South Africa - The heat of Durban

Turning up the heat in Durban

After arriving in the capital Johannesburg, we headed towards the coast and to the city of Durban. Famed for it’s beaches and it’s balmy temperatures  we certainly warmed to it and spent a good few days there. One of the main features of Durban is it’s Indian influence. Durban has the largest Indian population outside of India, bringing with them their culture, mosques, spices and of course curries. We had Durban Curry for tea one night, and of course had to sample the Durban curry delicacy – the Bunny Chow. This is basically a half loaf of bread with the middle scooped out, and filled with curry. The Bunny Chow is so called as it was originally created  for black caddies (bunnies) who during Apartheid years were not allowed to use the crockery at some of the exclusive white-only golf clubs, so one of the chef’s came up with this idea!?!

We had Durban Curry for tea one night, and of course had to sample the Durban curry delicacy – the Bunny Chow. This is basically a half loaf of bread with the middle scooped out, and filled with curry. The Bunny Chow is so called as it was originally created  for black caddies (bunnies) who during Apartheid years were not allowed to use the crockery at some of the exclusive white-only golf clubs, so one of the chef’s came up with this idea!?!

Bunny Chow - much tastier than it looks!!

South Africa - Food for Thought

Being in Africa, my quest for cakes has sometimes seemed awful extravagance. Food and eating in Africa takes on an entirely different  perspective and makes you stop and think about all that we have and take for granted.

Soup kitchen

On a visit to Umlazi, the sprawling township outside Durban we visited a couple of schools who are fortunate enough to have been assisted by the kindness and hard work of pupils of James Gillespies back home in Edinburgh. Over the years partnerships between the schools has brought pupils together and made huge differences to the children of Umlazi. One of the things that has made a hge difference  has been the introduction of a Soup Kitchen. Here, every day  big pots of soup or curry & rice are made for those most needy children who may not get a meal at home.

The Xhosa people.

We spent a great few days staying at Bulungula a remote Xhosa community on the Wild Coast. 3 hours along a bumpy dirt track road, they are a long way from any shops or daily supplies, have no electricity and no running water. The lodge at Bulungula is 40% owned by the local community, who all helped build it and many are employed in one way or another, taking tours, cooking, driving the shuttle bus.

Women Power

I spent a morning visiting the house of one of the local women Bumlazi to experience what the local women do on a daily basis. All these things we take for granted, just pressing a switch to make lunch, takes a whole lot longer here!!

Getting the local look 

                                                                

Getting the water from the well -

 Carrying the water and firewood home - 

My attempt!

Inside the rondavel

Grinding the corn

Getting the fire started

Cooking in the potjie (3 legged pot)

Almost ready – a typical Xhosa meal – sliced cabbage and onion boiled up with the ground maize.

A hearty lunch!

It was a really interesting day and really made you appreciate the things we have, running water, heat and power at the click of a switch.

Sunrise Pancakes

Another of the local initiatives at Bulungula is the Wild fire restaurant.  In a cosy little rondavel on top of a hill overlooking the beach it has the perfect location. After a hard morning’s canoeing we headed up the hill for a tasty treat!!

What’s on the menu?

Pancakes with a chicken and veg curry filling, or 3 nut curry? Mmm hard choice!

These women sure work hard!! Every Wednesday at around 5am they lead a group of bleary eyed travelers round the beach to the sand dunes for Sunrise Pancakes. What a fantastic start to the day!!

We had a really fantastic stay in Bulungula. The lodge and the projects it has generated has made a real difference to the community. It was heartening to see that your visit and the tours you went on were going straight to the local people. See their web site at  www.bulungula.com

AUSTRALIA - Eating out

Part of the Aussie way of life is eating out: from beachside cafes, picnics on the beach, streetside pie & donut vans...

