Goulash to Curry

Yesterday I took out my last pack of goulash from the freezer (from the hind-quarter we bought earlier this year). I was so looking forward to going home and trying my hand at a genuine Hungarian Goulash recipe.

I chopped the onions, washed and dried the meat and after I had softened the onions just perfectly, I discovered that all my paprika was finished - nothing, nada, gone, finished, missing. How did this happen? I think I might have thrown it out by mistake when I repacked my kitchen after extreme makeover - kitchen edition!

Well, it was "think on your feet time" - the onions were starting to brown just a little too much and the clock was ticking (I could even hear the digital clock on the microwave)! I opened my beautifully new pantry cupboard, with the slide out shelves and inspiration hit me - curry! The weather was perfect and I had just enough time to make it and would not require me running out to the shop to buy any supplies.

This curry is slightly different to what I would usually make - more like braised meat with a thick curry sauce.


Goulash to Curry

500g Beef Goulash (which is just topside cut into 2" chunks)
1 Large Brown Onion
15 -20 ml Curry Powder (depending on how hot you like it)
10 -15ml Dried chili Flakes (again some like it hot and some like it when the heat it on)
10ml Garlic Paste
¼ teaspoon Cumin
¼ teaspoon Coriander
¼ teaspoon Turmeric
½ teaspoon Dry Ginger Powder
¼ tin of tomato puree
1 large handful of Fresh thyme
10ml Sugar
Salt and Pepper
Water
1 tin Cooked Lentils (optional), drained and washed

Fry the onions until they are nicely caramelized.
Add the meat, which is washed and dried and fry on high heat with the onions.
Once the meat is browned on all sides,
Add all the spices and continue to fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the tomato and the sugar, keep stirring.
Add just enough water (¼ cup max) to help work off the bits that have stuck to the pot.
You must keep stirring until all the bits are off the bottom, that is where all the flavour is.
Reduce to the lowest heat you have, and allow to simmer very slowly, stirring and adding as little water as you can to stop it catching and burning.
I simmer this for about 60 -80 minutes, until I have a wonderfully thick gravy and the meat is tender.
If you are using the lentils, add them at the end and allow to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Serve with steamed white rice.

And here is a wonderful quote from my new hero Julia Child

“I wouldn't keep him around long if I didn't feed him well.”

My friend Julia

I am proudly Capetonian and while it's not New York or Paris, it's not as backward as some people think.

After reading some of these questions - I cringe to think what people think of South Africa and Africa.

I don't understand anything about football or baseball, I can't buy milk by the gallon, unless I have a dairy (do people really drink that much milk? or do you have calves in your back yard), we don't have snow at Christmas, but still we celebrate it anyway and I don't know what Graham crackers are and Starbucks does not exist in my world.

We do have a Jimmy Choo shop (don't have the courage to go in yet) and MacDonald's (Yippee!).

We do have elephants and lions, but we keep them in game parks (and not roaming in the street). The sad thing is that 90% of the population will never see a wild animal (except our taxi drivers) - a few might see them (the animals) at a zoo. I am one of the privileged that have actually seen the big five (lion, elephant, leopard, cheetah and buffalo) in the wild.

But I digress, there are things that the rest of the world know well, but I missed as an average South African growing up. One such phenomena is Julia Child -until 6 months ago, I had never heard of her. Should I be blushing?

Now I can see the entire North America frowning and deep in thought - did she live under a rock? I guess when it came to TV and food I did. Television only came to this country in 1976, and then it was only for a few hours a day. Many of the programs where dubbed (into Afrikaans). I don't think a big American woman (she is over 6ft tall) teaching people to cook French food would have been a huge hit in this country in the late '70's - we had other issues!. And even if we did, I doubt I would have been allowed to watch it anyway, my parents were pretty strict about bed times and TV watching.

But things have changed, I now know who Julia Child is. I have read Julie Powell's blog (the whole year) and am now I am reading Laura Shapiro's book, Julia Child ~ A Life, a book I received (won) from Coco @ Coco Cooks.

This is an incredible little book, I'm about half way through and I can't put it down. If you are looking for a great little stocking filler for a foodie - even if they don't know Julia yet, this book is wonderful. With excerpts from letters her husband Paul wrote to his brother, things Julia wrote to her family and generally just the fly on the wall commentary on this extra-ordinary woman, you can't but help fall in love with Julia. And as you can see, I am already on a first name basis!

It is very well written, witty and charming. Foodies will love it, just because you'll find a kindred spirit in Julia. I see myself in her, as someone who wasn't born with a natural ability to cook, but had a love for eating and went out and learned how to cook - reading and learning and never stopping until she was happy with the result.

I just love the easy to read language and I quote "Shapiro's Julia Child personifies her own most famous lesson: that learning how to cook means learning how to live" - how very true!

