes and place some on the
lid as well, I find that about 5 briquettes underneath the pot and 4 on the
lid will do the trick.
Curried Peach salad
1 900 g can peach slices
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
300 g sugar
500 ml white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon turmeric
6 - 8 onions, sliced into rings
1 1/2 tablespoon cornflour blended with a little water
Boil vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt and onion rings until onions are soft. Add peaches with syrup and sugar. Boil gently until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in cornflour and heat through until mixture thickens. Cool and serve cold at your
bbq.
Savoury Fritters
1 large potato
1 large tomato
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 large onion
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 cup milk
seasoning
Grate all vegetables and cheese, combine with sifted flour, eggs and milk to form fairly stiff batter. Fry until golden brown. Serve hot with a meat dish.
Pap and Cheese Bake
Pap aka mieliepap, maize meal porridge, putupap etc.
Maize meal is arguably the staple food for most of the population of Africa. Apart from making a delicious breakfast porridge it has now also taken its place in our outdoor cooking culture and is a firm favourite at a bbq in various forms, from stywe pap (cooked to a well set stiff dish) to krummelpap (a crumbly texture.) Add a tomato and onion sauce spiced up with a dash of tobasco and you have a side dish fit for a king.
1.2 litres water (1 1/2 pints)
5 ml salt
300 gram mealie (maize) meal (500 ml)
30-50 ml butter
200 gram cheddar cheese (500 ml)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 ml black pepper
5 ml dried or 15 ml chopped fresh origanum
15 ml grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
250 ml milk
3 ml salt or seasoning salt
Bring the water and salt to the boil. Add the mealie meal mixing well. Cover with the lid and simmer for 20-30 minutes until done. Stir in the butter and half the cheese. Using a wooden spoon, press half the hot pap into a greased 20 cm X 20 cm ovenproof dish. Arrange half the tomato slices on top and season with pepper and origanum. Cover with the remaining pap and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese and the parmesan over. Beat the eggs, milk and salt together and pour over the pap.
Bake at 180ºC for 80 minutes or until the egg mixture has set. Arrange the remaining tomato slices on top 20 minutes before baking time expires. Serve hot.
Chakalaka
Chakalaka is as South African as rugby, braaivleis and sunny skies! Even
Chevrolet is back now!
Chakalaka is an ideal side dish or usually eaten with pap at the barbeque.
This is how you make it:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cabbage, shredded
1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
3 carrots, grated or julienned
2 - 3 chillies (depending on taste)
2 tomatoes, chopped
410 gram can baked beans in tomato sauce (optional)
salt to taste
Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and pepper until soft. Add cabbage,
cauliflower and carrots and cook until limp. Add remaining ingredients and
simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve as a side dish at braais or over pap
Dambie ( the Tswana name for "dumplings")
If you can make dumplings with stew, why not with potjiekos?
sample this true African cuisine.
To cover a saucy meat stew or potjiekos:
2 cups bread flour
1 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
Sift the dry ingredients together into a deep bowl. Add the egg and lukewarm water and mix well for about 5 minutes, till it forms a very soft , sticky dough, rather approaching a thick batter. Alternatively you can whip it up using a food processor.
Let dough rise for 2 hours covered. Scoop the frothy, soft dough onto the stew and quickly stroke it to spread evenly on top.
Shut the lid and do not lift till ready, about 30 minutes, or else it may implode into a chewy mess. Then insert a skewer into the dumpling, if it comes out clean it is cooked.
Enjoy!
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