Brekkie by the beach -

Bacon & egg rolls at The 'Gong beach

Lunch at the beach -

Picnic on Manly Beach

Pies and donuts

Harry's famous pie stand Sydney

Harry's - famous for its Pie floaters!

and the famous donut van at Berry

finger lickin' good!!

Chinatown Sydney
We had a fantastic New Year's day in Sydney - swimming in the sea at Manly, a trip on a Harley across the harbour bridge, then a lovely meal down Chinatown with our friends Byron and Hsin.

First course - roast pork, salt & pepper chicken, pak choi and rice. Yumm!!

Taiwanese for desert. Do you fancy tofu, peanuts and green beans?

A lot tastier than it sounds (and looks!!)

Seafood
A whole new experience for Dean was the delights of fresh seafood. At the Seafood buffet in Wollongong you could pile your plates with prawns, crab, oysters, mussels, barramundi, and  go back for more...

Dean sampling the oysters

Then follow that with another fruit platter, or all kinds of cakes!

AUSTRALIA - Some classic cakes - ANZAC Biscuits

ANZAC Biscuits

The acronym ANZAC was coined in 1915 when Australian and New Zealand troops were training in Egypt. The word ANZAC was eventually applied to all Australian and New Zealand soldiers in World War 1. The term is particularly associated with the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

ANZAC Day was inaugurated on 25 April 1916 to commemorate the first anniversary of the landing of the ANZAC troops at Gallipoli.

During World War 1, the wives, mothers and girlfriends of the Australian soldiers were concerned for the nutritional value of the food being supplied to their men. Here was a problem. Any food they sent to the fighting men had to be carried in the ships of the Merchant Navy. Most of these were lucky to maintain a speed of ten knots (18.5 kilometers per hour). Most had no refrigerated facilities, so any food sent had to be able to remain edible after periods in excess of two months. A body of women came up with the answer - a biscuit with all the nutritional value possible. The basis was a Scottish recipe using rolled oats. These oats were used extensively in Scotland, especially for a heavy porridge that helped counteract the extremely cold climate.

The ingredients they used were: rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup or treacle, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water. All these items did not readily spoil. At first the biscuits were called Soldiers’ Biscuits, but after the landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed ANZAC Biscuits.

taken from http://www.anzacday.org.au/miscellaneous/bikkies.html

On our last night in Australia we had a lovely family get together with some delicious Aussie food including Caramel Mud cake (for my Mum's birthday), ice cream with our Argentinian dulce de leche (which was a big hit!), Riley's home made ANZAC biscuits and of course a huge fruit platter. A lovely way to spend our final evening in Wollongong.


Riley's Anzac Biscuits recipe
Thank you to Riley for the recipe for her very tasty ANZAC biscuits.

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup coconut

Mix the above in a bowl.

In a large saucepan melt 125g butter then add 2 tbspns golden syrup. Once melted together turn off heat.

Mix 1/2 tsp bicarb with 2 tbspns boiling water, then add to butter mixture. It will froth up in the pan.

Add all liquids to dry mixture.

Using a tablespoon, put spoonfuls onto a baking tray covered with greaseproof paper.

Bake at 150 C for 7 - 8 minutes.

Great with a cup of tea!!!

Our last Aussie fruit platter beautifully prepared by Penny -

AUSTRALIA - Friendship Bread

Friendship Bread

When we visited cousin Neil & Penny's house we were welcomed with a delicious slice of warm friendship bread. Although it's made with yeast, it's more like a spicy cake rather than bread and is absolutely delicious!!

Friendship Bread is an Amish tradition and is a type of bread or cake made from a sourdough starter that is often shared in a manner similar to a chain letter. The starter is a substitute for baking yeast and can be used to make many kinds of yeast-based breads, shared with friends, or frozen for future use.  The starter mixture  is put into a bag and mashed every day for 10 days, you then divide it into four portions, bake with one, and give the other three away on a similar principle as a chain letter–pass it on.

