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When I started this blog I debated choosing either Africa Dreams or Africa Dreaming as a name for it. I didn’t want to restrict it to cooking and recipes so Afri Chef wasn’t suitable. Anyway I chose Africa Dreams. Looking at the paucity of posts and reviewing my family’s recent history the better name would have been AFRICAN NIGHTMARE
This year alone I’ve managed to get myself hospitalized 4 times as an emergency case, and more often than not admission to the ICU ward.
Towards the end of last year my daughter slipped and fell at university fracturing one of her vertebra. This meant a week in hospital and thereafter 6 weeks in a full body brace, not being allowed to sit for the entire period… She could stand or lie down so couldn’t work at her computer…This didn’t help her progress for her Master of Music degree.
A couple of weeks ago, while I was in hospital, 4 armed men broke through our back security gate, tied up my daughter and our domestic help and then proceeded to ransack the house… This was an unmitigated disaster. However, when I consider what could have happened to my daughter and/or the domestic I have reason to be extremely thankful that only replaceable (in the main) goods were taken.
All the above, together with the fact that I enjoyed (major sarcasm) 5 hospital stays during the latter half of last year, conspired to prevent me publishing anything to this blog, sending out my free newsletter or adding anything new to my various websites. I have however recently added a section on pasta to the Afri Chef side of this website. The section comprises some interesting facts about pasta and some easy but delicious pasta recipes.
I’ve also started putting the long overdue newsletter together.
If there’s any truth in the postulation that the universe strives to achieve balance I should be on the brink of a pretty wonderful period… Let’s wait and see.
Well in spite of my optimism in my first post this year things haven’t turned out as I had hoped.
In fact I’ve succeeded in being admitted to hospital on three separate occasions this year.
The first time for a stroke, the second for pneumonia and the third for a major asthma attack.
The good news is that the strike was a minor one and I have basically recovered from it. Probably the worst experience was the asthma attack which resulted in me spending some time in ICU before being transferred to high care and after that for full recovery to the ward.
However, all the above including the necessary recovery time after leaving hospital has resulted in me not posting to this blog as I had initially anticipated and the work I had almost completed in so far as the diabetic section of the website is concerned has been left in abeyance.
Hopefully, in the spirit of optimism that I stated at the beginning of this year, as I have now recovered sufficiently to recommence my Internet endeavors, the rest of the year will prove to be extremely fruitful. In fact it has to be to make up for the last 18 or so months given that according to Universal principles there has to be some kind of balance. This being the case expect to see some major improvements/additions to this website and to the others that I have.
To plagarise a comment used by Queen Elizabeth II some time ago…2006 was an incredibly disasterous year as far as I was concerned.
In February my wife and daughter and daughter’s boyfriend where hijacked by armed gunmen in the driveway of our house. The *&(%$#@** got away with 2 cars, a 4 month old Kia Cerato and a BMW… However that wasn’t the major concern the worst was the trauma suffered by my wife & daughter and the boyfriend, all of whom had to undergo lengthy psychological counselling.
This was followed by my being diagnosed with cancer on my birthday (of all days) The initial biopsy revealed I had lymphoma. The subsequent Cat Scan and bone marrow biopsy showed that the lymphoma had spread to all my lymph glands and that I had mantle cells… This was pretty traumatic as the prognosis for mantle cell lymphoma is pretty grim. Average life expectancy being 1 year with only 5% responding to Chemotherapy, giving an average of another 18 months.
They retested to establish which of the 4 types of mantle cells I had… I waited 7 (working) days for the results, under sentence of death… The results showed that the first test had been an anomaly and no mantle cells were present…Talk about reprieve.
So…although I still have lymphoma it’s one of the very slow ones. As the oncologist said, “If I had to pick a cancer I should pick the one I’ve got, because average life expectancy is 28 years” At my age 28 years is somewhat irrelevant as I’ll die from something else before then.
However the cancer scare, coming on top of the hijacking, meant more trauma and counselling for my wife & daughter…
There were a couple of other unpleasant occurances, not for publication but altogether they resulted in some very trying months…As a result this blog and website, together with a couple of others were left very much alone throughout most of the year.
Offsetting the unpleasantness was the fact that, as a family we have drawn closer together in adversity and my daughter obtained her B.Mus degree cum laude.
Hopefully 2007 will be a totally different and happier year. In fact having a positive outlook I am very sure it will be…I’ll be putting up more than a few new pages on this site which I have almost ready…This will include a very much expanded diabetic section. together with some other interesting pages including an enlarged piece on South African Rooibos tea and South African Hoodia (bet most of you didn’t know the San knew about Hoodia centuries ago)
Michael
I’ve added a new section to my AFRICHEF website.
