Merrily Eating and Drinking on National Braai Day 2012

The men making their lunch contribution

What could be better than spending a hot, sunny Monday afternoon relaxing in the garden around the braai with friends rather than sitting behind the office computer? Not much, certainly! On National Heritage Day, South Africans get to skip work and celebrate their diversity instead.

Despite the many cultural differences represented in our country, one thing we all have in common is that we love to light up a fire and throw some meat (and veggies, in my case) on it. According to www.braai.com, “this is a noble cause, which will contribute to strengthening South Africa as a nation” and is supported by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Emeritus Archbishop Doctor Desmond Tutu.

Our National Braai Day feast

Even the Germans enjoy taking part, and a whole group of them gathered at my home, where my husband, Kevin, had lit up the braai our in the garden. Having been friends since school, they never seem to run out of conversation (mostly discussed in their mother tongue), so I had plenty of time to prepare the accompaniments while they lounged around the fire.

While they’d brought steak and boerewors to enjoy, Kevin and I had decided to share a piece of trout. We’ve learned a great way for cooking it over a flame without drying it out or burning it. Essentially, you place the seasoned fish and some pre-cooked potatoes in a foil roasting pan and cover it, set it on the braai for 15 minutes, then leave it to steam for another 15 minutes. The result is perfectly cooked, flaky, smoked, and delicious!

The very pretty and delicious desserts

To accompany the meat, I also served the leftover boiled pink fir potatoes (a delicious new type that is available from Woolworths), a creamy potato salad (made with regular potatoes), pasta salad, a leafy Greek salad, and some ciabatta rolls from Food Lover’s Market. Since some guests had not been able to attend at the last minute, lots of leftovers found their way back to the fridge.

Nevertheless, it seemed everyone still had room for dessert, which was a light and summery fruit salad – perfect for such a beautiful day! Comprised of green and red apples, cantaloupe, red grapes, strawberries, and kiwi fruit, the mix was dressed in delicious rosewater syrup. I served them in the gorgeous individualised ramekins we’d received as a wedding gift.

Can you tell that I love this wine?

To drink, the German gentlemen stuck mainly to their beers, but I enjoyed a glass of Middelvlei Free Run Pinotage 2010, which played to both Heritage Day (being an authentic local cultivar) and to Braai Day (considering that reds are often paired with meat). Although not a cultivar one might normally pair with gently seasoned fish or prefer on a warm day, Middelvlei’s version is light enough to enjoy with both.

Unfortunately, while it may have felt like a lazy Saturday afternoon, we do all need to get up early for work again in the morning, so everyone made their way home in the late afternoon. Still, it was great spending time with friends and enjoying the great South African braaing tradition! Hope you all had a wonderful Heritage Day.

All smiles as we prepare to tuck in!

The future of South African art is looking competitive

I finally got around to seeing the entries of the annual Kinnerkunsfees at Woodlands Boulevard. The competition is open to all pupils from pre-school to grade 12, and entrants can choose their own theme and medium.

It’s quite interesting to see what our youth are getting up to in their art classes nowadays, and the level of talent is exceptionally high. The results of this competition will not be easy to decide! These poor things are also going to face some fierce rivalry amongst each other if they all pursue artistic careers.

Generally, I find that school art tends to portray a fair deal of angst, almost cramming too much meaning into one painting. And it is very serious meaning: drugs, abuse, abortion, crime, and so the list goes on.

There was plenty of that to be found, for sure, but I did find some really fun pieces as well. Dylan Naidoo, a Grade 11 from Crawford College Pretoria, created a large “Starboks” coffee mug, with a checklist of key players on it.

Also feeling crafty, a Grade 11 Crawford College Pretoria classmate, Sean Tucker, fashioned an enormous Absolut Karma bottle, revealing the inevitable effects of over consuming (one hopes he doesn’t know these based on experience).

Another amusing picture on display was a pen sketch of the four facial expressions of a playful boy that was done by a Grade 12 student from Hoerskool Menlopark called Anja Jarling. I’d love to know if the kid in the picture is her little brother or something, since I think it’d have been an adorable tribute.

My favourite piece, however, must be the Coca Cola “Progress” piece done by Mary Song, a Grade 11 that is also from Crawford (I suspect that Crawford might claim the prize due to their great entries). I think ong’s work is so good that Coca Cola should actually run it as an advertisement! Tell me I’m wrong?

Overall, though, there are a lot of really excellent pieces. These kids are so creative, with almost way too much talent between them. I’ll be really curious to know who the judges crown as the winner, since it can’t be an easy task at all!

The artwork will be displayed until 7 October, so you still have time to go and check it out. Your favourites might be very different to mine, so I’d be interested to know what you think.

A Show That Is Really Worth Getting Away For

So much to see - take your time

Although it’s been around for 20 years, today I paid my first visit to the Getaway Show at the Dome in Northgate. And I was not alone. It seemed everyone else in Gauteng had decided to attend the event as well. In 2011, nearly 21 000 people visited, and it seems as though the 2012 numbers are not far off.

This is impressive because the first of September is Spring Day in South Africa, and Getaway is not alone in its scheduling of events. It is competing with the Spring Sauvignon Blanc Festival, which is on at Monte Casino this weekend and the Telkom Business Michael Fridjhon Wine Experience at Rosebank’s Hyatt Regency.

Snomaster's pretty blue-lit wine cooler

With over 250 exhibitors (according to the Visitor Guide – but I can believe it, since the place was packed!), the latest outdoor gear, 4x4 accessories, vehicles, and travel destinations were showcased. There was almost too much to see, actually, so it would probably be better to make a day of it rather than attend for only a couple of hours, like I did.

Of the hundreds of stands I walked by, though, some really stood out to me. One is the Amarula exhibition, with its pretty sales lady and branded shots of samples (which tasters were allowed to take home with them). What I liked most about it, though, was the snazzy little booklet of cocktail recipes we were given to try at home, like the Amarula Dusky Decadence, which looks positively, well, decadent.

The wine tasting tent

The Komatie Tourism stand was a great place to find out about hiking trails nearby, which would be great for a weekend away (since leave is not as easy to come by nowadays…). At the Trappers exhibition, I found something quite interesting – a set of pretty purple hiking poles that conveniently fold up. I spotted some exceptionally pretty wine coolers at the Snomaster exhibit that are lit up with gorgeous blue lighting – a stunning centrepiece for any bar.

Outside, to my delight, was a wine tasting tent featuring wines under R80 that had been crowned Getaway’s Best Value Wines. Although there were many great examples to sample, I walked away with a mixed case that included Waterford’s fruity Pecan Stream Chenin Blanc 2011, Simonsig’s fragrant Chenin Blanc 2011, and Pulpit Rock’s peachy Reserve Chardonnay 2009. Luckily, Getaway’s Best Value Wine Guide includes a directory so I can purchase the others I liked as well.

Some of the Fastdrinks 2Go flavours

On the way out, I came across something very interesting – Fastdrinks 2Go. Available in flavours that include Black Coffee, Cappuccino, Lemon Tea, Hot Chocolate, and Chicken Consommé, these 200ml drinks are self-heating. By firmly pressing the bottom of the container and shaking for 10 seconds, Fastdrinks 2Go promises a hot cuppa in only 3 minutes. I haven’t tried it personally, but I did purchase one, so I will report back when I have!

I didn’t stay as long as I’d have liked, but it was long enough to make some great discoveries. I imagine that everyone who visits will have other favourites, so it’s really worth taking the time to explore personally. The show still on tomorrow, which means you still have a chance to check it out yourself. 

What a way to end the weekend!