More details and recipes can be found on the following web page. When I get home I'll definitely be trying it out on my family and friends in Scotland!

http://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/amish-friendship-bread

AUSTRALIA - Classic cakes - Friands

Thank you to Angela for introducing me to friands and sharing all her fave recipes and great cake advice!!

Friands  are another tasty wee cake that I've not seen anywhere in Scotland but are in all the cafes in Austalia. They are light muffin type cakes (though generally smaller) and are made with ground almond, and can be made in all different flavours - raspberry, strawberry, anything you fancy...

Here are a couple of different recipes. The first made with just egg whites.


Almond and Strawberry friands
6 egg whites
185g melted butter
1 cup (125g) ground almonds
1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
100g strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease friand pans.
2. Place egg whites in a bowl and whish with fork until combined. Add butter, almond, icing sugar and flour. Stir til just combined using wooden spoon.
3. Divide into tins and top with strawberry slices.
4. Bake for 25 mins. Once baked cool in tin for 5 mins then turn on to rack (top side up) to cool completely.
5. Serve warm or at room temp dusted with icing sugar.

Variations: blueberry, sliced banana, raspberry and white chocolate, lime & coconut ( 2 teaspoons of finely grated lime rind, 1 tbsp lime juice and 1/4 cup (20g) dessicated coconut into egg white mix).

Mini Raspberry friands

melted butter to grease
Plain flour to dust
1 1/2 cups (195g) sifted icing sugar
1/2 cup (75g) sifted plain flour
1 1/2 cups (55g) ground almonds
3 eggs lightly whisked
180g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
100g frozen raspberries
2 tbspns flaked almonds
icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat oven at 180C. Grease thirty 40ml mini muffin pans with melted butter. Dust with flour. (You get specialist friand tins in Australia - not so common in the UK, so muffin tins or cupcake tins will do).

2. Combine the sugar, flour and almond meal in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add egg and butter. Stir until well combined.

3. Divide among the prepared pans. Divide the raspberries among the centres. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.

4. Bake for 15 - 20 mins or until light golden. Set aside in the pans for about 5 mins to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

AUSTRALIA - Classic cakes - Mud cakes

A popular celebration cake in Australia is the Mud cake - a dense cake in dark or white chocolate, or caramel. Here's the recipe for a white chocolate version.

Take a deep breath for that candle!!

White chocolate Mud cake

Serves 12

250g butter, chopped coarsely
150g white chocolate, chopped coarsely
2 cups (440g) caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/2 cup (75g) SR flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs lightly beaten

White chocolate ganache
1/2 cup (125ml) cream
300g white chocolate, chopped coarsely

1. Preheat oven to moderately slow. Grease deep 20cm round cake pan, line base and side with baking paper.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and milk in a saucepan; using wooden spoon over a low heat, without boiling until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool for 15 mins.
3. Whisk in flours then essence and egg, pour mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake cake in moderately slow oven for 1 hour. Cover  pan loosely with foil; bake about 1 hour. Discard foil, stand cake in pan for 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack, turn upside down to cool.
5. To make ganache - Bring cream to boil in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate in small bowl, stir with wooden spoon until chocolate melts. Cover bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for about 3o mins or until ganache is of a spreadable consistency.
5. Place cake on serving plate, spread all over with chocolate ganache

AUSTRALIA - Classic cakes - Lamingtons

Lamingtons


Another Aussie classic ...

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2/3 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup cornflour
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
2 cups coconut

Icing:
4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
15g butter, melted
2/3 cup milk

Cake -
1. Grease 23cm square tin
2. Best eggs for about 10 mins til thick & creamy
3. Gradually beat in sugar, dissolving between additions
4. Fold in triple sifted flours
5. Spread mixture into tin and bake for about 30 mins.
6. Once cool, cut cake into 16 squares, dip in icing. Drain off excess and toss in coconut.

Icing -
Sift icing sugar & cocoa into bowl, stir in butter & milk. Stir over pan of simmering water until right consistency.

