So, it's halfway through the week...Mini Friday, or Saturday (as some would say?) and I have a recipe for anyone who is out of ideas...and or has a very small budget. This oven bake involves minced meat, Spinach and some tomatoes (predominantly). Man oh man, even if I say so myself, this one turned out Goooooood. So well in fact, that there are no pictures of the end result... I do however have a photo or two of the procedure that led me to finished product :) Methodology and Ingredients:
You will need: Spinach cherry tomatoes Minced meat stale bread crumbs an egg S & P, sugar and other spices last few drops of Tomato Sauce Worcester Sauce Garlic Butter Milk Flour Ina Paarman's White Sauce powder (if available) left over Cottage cheese last piece of cheese in fridge sunflower oil (or any oil really) All of the ingredients used for the meatballs were mixed together in a bowl and rolled up into little meatballs for the oven dish. This included all of the ingredients except the spinach and tomatoes (and all the white sauce ingredients...which comes later). The egg and bread crumbs help to bind the meatballs a bit better as they cook. Next, I washed and cut the spinach leaves, sliced up the tomatoes and proceeded to create lasagna-like layers with the spinach and tomatoes, then the meatballs resting on top and then covered by more tomatoes and spinach. S, essentially, it's a meatball-sandwich with spinach and tomatoes as the bread. This then went into the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes--while I prepared the cheesy, white sauce. The melted butter, flour and milk (all in that order) were mixed together and placed in the microwave for small increments at a time to help cook the sauce a little. Thereafter, I added two or three teaspoons of the Ina Paarman white sauce powder (proudly provided by the spice rack of our commune) and stirred and heated further. Lastly, half a handful of grated cheese and the last tablespoon of cottage cheese was added to the mix. Place in the microwave for more or less a minute or two. Important to remember with a white sauce (or any sauce I guess) is to Whhhhisk!; one can never go wrong with whisking frantically. Many sauces (especially white/ cheese/ mushroom) are salvageable by adding a splash or two more of milk. Once my cheesy-white sauce was ready, I took the meatballs and spinach dish out of the oven and poured the sauce over it, covering the whole leafy affair. One must ensure to get it into all of the nooks and crannies of the spinach leaves and meatballs. Those juices later on are super tasty! Leave in the oven for about 25 minutes at 160 degrees Celcius (but as previously mentioned, keep checking on your dish...some ovens are pretty unforgiving..or emotionally-volatile). After that, we all know what happens... Remove from the oven and DO NOT SHARE! You'll understand why once you take the first bite. Oh ya, and a last point to note; Do not be fooled by the huge amount of spinach you may need. It might look like you've cut up too much to start off with, but once it wilts, the amount drastically lessens. So, in this case, More is More. I hope you enjoy this recipe...it blew my socks off (okay, I'll quit bragging now). Au revoir mes amis!
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So, seeing as a couple of friends and I are heading to the farm this weekend, the budget which my parents have bestowed upon me (I know that is not grammatically correct, but it sounds so much more fancy) this week needs to be planned almost down to the 50 cent coin. I took a refreshing walk to the green grocer a couple blocks from my house (although, looking at it now, I walk everywhere, all the time...so it wasn't that refreshing...I did however get sprayed by an unavoidable sprinkler on the way there). On the walk, I wondered about what would be most beneficial to my health-and my purse. Today, for late lunch/ early dinner I've decided to bake another easy bread and top it off with some wholesome (yet creamy) spinach and baby tomatoes. I sometimes find that it's a little bit better for the body/ metabolism not to combine starchy foods with protein, therefore you digest the food a bit quicker and more efficiently, hence the spinach and tomatoes instead of maybe bacon or chicken. Sometimes feeling a bit sluggish after a meal is the result of your body having to work twice as hard to break down two or three different types of food. So here, take a look :) Here's le pain..before it was sliced... Here are some of the ingredients:
