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Beef Overload

 

Whole Beef fillet steak

Slice the fillet down the centre but not quite through

Stuff with chopped garlic and combo of fresh or dried herbs

And some sliced mushrooms

Season to taste

Close and wrap the whole fillet in bacon

This seals in the flavors and keeps it moist

Wrap in foil until ¾ cooked then discard foil and brown on coals

Turning until browned all over

 

Serve with creamed garlic potato bake and tossed salad

Creamed potato bake

Slice potatoes approx. 1cm. Thick

Season and put a knob of butter on each layer as you place in a flat dish

Mix a tub of cream with a cup of ideal milk

Add 1tble spoon crushed garlic

Pour over potatoes and bake in moderate oven until soft

 

“Enjoy”

Two weeks later it was time for my monthly business trip up the north coast of Natal to visit some of my customers.

As usual I left at around 5.30 am as my first client was a considerable distance away.

I stopped off for light breakfast of a bacon and egg roll and coffee at a Wimpy Café (a well known eatery chain in SA) and arrived at my destination at about 10.30am

It was a coal mine and the company I worked for kept a consignment stock of oil at the client.

After a visit to the engineers to discuss some technical matters, I proceeded to the main store to pay a courtesy call to the chief storekeeper who put most of the orders through to us.

He was quite a character, a very large man and a devotee to rugby, which we had to discuss at length at every visit, and a delivery of his “cough medicine “ as he called it ( a bottle of scotch whiskey) this was done periodically as a gesture of thanks for the business, and everybody was happy !!

 On completion of my visit it was time to head to my next for client who was a mere 180 kilometres away, this was an interesting drive as I always took a short cut through the Umfolozi Game reserve, by doing this, I shortened the trip by a further round journey of 200 ks.

When I first started taking the short cut I was in awe of all the wild life I encountered and took a lot of photos as I pasted, but after doing it for the past couple of years I became quite blasé and just wanted to get through and to my next call of business.

By the time I reached my next customer at the Sugar mill it was mid afternoon and had just enough time to complete my business.

25ks later I arrived at my accommodation for the night a place called Lake st. Lucia a famous fishing destination for folk all around South Africa.

Instead of staying at a hotel I preferred to take a cabana, much more comfortable than a tiny room and half the price. And a good variety of restaurants to choose from.

After a good Garlic steak for dinner at a place called Captains Cabin, I took a drive down to the estuary where the Umfolozi river meets the sea and watched some of the fishing boats come in. I parked my car at the top of the slipway and wondered down to the waters edge.

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Seafood Experience

 The home itself was well built and had a elevated spectacular view of the mountains, and, came as a package with another piece of land about half a kilometre away.

It was quite rural and had its fair share of wild life.

We did a few minor alterations, one was building a hearth around the existing fireplace and there was left over rubble on the side of the house.

One evening our live in maid was on her way to bed, she had a separate little house down a path leading from our kitchen door and was going to bed.

The next minute she came running back in shouting “makulu inyorga” the Zulu term for big snake.

After investigation this led to be true, it was a puff adder and about a metre and a half long, one bite from this and you could end up in serious trouble.

I slowly started taking some slate bricks apart from the light of a torch held at a distance by Jasmine, I heard this loud hissing noise, and narrowly missed being struck by the lunging snake.

Armed with a spade I took its head off with a strike so fast that even I was impressed.

I don’t as a rule like to terminate any wild life, but the children always played out side even in the dark.

Buy now we were quite used to the odd snake, giant spiders and scorpions.

 

That next weekend I had planned a barbeque, and, wait for it !! after lighting the fire the storm clouds rolled in. lucky it was a quick cooking meal but I still spent the last 10 minutes with an umbrella in a thunder storm getting slightly wet, this was captured by a laughing family from the lounge window by a photograph.

The barbeque was as follows –

 Monk fish kebabs

Alternate pieces of monk fish, apricots, green pepper and red onion

On skewers

Basted while grilling with blend of lemon, olive oil, herbs

Salt and black pepper to taste

 

Served with curried peach rice salad

Gently fry green & red peppers, onion and a little curry powder

remove from heat and add one can of chopped peaches

And cooked rice and serve

 

The following month school holidays were upon us and we headed for a weeks break in the famous Drakensberg mountain range.

We chose a resort called Dragon Peaks and had a cabin overlooking the lake with a river flowing behind us.

We hiked up the river and to the foot hills of one of the mountains, it was a beautiful place and very relaxing until I decided to swing across the river on a rope someone had left there, much to the protests of my concerned wife.

After a couple of swings the branch broke and I hit the river bank with my back and slid into the water. It was a bit of a drawback and I had a uncomfortable back for a few days after – “live and learn I say”.

In the early mornings tame Zebra would pass our cabin looking for hand outs, they ate almost anything, even our hot cross buns we left on the picnic table.

 Our final night I decided to do a whole fillet of beef on the Barbie, this I did as follows –

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Outdoor Fun

 A little later that morning the river subsided a bit but still was flowing pretty fast, above the sound of the water we heard our neighbors German Sheppard dog barking frantic on the other side and was to scared to come back across.

Me being the hero donned my costume and preceded to go to the rescue, much to many protests from my family, I went a little way up the river and and when I was swept off my feet made my way across and grabbed the dog by the collar as I passed said dog and me managed to get back on our side about three houses down to the applauding neighbors and relieved family.