AUSTRALIA - Cherry Ripe and Womens' Weekly

Cherry Ripe
One of my favourite Aussie lollies is the Cherry Ripe - a cherry and coconut fondant filling covered in chocolate. Many cafes have created slices with a nice biscuit base, topped with cherries, coconut and chocolate.
Here's a recipe for a Cherry Ripe slice.

Ingredients
1 cup of self raising flour
1 tablespoon of cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
100g butter or margarine
100g crushed 'Marie' biscuits
For the filling:
1½ cups of desiccated coconut
1 tin of condensed milk
1 packet of chopped glace cherries
150g cooking chocolate
30g marg

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm lamington tin.

Melt the butter and combine the sugar, sifted flour and cocoa, and crushed biscuits.

Spread into a lamington tin and bake for 20 minutes.

For the filling: mix together the coconut, condensed milk and chopped glace cherries, and spread evenly onto the base. Cook for a further 15 minutes.

Melt the cooking chocolate and marg together and spread over the cooled slice.

Cut into squares when the chocolate is set.

This recipe was taken from the Australian Women's Weekly web site. The magazine is a bit of an Aussie institution producing hundreds of baking and cookery books. Here's a link to the web site -

http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/food/


And so after a great couple of weeks with my family in Australia indulging on many festive Aussie  treats, we leave the Antipodes and head for a new continent, first stop South Africa

AUSTRALIA - An Aussie Christmas

An Australian nativity

Well, we definitely had a very different Christmas this year-  swimming in the sea on Christmas Day, barbies, picnics on the beach, and not a sprout in sight!!

Christmas barbies

Christmas dinner Aussie style

Followed by -

The good old Pav and Trifle

or, another favourite the Ice cream slice?

or the healthy option?

and if you're still hungry?

Recipe for Ice Cream slice - 
You can adapt this recipe to include any of your favourite chocolates, or fruit, nuts etc.

1. In a dish lined with paper place a layer of rectangular biscuits eg malt biscuits.
2. In a dish whip 600ml of cream.
3. To the cream fold in 1 tin of condensed milk and mix in together.

(If you want to make a chocolate version add a melted chocolate bar to the cream mixture and mix together)

4. Add in any chocolates you like eg crushed maltesers, cherry ripe, crunchie, mint crisp.

5. Pour over biscuits.
6. Add another layer of biscuits on top.
7. Freeze overnight.

More Christmas recipes to follow...

NEW ZEALAND - Pies!

And so onto the Antipodes, first stop New Zealand.

PIES, Pies and more pies!!!
Everywhere you go in NZ, you find pies!! Steak and pepper, chicken and corn, vegetable, ham & egg....

First sample Veggie pie at Hokatika - South island

Gourmet steak and pepper pies at Just Deserts Christchurch

The most delicious -  Hangi pie 

NEW ZEALAND - The Maori Hangi

The Maori Hangi

 from Wikipedia -
Hāngi (pronounced [ˈhaːŋi]) is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven still used for special occasions.
To "lay a hāngi" or "put down a hāngi" involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering (or lifting) the hāngi.

In Rotorua the thermal activity from beneath the ground is perfect for a hangi. The Maori's in the area use the thermal steam and water to cook their food, do their washing, heat their houses and bathe in.  We visited the thermal Maori village in Rotorua - Whakarewarewa  and saw how they made use of the thermal activity -

Hangi oven

Traditioanl hangi - placing a stone on top means 'don't lift the lid whatever you do as I'm in the middle of baking the Christmas cake!'

Thermal Pool used to cook the sweetcorn

THE BEST pie we had in New Zealand - the Hangi pie -

We camped our way round NZ and had the luxury of undeground heating, hot spring pools and a steam hangi for making our dinner!

Ian gets on his gloves to combat the steam!

Steamed sweetcorn, sweet potatoes and veg

The juiciest corn on the cob!!

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