Basic bread dough: 2-3 cups of flour (as mentioned in earlier post), a packet of instant yeast, salt, luke warm water. For this bread I also added whole mustard seeds (a teaspoon or so), lemon and rosemary seasoning and a tiiiny bit of sugar to enhance the saltiness. Oven on approximately 180 degrees Celcius (preheat, to get the job done a bit quicker). And most importantly, don't forget to let your dough-baby incubate in the sun for about 30 minutes before-hand. Spinach--cut up and wilted in frying pan, a couple drops of oil, sliced up baby tomatoes and Garlic and Herb cottage cheese (low fat...ladies!). And then of course, good ol' S & P. I let the spinach and tomatoes cook on a low heat for about 40 minutes; to be really soft and flavorsome! Next recipe will be a bit more daring... Moving away from the bread, gonna have buns of steel one of these days (pun intended...sort of). Next installation...Something with mmmeatballs! Have a lovely lundi! Until the next one* Another eventful week that has just passed! As mentioned in my previous post, it was my younger sister's Matric Dance on Saturday. I even left Pretoria a tad earlier than usual to go over and help her and my mom prepare..for the big affair (check out the rhyming skillz over there!). The occasion in itself was quite a momentous one--not only for my little Jess, but also for our family--and then on a larger scale, our community. My sister and I have grown up with quite a few friends- some with older siblings and some with younger ones- in the neighbourhood over the past years and last weekend it was finally the turn of all the youngsters for their "time to shine". Needless to say, all the moms (including the undersigned's Mom...) at the local hair salon were tearing up ever so slightly as they chatted about how their daughters were finally reaching the point of matriculation...and leaving the nest (Hey..! What was I when I left? Chopped liver?). In our first year of Anthropology here at the University of Pretoria, there was a fantastic module spent on Liminality. Basically what "liminality" means is sort of like crossing a threshold; it is when a person, group or entity goes from one phase or space into the next. Super symbolic and a very fitting topic at the point in time which we learned about it. One usually does so with a peer group or fellow colleagues et cetera. This weekend and the months to come is a perfect example of being in the liminal phase. As Jess and her fellow school friends finish up with their final exams and go off on their matric vacation (as majority do, I guess), they exit and move on from High school and into the next phase of life which awaits them-- be that University, work, possibly a Gap year, you get the point. But before I bore my readers too much with the inner workings of Anthropological perspective, here is a snap of My sister, myself and her date: I didn't think I would get too emotional on the night when we saw them off at the pre-party or on the "red carpet", but...in total contrast to that thought...I was more concerned and worried (and slightly koo-koo) than expected. Even the owner of the hair salon told me to calm down (it wasn't like I was interfering with the stylist or anything. Just giving a few plain, constructive pointers is all).
As my parents and I left Jess and her friends to enjoy the Dance, I felt like I was back in Nursery school with her; where the teacher told us that because of our age difference, we had to split up into different play groups. That day and subsequent days thereafter, I cried my eyes out every time we went to our different groups because I shuddered at the thought of not being with her and just wanted her to be okay (not realizing that she was way more ready to spread some wings than I was for her to). Gosh, I don't know if it's possible to describe to anyone on Earth how it feels to have a sister, or just how much love you can have for one another. The best I can do is just to say that, without even having to think about it, I would lay my life on the line for her. She has made me the person that I am today and I thank God every day for giving me such a treasure. Having a sister is one of life's most precious gifts anyone can ever receive. And to top it all off not only did I get a sister, He gave me Jess! Double Whammy. Sometimes it feels as though she is the older one; always giving positive advice and trusting with her heart and believing in the best of people. I hope if there's anyone who reads this and can relate, that you take the time to tell that special sibling or even family member how much you love them. We all know that life can change in the blink of an eye, so there's no reason why the people close to you shouldn't know how much they mean to you. Keep well! Oh ja, and before I forget, I'm in the process of uploading another little lunch recipe! Stay tuned...or um, logged on. :) So this weekend I decided to head on down to Johannesburg and pay the ol' fandamily a visit. My sister's Matric Dance is taking place this coming Saturday and so, I thought that it would be a good idea to help her and my mom prepare-- If there are any male readers at this point, this is where I will elaborate; last minute touch-ups on the dress, finding shoes, a clutch bag, a matching bow tie for her date, jewellery and/ or accessories...the list continues as the dance draws nearer. Let us consider this as a trial run for any girl's wedding day... Anyhow, it was great to see my parents and sister (and two dogs; Gus and Frostie) for a couple of days. We spent