Yes, you’ve guessed! It’s general information about DIABETES and PRE_DIABETES together with a selection of DIABETIC RECIPES from the DELICIOUS DIABETIC RECIPES COOKBOOK which is for sale at US$14.95. Since the book contains over 500 specially selected diabetic recipes it’s a steal at this price.
Why should a website devoted to African recipes contain a section about diabetes and diabetic recipes, you might well ask? It’s rather simple actually! My wife Carol, a registered nurse and the Regional LIfe Underwriting Manager of a large multi-national Life Assurance Company, was diagnosed with Late Onset Diabetes 3 years ago.
In spite of her being a nurse the news that she was diabetic was rather traumatic. We thought that we’d have to change our lifestyle completely and that our previous enjoyment of food was something of the past. We believed that we faced a life of bland, boring and tasteless cuisine in order to comply with the restrictions of a DIABETIC DIET Nothing could have been further from the truth, we just had to learn to cook a little differently…
I set up the DIABETIC RECIPE section of the AFRICHEF website to show people that they could eat cookies, cakes and desserts that were equally as good and tasty as non-diabetic foods…
In fact not only are they far healthier for diabetics and non diabetics alike, they are often tastier…
Have a look at some of the sample diabetic recipes from the DIABETES and DIABETIC RECIPES section of my website, you’ll be glad you did.
BTW:- Carol has a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
Today I finalised, as much as a website is ever final, my new website.
Cooking is one of my passions, but if I had only one then life would be pretty boring and a single passion often turns to boring drudgery if not interspersts with something else.
If you have read “Meet the Chef” on main site, of which this blog is a part, you will have noted that I spent my early years in the veldt accompanied by my Rhodesian Ridgeback. Since then dogs have formed an integral part of my life. My family currently has 3 Yorkshire Terriers. I would love a big dog but since I feel that our garden is too small I share, somewhat reluctantly, the Yorkies with my wife and daughter.
My new site All the dog information you need makes for pretty good reading and will certainly help you understand your dog.
Michael
Well if you like spinach then this could very well be for you.
In a way this spinach quiche resembles the South African Souttert (Salt Tart is a literal translation, actually SoutTert is a savoury or sweet/savoury tart)
However, enough rambling on my part, lets get down to the actual Spinach Quiche
CRUST
1/2 cup flour (all purpose)
1/2 cup strong (mature) cheddar cheese finely grated
60 gm (2 oz) margerine
Mix all the ingrediends together and then press into a pie dish
FILLING
2 chopped onions fried in hot oil until the become translucent
1 pkt frozen spinach (thawed & cooked) You can use fresh cooked as well
2 eggs
250 ml (1 cup) Fresh Cream
1 tblsp flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pre heat oven to 150C (300F)
Add fried onions to cooked and drained spinach
Beat together the eggs flour and seasoning
Combine all the ingredients ensuring that they are evenly mixed and pour into quiche base
Sprinkle with grated cheese
Bake for 30 minutes
Sit back and enjoy
Well I’ve done it at last.
Shortly before Christmas I opened my long promised recipe forum, where registered members can post their favorite recipes, ask for recipes they want, comment on recipes and ask for cooking help and tips.
However, the forum is not restricted to African recipes, international recipes from anywhere are more than welcome…News and views on Africa will also be appreciated. Hopefully the new forum will become an online community center where people can make friends and exchange recipes.
I have restricted posting to members as I want to prevent spam and unsuitable material because I would like this to be a family place where all members of the family would feel at home.
Unregistered members can browse the forum and view the recipes and other posts but cannot post themselves…
However membership is free…
All you have to do is complete a simple registration form and Hey Presto, you’re a member and can post away to your hearts content.
I’m rather pleased with the response thus far…25 members, 51 topics and 94 posts in a month and that month generally the quietest of the year as people go about their holidays and festive season shopping.
have a look at There are some great recipes there already. Register and post away
Michael
Well, I think it’s about time that I added another recipe to this blog
Since I’ve had an inordinate number of requests for one of my favorite tarts
I thought that I’d give the details of one of the coconut tart recipes that I’ve tried recently.
In South Africa Coconut Tart is far more likely to go under the Afrikaans name of Klappertert.
I must admit that Coconut Tart, together with coconut macaroons is one of my favorite memories of childhood treats. When it came to eating my portion of the coconut tart I didn’t even find it necessary to add lashings of the whipped cream that was always provided…it just wasn’t needed.