From that day on every day on my return from work that same dog was sitting in our driveway and wagging his tail, guess I had made a new friend.

After all the excitement we phoned my parents who lived about a half hours drive away and asked if they could bring us a few things from the shops as we were stranded and could not get out till the bridge was repaired,

They parked their car on the other side of a railway line and could gain access to our house that way.

Their reward was staying for lunch and listening to their grand kids rave on about not being able to get to school the next day because of the bridge. It will be said that we felt the same way about work the next day but we played that one down.

By then, as if by magic the sun came out and tuned into a beautiful summers day and a traditional “braai” was called for ( South African term for barbecue)

This was what we settled for- 

SA Braai

 

Boereworse ( traditional spicy SA sausage )

Marinated chicken breast in Portuguese spice,

Garlic, lemon juice

Wrapped in foil for the first part, then on the coals

 

Small lamb ribs coated with a mix of chutney & vinegar

And barbecue spice

(Ends up with a sweet/sour taste)

 

Served with-

Potato salad with a ½ tsp. turmeric powder mixed with the mayonnaise

Gives it a unique flavor and colour

Greek Salad

Apple salad ( mix of chopped apples, strong cheddar cheese, raisins & mayonnaise )

Garlic bread

 

Followed by Vinegar pudding (see back pages for recipe)

 

After all the compliments and thank you’s my parents went home and we finished off the day sipping sun downers on the veranda and watching the river subside to its usual stream.

A couple of months later we decided to buy our first home, we found a good offer a little way out of town in an area called Drummond. It was a 50 kilometre drive for me to my office but seeing that I was traveling around all the time on business it didn’t bother me, and Jasmine had only about 20 Klm to go to her office, the children bussed it to school.

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Getting Started

 It all started when Iris started working on Saturdays and I was left in charge of the kids, dogs, cat and———– “ The Saturday night dinner”

That started when on my little wife’s exit through the door on her first Saturday’s duty she joked and said that she looked forward to a nice meal on her return from work.

That’s when I said, well why not, and if I am going to do, do it with style and decided on a roast beef with all the trimmings.

Up until this moment the only exposure I had to cooking was watching my mother and then my wife doing all these tasty treats in the kitchen, and the odd read up on recipes from a regular magazine my wife received.

Without further ado I bundled the two precious little ones, Dwayne and Marilyn in the car and was off to the neighborhood supermarket.

With the help of a “really” friendly young girl shop assistant (sorry love) I managed to get all the necessary ingredients for my mammoth first try at a meal fit for a king !

After a light lunch of hot dogs (the kiddies favorite quickie) I got straight into it as follows –

 

Roast beef

 

Good size silverside roast beef

(Topside tends to be a bit stringy)

Browned in a little oil on all sides

Slow roasted in 2cups red wine/ I/4 cup vinegar 180 deg. oven

1 tsp. brown sugar, Salt & pepper to taste 2-3 hrs.

Last ¾ hour add peeled potatoes to the juices

Drain when cooked and leave a little of the juice for the gravy

 

While the meat rests add 1 Table spoon chutney and 2 tsp. mustard

To the pot and simmer till thickened

Serve with roasted pumpkin and green beans

Topped with ready to cook Yorkshire pudding

 

On little wife’s return she shrieked with pleasure at the aromas filtering through the house and had to contend with the kids shrieks on come and look what “we“ have cooked for you!

After Iris had a good soak in a bubble bath, I poured a glass of Nederburgh Shiraz each, and grape juice for the munchkins.

The table was set candles and all and after grace we all got stuck in to our well awaited feast.

I was rewarded with empty plates all round and again rewarded later that night, but this is not that kind of book so no further said about that.

The following weekend on the Saturday night we decided to take in a movie and have a bite out, on our return home we drove through a real storm

It was a typical south African summers day and at the end of the days heat came some cooler weather and caused quite a considerable thunder storm.

We lived in a cul-de-sac and had to cross a small bridge to get home.

The following morning we were awakened by someone walking down the road shouting and warning everyone that the bridge had been washed away

The little stream at the bottom of our garden had become a torrential river and was hurtling past with a thundering roar.

We were indeed very lucky because sometime between us coming home across the bridge and morning it was washed away.

 

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Hello world!

 This is a story about the love of cooking anywhere and everywhere. Adventures of my travels both alone and with family and friends.

 It starts with me filling in and eventually taking over the preparation, planning and cooking the family meals while my wife saw to the kids when we both came home from a busy days work.

Instead of me saying to my lovely wife “ what’s for dinner” to “guess what’s on the menu tonight.

Even our son and daughter ( then aged six and three respectfully ) got into the act sometimes by wanting to “assist” me in the kitchen by either cutting something up or pinching a morsel here and there.

It reminds me of good times, what with dogs, cats and kids all around my feet looking to scrounge for titbits, and the occasional head of my wife peeping around the corner checking up that alls well and safe in the kitchen.

The story goes on to acquaint with actual recipes combined with our travels in and around South Africa then a move to England for six and a half years and another move once again to the beautiful New Zealand.

The objective of this read is to tell a story of good times, adventure with a bit of humor as well as tried and trusted recipes for the reader to experiment with and create his or hers own cooking adventures.