Friday evening at one of our favourite restaurants which we have been going to ever since I was a very small person (I'm talking a couple months old here!) and shared some extra-cheesy, decadent, pan-fried pizza's as well as a fabulous, never-disappointing bottle of Alto Rouge (2011). The night revolved around making and discussing plans for the future, reminiscing (and by "reminiscing" I mean, chuckling) on memories from younger years, complaining to the waiter for messing up the pizza order (which resulted in us getting some free cappuccino's...) and just good old-fashioned face stuffery! Top button of pants unbuttoned at the terminus of the evening: Check! As afore-mentioned, the bulk of the weekend was spent doing searching and shopping for Matric Dance specifics. This means getting ready, going to the mall, and spending hours upon hours looking for what is on the list and returning home with the only thing purchased being coffee and lunch from Mugg n Bean to gather strength... Not so productive, but at least we had seen everything that was on offer. Thus, on Sunday, the job for my mom and I was much easier now that we had formed an idea of what could work. This evening we decided to do a family collaboration on dinner. I shall now present the final product; My dad cooked the rump steaks, I created the salad and my mom made the cheese and mushroom sauce for the steak. Other additives such as the reduction for the meat was put together by my dad and I made a quick vinaigrette for the salad. A Couple of Ingredients: Rump Steak (slightly obvious)--pan-fried, spices of your choice and a dash of olive oil. Mushrooms, flour, butter, milk, salt--made in microwave, compliments of Mom's age-old methodology. Danish Feta, avocado, egg plant, olives, bread (for croutons), tomato, rosemary, your own choice of spices and baby spinach leaves. Everything except for the avo, feta, olives and spinach leaves were roasted in the oven for crispiness; approximately 20 minutes at 140 degrees Celsius. Olive oil and other spices including mauled Cumin were also tossed around in the oven tray to give ingredients some personality. For the Vinaigrette: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, S & P, chopped rosemary, sugar, Steers French Dressing, Sweet chili sauce, small helping of chopped garlic (depending on when your next conversation with other human life is) and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shake up in any container, jar, bottle, whatever is closest and drizzle over insalata! The Monday night meal was enjoyed by everyone...except Gus and Frostie who were given a slightly more budget version of: Lucky Star shredded Pilchards, dog pellets, fermented bread and hot water. Sorry guys, maybe next time. Here's a picture of Gus; him preparing for Coachella 2015... He looks a bit hostile here, but is usually the biggest monochromatic (okay, well, dual-chromatic...If there is such a word) teddy-bear the Southern Hemisphere has ever seen. He does tricks such as presenting his paw upon request, and jumping. And when he lies on his side, he places his legs neatly on top of one another (always a crowd favourite). He always responds when you talk to him, and waves his tail when you wave to him. His only downfall is his bad breath and the level on dustiness on his belly. For the rest of the week, I hope the readers of this will have wonderful sunny days and warm, cosy evenings! Until the next post! So the other day, I finally decided to roll up my sleeves and remove the finger jewelry again for some kneading! It has been a while since my last home made bread and after deciding to experiment with some brinjals (or aubergines...I don't really know how big the difference is), I thought it would only be fitting to see whether or not they would work in a rustic (in other words...very straight-forward) bread. There were two versions of photo's that came out of this cooking session; my photo's (taken with my WWII artifact) and photo's with Stef, my housemate's camera. Her photo's were absolutely brilliant; so brilliant in fact that I questioned whether it was me who baked the bread after seeing those pictures. Unfortunately however, I could not get them from her in time, and so, I've opted for my own instead. But, I guess they're still not too bad! Here is my attempt at a Brinjal, roasted tomato, mushroom and olive bread!. Feast your carbo-loading eyes! Honestly, any bread is easy to make if you make it with enough love... and strong wrists! A Couple of Instructions: For your dough, you can do it according to any recipe you find on the internet, but the general principle which I use goes along the lines of 2-3 cups of flour (and then you'll need to add more as you start kneading), one packet of instant yeast, a pinch of salt and luke warm water (add slowly!). Once you've finished kneading your dough, leave it in the bowl and cover with a layer of cling film or perhaps just a plastic shopping packet or anything that will retain a bit of heat (we're going for the incubator effect