Anyway, without further ado, herewith the recipe for Coconut Tart aka Klappertert or Coconut Pie
INGREDIENTS
3 cups finely grated fresh or desiccated coconut
3 eggs
1 ½ cup of water
1 ½ cups sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp smooth minced apricot jam
2 drops vanilla extract
1 short crust pastry pie shell, pre-baked
METHOD
Dice the butter into small pieces
Remove the white from one of the eggs and reserve
Place the water in a small saucepan and add the sugar, bring to the boil over high heat, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves.
Then boil rapidly, without stirring until the syrup reaches a temperature of 230 degrees F measured with a candy thermometer.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter, stirring until it has completely dissolved.
Add the coconut to the mixture, stirring until the coconut is fully coated and there is no free syrup left.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
In a separate dish beat the 2 eggs and the egg yolk together with the vanilla essence
Add the beaten egg vanilla mixture to the cooled coconut mixture, mixing vigorously
Heat the apricot jam, in a small saucepan until it becomes runny
Brush the hot jam evenly over the bottom of the baked pie shell
Pour the coconut mixture into the pie shell, spreading the mixture smoothly and evenly
Bake for 40 minutes until the filling is firm and golden brown
Lightly whisk the remaining egg white and brush over the top of the tart, retuning this to the oven as quickly as possibly, bake for a further minute.
The tart may be served warm or at room temperature, you may if you wish pile whipped cream on top or even add vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy as your family says “Oh my what a coconut pie!”
For more traditional South African Recipes click South African Recipes
My wife, Carol, is a great cook and generally devises her own recipes.
I’m going to let you, seeing as how today is Sunday, into one of her famous secret recipes.
This is a combination of cheeses made into a sauce that can transform your ordinary Macaroni cheese into a gourmet meal.
Poured over steamed, boiled or baked baby vegetables it’ll have even the most difficult child coming back for more.
As a sauce for “spud” (baked stuffed potato) recipes it has no equal when mixed with bacon, mushrooms or shrimps, or indeed whatever else takes your fancy.
If you’re getting rather tired of toast and marmite/bovril or whatever passes for a beef and/or vegetable extract in your part of the world, use the sauce to extravagently ring the changes on your humble piece of toast.
Anyhow, without more ado, herewith the
THREE CHEESE CHEESE SAUCE
Makes +-1.5l of cheese sauce, that’s round about 3 cups for you non-metric folk
Serves 6 big helpings
INGREDIENTS
100g margarine/butter (3 1/2 oz)
4 -5 heaped tablespoons flour
300-450g cheddar cheese, grated (full cream/medium/low fat) (11oz-1lb)
50g Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 oz)
50g Blaaukrantz cheese, crumbled (about 2 oz) Blaaukrantz is a South African Blue cheese, you may substitute any of your local blue veined cheeses
750 – 1000ml milk, (full cream/low fat/skim) depending on desired thickness of sauce and Kj intake! (that’s 3-4 cups)
METHOD
1. Melt margarine/butter over medium heat, in a saucepan. Do not allow to brown
2. Add 4 – 5 heaped tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Mix in thoroughly until all margarine/butter is taken up and a ball of ‘firmish’ dough forms. Add more flour if necessary.
4. Cook dough for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
5. Add milk slowly, 100 – 200ml (1/3-2/3 cup) at a time, stirring continuously (using a whisk prevents lumps)
6. Allow sauce to just come to the boil between additions of the milk. This will enable you to judge the correct consistency.
7. Cook on medium heat until sauce thickens.
8. Add 300 - 450 g of the cheddar cheese (good idea to taste as you go as cheddar strength and flavour varies).
9. Stir well and allow cheddar to melt into the sauce. Do not allow sauce to settle on the bottom of the pot/pan, as it quickly turns brown. Stir along the bottom of the pan. Reduce/remove from heat if you think it might be beginning to stick to the pan.
10. Add the Parmesan and Blaaukrantz cheese. Stir until melted.
11. Add salt and pepper to taste.
VARIATIONS
1. Add very finely chopped onion to melted margarine/butter before adding the flour. Allow to cook until glassy, but not to brown. Continue as per method above.
2. Add flat teaspoon of finely chopped garlic to onion. Continue as per method above.
3. Add 4 rashers of bacon (more if desired), crisply cooked, fat and rind removed and finely chopped, after cheese sauce is cooked.