A Road less Travelled

A road less travelled took me away from blogging for 2 weeks. I discovered places in this beautiful country, things about myself, where I am going and where I want to be. I met new people and made friends that I hope I can nurture for years to come.

All this sounds very philosophical, but it's not really -time spent with yourself, outside of your comfort zone, can reveal things that get lost in a normally hectic life and routine.

So, let's start off with where I was.

I had to take a 5 day business trip to a little dorp (town) in the Eastern Cape called Humansdorp. While I was very busy sorting out the reason for my visit, I did have time to drive around and see some beautiful places and eat at some really wonderful restaurants.

One of these beautiful places was Cape St Fransis and the Port of St Fransis. A sleepy little hollow, right on the coast. Here is a picture of the lighthouse and the harbour pictured above.


Two of the restaurants at which I ate stand out, firstly Le Chameleom, in Humansdorp and the second was De Viswyf in Jefferies Bay. The third place is a coffee shop, cum second hand book shop, cum bonsai nursery, also in Humansdorp.

Le Chameleon is only open during the day and not only has a wonderful restaurant, but a gift shop and farm stall where I could have maxed out any credit card! There is not a person in the area who doesn't know this little gem, and even out of season you'll be hard pressed to get a table. They do not take reservations and close at 4pm on week days. The owners are always there, keeping a keen eye on every plate which leaves the kitchen.

I do apologize for the picture quality, but I think the excitement at seeing such a beautiful plate of food was just too much for even my camera to handle!

I ate at Le Chameleon twice, opting twice for a salad - and while this might sound boring, it was everything but, more like a culinary voyage into the heights of heaven. The first salad I had was grilled pear with blue cheese, crispy bacon and bruschetta. My soul shall never know such pleasure on a plate again. That was until the second master piece of grilled halloumi cheese with pine nuts and olives. I still can not decide which was best, but I could write a Mills and Boon novel on the pleasures thereof!

The second restaurant I went to was De Viswijf in Jeffreys Bay, an award winning restaurant. It is set right on the rocks, next to the lighthouse. The menu is very extensive, with fish, poultry and meat. I had the fish, being of the belief that when in a fish restaurant you should eat fish. I started with Mussels Maison, mussels in the shell with garlic white wine sauce, topped with cheese, oven baked and served on a bed of rice . And yes this is as good as it sounds!
The Yellow Fin Sole was "to die for", and I don't say that lightly - I can think of a few small countries I would invade for another chance to savour this dish. And just because I was alone and out of town I finished off with the créme brûlée.

Thirdly was the little coffee shop - Browns Cafe, in Main Street Humansdorp. It looks like nothing from outside, just another secondhand book shop, with perhaps an old Auntie making coffee and koek (cake) in the back. Oh no, as you walk through, you discover a beautiful nursery, filled with bonsai trees and tables where you sit and enjoy the view.

I tell you now, do not to waste your time thinking about what to order - coffee and lemon meringue pie! That's all you will need to make you realize that books and covers are never what they seem!

So there you have the first part of my voyage of discovery. It involves lots of food - but there was time to do some soul searching too. But I think I will keep that for another day- just in case you needed a reason to come again and visit!

Weddings and New Family

This weekend we were in Johannesburg to celebrate the wedding of Anthony and Claire. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended and I am so proud to say I now have two daughters.

Curry Craze

We have been having the most glorious weather in Cape Town these last few days, with temperatures soaring to 31°C (87°F) - I can just imagine how hot summer is going to be if this is Spring.

I am certainly not complaining, it has been officially proved that I am solar powered! It is absolutely wonderful to drive to work in the sunshine - something I really miss in the winter months. Cape Town really is the most beautiful city in the world! and Yes I am biased!

So, back to the weather and what's cooking in the Homemade Heaven kitchen - Curry! "What?!" you might say, why on earth do you want to eat curry when it's so hot. Well if it works so well in India - and they know hot, I don't see why it can't work in Cape Town. And I am happy to say, it worked very well.

I did want to make a prawn curry, but they did not have any nice size prawns at the shop so I settled for calamari rings - which worked equally well. The best part is there is enough for us to have for supper tonight, so I have a night off!

Calamari Curry

400g Calamari Rings (Defrost in cold water)
2 Large Brown Onions
2 Tins Chopped peeled Tomatoes
10ml Dried Chili
10 -15ml Curry powder (depending on how hot you like it)
15ml Green Massala (I but the bottle variety)
¼ teaspoon Coriander
¼ teaspoon Turmeric
¼ teaspoon Cumin
10 - 15ml Sugar (to counteract the tinned tomatoes)
1 handful fresh Lemon Thyme

Fry the onions until soft, but not brown.
Add the spices and fry for 1 minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT the calamari.
Leave to simmer for about 1 hour, stirring regularly.
When you are about 10 minutes from serving, add the calamari and cook until just done.
Do not over cook the calamari or it will toughen.
Serve with steamed white or basmati rice.