here...like a little floury baby). What I usually prefer to do then is to find a good towel or blanket and then wrap the bowl with this. I look for a sunny spot outside in the garden and place it on a chair for approximately 40 minutes. While the rising of the dough happened, I prepared the filling for the bread in the oven, take a look: A bit of oil in the pan--we all know why we need oil, sliced up brinjals, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Seasoned with rosemary and lemon herbs, paprika, S & P and coriander. Leave in the oven for approximately 15 minutes at 160-180 degrees Celsius (but keep checking on it; the aim is roasty, not charcoal and cinders). Once the dough had risen enough (you'll know it is ready when it almost wants to climb out of the bowl itself), I gave it another kneading and spread it out into the same pan used above for the roasted contents in the same way we would do with a pizza. I then smeared a thin layer of balsamic and red onion dip on the laid out dough (for creaminess) and then packed all the ingredients onto the flat dough. This is where the olives also came in. Because I opted for a bread that is easier to cut into slices for sandwiches (open-faced or closed), what I then did after laying out all the roasted bits, is I gently lifted the dough and rolled it up (roly-poly fashion) from right to left and then swiveled it in the pan so that it would fit spaciously (room for growth, in life and in bread is always a good thing...). I usually bake my bread for about 30 minutes or longer, depending on how (for lack of a better word) crusty you want it. After waiting impatiently in the kitchen, pacing up and down, the bread was finally ready. I gave it a few minutes to cool off (which was torturous) and then proceeded to cutting a few slices. I topped mine with normal cheddar cheese, a slice of hickory ham and Steer's Italian dressing (and more black pepper). The loaf in its entirety lasted more or less 1 day only-- Stef and myself being the main culprits of its disappearance. It was really simple to make, but the results spoke for themselves and it was a real hit with the rest of my commune.
Obviously if you were to try this recipe, you could add a whole bunch of your own ingredients or own toppings afterwards, this was merely a summation of what was in my cupboard at the time! Please do give it a try, and always remember that, you can make anything well, if you add enough... <3 ... (wow, that was cheesy). Happy Baking! Wow! What a fantastic week last week has been! Every day I realize more and more that (and it sounds terribly cliche reading it aloud to myself) each day is as beautiful and important as we make it. In each situation we get ourselves into, it is up to us to decide (keyword: Decision) what the outcome of that situation will be. I think we often forget that it is easy to take back the control in our lives after a period of time where it has felt like the whole world has been up against you. I must say, that after being in a meaningful relationship for more or less 3 years, it is also important to remember that once time moves along (of course we never stand still...or even so, even being stationary is making a conscious decision to move forward but not in a particularly productive and healthy way), it is best to make the most of the time that lay ahead and to embrace everything that has been presented to you, for you to make the absolute most of the unimaginable potential bestowed upon you.
In terms of moving away from a loved one--i.e. breaking up and moving on, it has definitely been a contemplative period of time. Some mornings, looking at the day ahead as a series of obstacles and challenges (that you're going to have to face alone) and rather wanting to roll over and pull the covers over your head. However, things do get better. As a wise friend told me a few months ago, "You'll see Judete, there will come a time where you start enjoying your own company. You'll start to become alive again and look forward to spending good ol' quality time with yourself". And I must say, I think that that piece of advice has made a significant contribution toward being excited to live again, and actually, for the first time discovering who and what I am. In my opinion, and upon experience, I think that it is so important to know yourself fairly to quite well before entering a relationship. If one were to think about it logically, if you are not in-tune enough with yourself, and do not know what you like or what you want out of life, how will you be able to pick a partner that accurately fits with who you are? I guess, you could say that you would be making a blind decision if you started dating someone before you really knew yourself. Also, and lastly on this topic, I have really thought about and realized how serious it is to make a commitment to another human being. We often forget what a big deal it is when we say that we are in a relationship with another person. Not only because it is a sacrifice on both ends at certain