4. For a stronger flavoured sauce, use more Parmesan, Blaaukrantz or a mature cheddar cheese.
USES
1. Macaroni/pasta cheese. Add to 500g cooked pasta, mix to coat well. Place in shallow, wide based ovenproof dish. Top with grated cheddar cheese mixed with a little parmesan, and bake in oven until cheese is browned. 6 servings(Can be frozen)
2. Sauce for steamed, boiled or baked baby vegetables
3. Sauce for ‘spud’ (baked potato with filling) recipes
4. Topping for an extravagant toast treat.
NOTES
1. Can be kept for 4 days in refrigerator
2. Can be frozen
3. Can melt my husband right out of a bad mood
try it, enjoy it and don’t forget to thank heaven for cheese
Some time ago I wrote that I’d be providing more traditional South African Recipes on the recipe section of the site.
As the saying goes there’s many a slip twixt cup and lip, unfortunately my good intentions were destroyed by a major, protracted and painful back injury. This meant I was unable to sit at the computer for long enough to do any additions to the site. Fortunately this is now something of the past and I’ll be posting regularly on the blog from now on.
As a tidbit of what’s to come herewith a very easy recipe for the South African fermented mealie meal (maize meal) and malt drink.
This fermented beverage is hugely popular in most areas of South Africa and is generally called Mageu.
So without more rambling on my part herewith the Mageu Recipe.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 oz mealie meal (fine maize meal) about 72g
3 cups malt
1 cup water
Method
Grind the malt and sift it.
Place the water in a pot and bring to the boil.
Add the mealie meal stirring to mix.
Cook until the meal absorbs the water and a soft porridge is formed.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
When the porridge feels cool to the touch add the malt, stirring to mix well.
Leave covered for 24 hours to ferment.
That’s probably the easiest recipe for a fermented beverage that I’ve ever come across.
Oh before I forget, if the mixture is to thick you can add a little water to get a relatively thick but pourable consistency…….That’s Mageu
Enjoy and remember for more South African Recipes click here
Michael
Yes, in my not so very humble opinion, that’s exactly what the South African Proteas did last night against the Engelse (Souties)
After the first ball of the last over was no-balled and went for 4 there was no way whatsoever that South Africa should not have won.
OK so it ended up as a draw! Given the circumstances, that they should have won, I say they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, because in this case a draw was defeat.
I choked on my biltong on the second last ball.
But Hey! Crickets a funny game ennit?
Michael
A number of people have emailed me asking for more traditional tribal recipes from South Africa.
In response to these requests I will be adding additional ethnic recipes to the South African recipes section of the Afri Chef African Recipes site.
In the meanwhile a traditional Zulu Recipe for IMFINO YEZINANGA or Pumpkin Leaves and Peanuts.
Ingredients
1/2 lb pumpkin leaves (220g)
6 oz peanuts (groundnuts) (140g)
1 1/2 cups milk (400ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Thoroughly wash the pumpkin leaves and tear them into relatively small pieces.
Crush the peanuts in a mortar using a pestle but do not grind them into a paste.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to almost boiling.
Add the pumpkin leaves and simmer until the leaves become tender.
Add the crushed peanuts and simmer for a further 12 to 15 minutes.
Add the salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to ensure even distribution..
Serve hot as a vegetable with a stiff maize porridge or meat.
NOTE: Water may be used in place of the milk or the quantity of milk can be reduced by 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup of single cream may be added. This will either reduce or increase the richness of the dish.
I have specifically chosen a Zulu recipe using pumpkin leaves because although pumpkin leaves are a valued vegetable in rural Africa they seem to be relatively disregarded in the rest of the world.
I would hazard a guess that many people don?t know that pumpkin leaves are edible and are in fact quite a tasty vegetable.
For more examples of traditional South African Recipes click SOUTH AFRICAN RECIPES
Michael
When I started with this blog a few days ago, the intention was to post the occasional recipe.
Hence the name “African Recipes”
Looking at what I’ve written thus far I do believe I should change the name to “African Dreams” or “Africa Dreaming” and start a new page for recipes.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?
Michael
As far as South Africans are concerned, all’s right with the world.
Yesterday’s newspaper headlines screamed the news that the Governor of the Reserve Bank had cut the interest rate by a full 1 percent.
But more important stuff was yet to come…..
This afternoon South African Springboks beat the New Zealand Kiwis at Ellis Park.
Ending a string of 6 consecutive defeats against the Kiwis.
And keeping their Tri-Nation cup hopes alive.
So the manne brought out the Brandy and Coke,
The rooi-wyn
and even, here and there, witblits.
While Castles got downed with increasing speed.