times, but also because you become very complexly intertwined in their lives. You start caring for their family, know all their pets' names, grating the cheese the way they like it to be done, have personal jokes and stories...I'm sure you get the point. My point therefore is; it is so special to be so close to another person, and one should think very carefully and not take lightly what it means to enter into such a promise. It is from this point of departure that I wanted to talk a bit about my weekend. While on the one hand, the social activities ambushed us Left, Right and Centre, it was also an opportunity for some growth and getting to know more about people and how they work. (Once again, the inner anthropologist in me makes a guest appearance) . Not only did I learn about how people interact with one another, but also how I engage and converse with others. There's a good line from a South African band's song where the lead singer says : "...and I'm so tired of hearing my own voice, wandering through these halls". What I take from that is that there comes a point after reflection and introspection that we start longing for some outside opinion and interaction with others. So, although it is important to become quiet inside and make sense of why everything is happening in our lives when it does, it's also important to get out there and to live! I have witnessed great moments of wisdom in the strangest and random places. I won't get into exactly where or when these moments took place (maybe because those parts are, in retrospect, irrelevant) but it struck me that even though we learn so much from our own experiences, how much can we not learn from others who may be going through the same things as we are, or even more so, completely different and new experiences? There is such value in paying attention to the ideas and thoughts of others; although they should never take precedence over our own, they can help to better educate our own ideologies or to edit the perceptions that we may have of things. I have met some exceptional people throughout the last couple of days. I have been left inspired and highly motivated to get out there and to do my thing! (whatever I want that to be). There is no time limit on becoming the person you want to be. We evolve on a daily basis; our dreams, goals, plans and opinions change and transform as we, ourselves change. I have, for the last while, sort of had a set trajectory for my life (let's call it a 2-4 year future plan), and now, I almost feel like saying, even though my plan was pretty cool, I'm bursting out of my chair at the thought that I actually have NO CLUE what the future may hold for me! I can decide to pack up and leave and travel at any time that I want to (and to anywhere in the world!). If I want to go to France for a few months, I can do that, If I decide that I want to work at a B&B in Stellenbosch, I can do that too. Everybody has been saying "the sky is the limit" for millennia, but (and I hate to admit this) I think I am finally starting to understand what they really mean, and all I needed was just a little reminder that I am free to make my life exactly the way I want to. All that it takes is the courage for me to make a decision and to Do it! And well, to get a job that will allow me to save up for a ticket. Lastly, to end off the post, the social itinerary this past weekend included some of the following locations: "The Union" in Johannesburg; a location that keeps changing periodically (and luckily for my friends and I, we made it there on one of the last nights it was still open!), Capital Craft; here in Pretoria; a fresh, new place (which blurs the lines between the typical Johannesburg and Pretoria social experience); it sells craft beer (it's in the name...) and some really good burgers (of which I have yet to sample), Tiger Tiger Pretoria-for a university res' after-party, and lastly, Park Acoustics; a monthly open-air event that takes place in Fort Schanskop which is also here in Pretoria. Until next time! P.S. on the menu for dinner tonight will be: Home-made bread stuffed with olives, red onions and cherry tomatoes. I'll be sure to add a photo of my creation (if the bread lasts long enough for me to take a photo of it!) x The first week back in Pretoria, having started the second (and final) semester has been one of the most memorable weeks in a long time. Interesting and exciting course work lies ahead in both my modules--some of what I have explained in a previous post, and not only on the academic front, the socializing has been fantastic! On Wednesday evening the girls and I got ready for the annual "Around the World" party--held by House Curlitzia this year which was held on the roof of Menlyn Shopping centre's parking lot--the old Rooftop Drive-In. We all had to dress in a way that represented a country of our choice. So, owing to the fact that I own a significant amount of striped clothing, I suggested that we choose France as our inspiration! Red lips, red shoes, neck scarves and stripes--Check!
They could not have chosen a better location for the event. There were hundreds of people; Tuks students, residence students and then, everyone else who heard of the event. The soiree was backdropped by all the lights, billboards, neon signs traffic lights Pretoria had to offer and in the distance one could see the bright blue Telkom Tower, the Union Buildings and a few other noteworthy landmarks. We were greeted by different themed stalls all offering their own, unique potion-potent-punch; everything from hippies (who strangely enough promoted the non-alcoholic punch) to German bar maids, scooping up our plastic goblets out of huge vats and passing them around to whoever was awake and sharp enough to take a cupfull first! There really was something electric in the air that night. The music and the disco/strobe lights made it feel as though we were in some strange open-air festival with added mardi gras beads and the urbanity of an event that would typically take place in Mary Fitzgerald Square/ Town Hall. People wearing Mexican sombrero's, a couple of people who've opted for the Where's Wally guy (which was really appropriate considering how many people there were), someone who thought they'd come as Harry Potter, the three French ladies with the matching outfits...too many faces to remember! At some point during the shenanigans, I think I remember a group of people next to us dancing with a white, plastic mannequin, tossing the poor thing in the air, like some sort of crowd-surfing effect. The impromptu after party was held at a venue called "Ty's"; a club across the road from the rooftop party. It was bursting at the seams with party-goers and carried on late into the night...and early the next morning. When the girls and I eventually had enough of dancing (or more accurately, our high heels got the better of our feet), we decided to bow-out gracefully and retire to our beds. Needless to say, by the time we got home, Stef and I were past ravenous, so I MacGyvere'd my way through the kitchen and made some scrambled eggs (what one could now very appropriately call a Sunrise breakfast...) and presented it to my compatriot. The next morning... hmm, (I will put diplomatically that) neither myself nor Stef were our usual bubbly selves. But the feelings of tiredness soon faded away as we grew more and more excited for our first "Ladies Nite" which we were to host at our house! We invited more or less twelve girls to come over and bring any snacks with them which tickled their fancy. Stef and I didn't have much time to get ready, as she finished work late and went to the shops for a couple of last minute "schnacks" and my anthropology class only finished at about 5.30ish. The girls started arriving as we hung up the fairy lights in the living room and dismantling the couches to arrange seating all around the living room floor. We lit the candles, played a mixed CD (proudly brought to you by a certain beau in my housemate's life) and poured the wine (and yes, someone brought rose wine...). What a roaring success of an evening! Apart from the electricity tripping every so often (due to our power box being an artefact from WWII), it was quite apparent that everyone had a ball! The most interesting part of it all was that while some of the girls were mutual friends, the majority of the girls had only met each other for the first time, and yet everyone got along swimmingly. I wished that I had taken a photo or two of the setting, but to be honest, I believe that if you're enjoying yourself enough, there's no moment to waste on taking copious amounts of photo's. The best way to remember a realllly good gathering is by being fully present in the moment. In the practical sense, photo's help for memory lapses perhaps, or factual evidence for court cases (depending on how hard you party), but if you have a blackberry like I do, you know that being able to take a good picture means sacrificing at least ten minutes of party time on trying to find the best "Scene Mode" in which to take the picture, let alone if the flash of the camera helps make the photo look good or not. And, by the time you've located the best possible combination of photo settings, the opportune moment has long passed and everyone has left the frame to refill their wine glasses (or the battery is dead). It was so refreshing to meet a new group of girls. Learning about everyone, where they are in their lives and the crazy things they get up to; in an environment where everyone is relaxed and not focused on trying impress anyone, there is no better way to connect and unwind than how the ladies did last night . One of the highlights of the evening was hearing about one of the girls' recent trip to Cyprus. She gave almost a full report on everything from the geographic conditions of the country to the best party locations and social tips. It was with true conviction and something just shy of a slideshow presentation that she told us about her holiday there. Crystal blue waters and beautifully-bronzed boys. We were sold! Oh how a night of oestrogen does a gal good every now and then! Not only on a level of being in the company of girls only, but more generally-speaking, around a group of such positive influence and humility was what really stood out for me and what made it so special. Sharing stories and laughing, cringing, EATING (another highlight), one remembers that it's simple to be happy. All you need to remember is to be exactly who and what you are, and to allow others the freedom to be that too--in their own rights. The rest follows on its own. I cannot wait for the next Ladies' evening, I'll be sure to write a follow-up post on it! Stef and I have a few more aces up our sleeves... I, like the next person, consider myself to be somewhat of a budding wine connoisseur. I think a lot of girls, in their mid-teens (probably around the age of 16 or 17) start experimenting with rose wine with their girlfriends and add lots of ice and practice letting their inner coo-girls come out in each other's company. This is often accompanied by gossiping and gabbing over the latest news at school (or varsity later on) and exchanging stories, relationship advice and embarrassing moments.