The fires started and the gas grills were lit.
Potjies prepared, meat marinaded, boerewors pricked
While the wives prepared the salads.
As the potjies bubbled gently and the boerewors, steaks and sosaties sizzled over the coals.
While the stywe and yellow krummel pap were cooking to perfection
The manne dissected each facet of the day’s play
Every scrum was analysed, every pass or kick commented on.
Every tackle described over and over again.
All the Springbok tries were acknowledged as being the result of brilliant play
As the evening wore on the sheer brilliance of the Bokke became blindingly obvious
While non of the opposing sides tries should have happened, mere flukes they were.
In a spirit of absolute euphoria, some of the main manne even disclosed the secrets of their potjie kos recipes, while, as the evening progressed, historically secret boerewors recipes were shared with ever increasing abandon.
Michael
Bananas, contrary to the words of the old song ” yes, we got no bananas ” Africa produces over half of the world’s banana crop.
Together with potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn bananas form one of the most staple foods of the tropical regions of Africa.
Bananas are used in every conceivable way that is in so far as food is concerned. They are eaten dried, raw, in soups, stews, salads, condiments, breads, cakes, muffins, puddings and desserts. The banana leaves are used to wrap food in for storage and for cooking. They are also used to thatch the roofs of huts.
Bananas, which incidently are classified as berries are thought to have originated in the tropical areas of Asia. Once they made their way to Africa the African tropical and subtropical regions were so suitable to their growth that they became one of the foremost crops of these regions.
Because of the importance of the banana to Africa and its peoples I have recently added a separate section to the Afri Chef website containing recipes using this versatile fruit. You will find recipes for various types of banana bread, and to show it’s versatility there are also recipes for a banana soup, banana chutney, banana stew, banana fritters and a banana pudding. You can find these recipes by clicking on the relevant link on the right-hand side of this blog.
I hope that you enjoy them.
The internet is a tremendous means of communication, you can disseminate information rapidly. The scary part however is that you can also spread mis-information just as quickly.
One of my intentions, in setting up the Afri-Chef website and writing the Afri-Chef African recipes cookbook was to preserve my African heritage. Because authentic African cooking is part of that heritage.
When I see websites loudly proclaiming ” authentic African recipes created by famous New York chefs” I shudder and shake my head in disbelief.
If a famous New York chef, who possibly hasn’t been any closer to Africa than Coney Island, creates a recipe how can it be called an authentic African recipe?
If people accept that famous New York chefs can create authentic African recipes what happens to the truly authentic African recipes created by the indigenous peoples of Africa?
I recently came across a website which featured what it called an authentic Cape Malay recipe for pork kebabs. the person who wrote this recipe could be nothing short of an idiot, certainly somebody who knew nothing about the Cape Malay people. He/she didn’t even know enough to realize that the Cape Malay community is solidly Muslim and as such they would never dream of eating or preparing pork. The very idea of a Cape Malay Muslim preparing a pork recipe or recipe containing pork would be anathema to any member of the Cape Malay community.
Yet people get away with things like this. Unfortunately, people who know nothing about the Cape Malay people, or their origins, accept things solely because they appear in writing on a website.
In defense of my culture and heritage all I can do is continue to highlight this type of misinformation and to state that the recipes which appear in the Afri Chef African recipes cookbooks are genuinely authentic.
I have been to District Six before it was destroyed by the previous regime and I have eaten there and shared recipes with Malay friends and I have been to Bo-Kaap and enjoyed the hospitality of friends.
When I put a Cape Malay recipe or recipe from any other African ethnic group on my website or in any of my cookbooks they have not been created by me. They have been given to me, shared with me by friends. All I have done is tested the recipe and selected my favorites to share with others.
I have done this in an attempt to share African cultural traditions, through food, with those who would like to learn something about Africa and its peoples. So if you’re really interested in African cooking, African recipes, South African recipes, Cape Malay recipes click on one of the links on the right-hand side of this blog knowing that what you see will be what Africans, South Africans, Cape Malays, eat.
Michael
In this, the first post to my new blog, I need to give credit to the person who set it all up and who customized the appearance to blend in with the rest of my website. He also set up my new forum and customized it brilliantly. Click on the forum link at the top of the page to see the fantastic job he did
All credit is due then to my online friend Tsuyoshi Yamada of Tera Cyber Creations at TeraCC.com .
Yoshi has an absolutely brilliant knack of translating other peoples nebulous ideas into visual imagery. If you need any scripts installed or any web design work done you should really look at getting Yoshi to do it for you.
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