As the years have gone on, and as one tries to move away from sweeter wines and such (or just raid your parent's wine rack), I have come to find that the drier and older wines have much more interesting stories to tell. When you taste your mom's white wine as a youngster, you are immediately put off by the dry and bitter taste of it and compare it to drinking vinegar or paint thinners (not that I have ever tasted that, but I guess that is what I would've imagined it to taste like, back then). But, as time goes on, you learn to enjoy not only the taste of a white or dry red wine but the process and flavours embedded into the wine and associated with it. The wine I want to talk about today is one that is arguably a very good wine for almost any occasion. Boekenhoutskloof in Franschoek (which is in the Western Cape of South Africa) is responsible for bottling "The Wolftrap" wines. I've tried both the white/ chenin blend as well as the Syrah Mourvedre Viognier Rhone blend. The normal retail price is around the R37 mark (but I bought mine on special at Checkers for R32.99!). Not only is the shape of the bottle as well as the labeling and branding on the wine unique and eye-catching; the iconic wolf on the bottle never leaves one's memory. As far as the taste goes, one can definitely smell and taste the wooden (oak) barrels in which it was matured. What I can taste are hints of nutmeg or cinnamon. The Wolftrap tastes better the more it gets a chance to breathe; some might say that the initial sharpness is a bit much, but, as the evening goes on, and there is a bit of oxidizing that takes place, it calms down and reveals its more velvety side and you are finally able to let the wolf out of its snare... (How's that for poetic?) This vintage; the bottle that has taken up temporary residence on my desk is only a 2013, which means that it is for immediate enjoyment and will compliment any occasion from a first date (impressing the lady with a suave choice of wine) to cooking up a bowl of pasta or warm veggie stew with your best friend on one of Pretoria's crisp, chilly winter evenings. Below is an image of the complete selection of The Wolftrap wines. They have a white, rose and of course the red wine as well. I apologize for not providing my own photo of the bottle, but have instead opted for the photo which can be located on their website : http://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/front Sometimes, in the life and times of a student, as many of you should know, the budgeting skills are still in their formative stages and so, for those reasons, there are times where we are confronted by the choice between going out with the gang later this evening or having a decent meal to eat. I, however, feel as though I have made some progress thus far (this being my third year out of the house) and so, at times, when boredom strikes, I whip out the inner master chef in me and summon up a meal of sort-epic-proportions and make the most of a dull (fridge) situation.
Below, I have used the following ingredients for lunch: *Artisan bread/loaf (Only R16 from Food Lovers Market) *Cherry tomatoes (a huge packet for a mere R12 bucks) *Calamata olives (R9) *Some sweeeeet chili sauce (which goes with everything) *Worcester sauce *An array of spices (rosemary, good ol' S & P, some coriander etc etc. whatever you have on the spice rack) *Strange PicknPay Balsamic and Onion dip (R16 special, if you use your Smart Shopper Card) Everything was fried up in the pan...or Sauteed, if you will. And the bread was toasted... in a toaster. So, Wednesdays start with an 08.30 lecture on campus. Visual Culture Studies. At the moment, we're learning about Places and Spaces and how these different geographical spaces (and even imagined spaces) are embedded with different meanings and have meanings bestowed upon them either by individuals or collective communities. We associate certain types of behaviors or activities with certain types of places--obviously. Take for example, the kitchen in your house, that's where we make food, wash the dishes, chat over a cup of coffee, borrow your housemate's sauces... All these activities and behaviors make sense when we're in this environment and therefore, something as simple and as straight-forward as this is just another element which contributes to the stability and order of life as we know it. On this note, I have decided to share with you my breakfast. Note: this picture was obviously taken before the Worcester sauce or the tomato sauce for safety and hygiene precautions. Table cloth proudly brought to you by housemate "Stef Originals" circa 2003 primary school days.
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AuthorHi there, my name is Judete Fourie. I am a twenty-something-year-old writer living in Stellenbosch in SA's Western Cape. Follow my day to day adventures that involve wine, wit and braaibroodjies. Archives
June 2017
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