Keerbergen
April 2011It was still dark outside as I was driving along Vijfstraten on my way to the abattoir.

Vijfstraten is a small one-lane road meandering through the leafy little village of Keerbergen where we live.

It was still early in the morning and my red bull had not yet had the desired effect.
I was not paying particular attention to anything. After all, I had been driving this same road for the past 9 years and apart from squirrels and an occasional cat there was nothing really to watch out for.

But, driving along I felt something was not right, something had changed somewhere.

I stopped, reversed, looked ….

And there it was! A brand-new traffic sign that had not been there yesterday?

I sat there looking at it and could not quite make out what it was that I had to heed or watch out for but then I looked closely at the picture on the sign and it dawned!

Frogs! I had to watch out for frogs crossing the road!!

Frogs?

So, no sooner back home and onto old faithful and onto Wikipedia.
Not much to read there really apart from the fact that it’s Frog Breeding season and at that time of year Frogs think more about sex than cars.

Mmmm .. that makes a lot of sense.

It’s more about having some fun really, I think. To be quite honest, if there were so many frogs crossing I should have seen at least one cropped body (or a live one) the past month or so.

But no. Not even one!

Ah well, this is Belgium and this is the country where we stop for ducks and squirrels and doves and chickens and so on and so on. It’s all very nice I think.

You can sometimes sit in a queue on the road simply because some car, way up front, in front is waiting for a couple of Donalds and Minnies to get to the other side.
And can they dawdle! (the ducks that is 😉

As you probably gathered, it’s spring in our part of the world (hence the frog warnings) and you can just feel and see the whole world coming back to life.
The trees and the bushes are full of blossoms.

The gardens are full of crocuses, hyacinths, tulips and bluebells and too many other spring flowers to even mention.

Everywhere it is just one kaleidoscope of colours.
Everything is kind of breathing a loooong sigh of relief

Winter is over (again)!
It’s good to have some warmth back in our bodies after yet another lengthy winter.

Lucky for us we had a whole month break in December when we went to South Africa …..

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December was the first time we went back in 9 years.

The first week we were in Jo’burg meeting up with old friends and I spent some time meeting with some our suppliers and customers.
It was great to meet so many of the people I have been dealing with for such a long time and never really met.
Fernando, Malcolm, Liekie, Sandra and Charlie at Crown National, Shane at JJ Airfreight, Anna at Apak, Joe and Roland at Heneways and Avi and his staff at the factory.

Being in Jo’burg it was like we had never left.
I brought Susie (my GPS) along but did not really need her.
Of course there were changes in the road systems and a lot of new buildings had gone up but for the rest?

Everything was just the same!

Especially the braais!
My goodness no-one in this whole world can put together a braai like a South African!
And it simply did not stop for the whole month!

We soon winged our way down to Cape Town and, via the Klipdrift distillery at Robertson (of course), drove down to Knysna to spend the rest of our holidays there with our eldest son Derek and his family at their magnificent place right on top of the “Heads” on the Pezula Golf estate.
On the right is a picture taken from the 14th hole. Click to see it big. Isn’t South Africa’s coast just incredible!
In fact the whole family was together. Even Tony, my son who lives in Holland, came over with his whole family. An incredible effort and surprise!
Gwendy my daughter, now living in Cape Town, drove down in her magnificent 1960’s restored VW Beetle! (What next will she get up to?)
It was great to have everyone together for the first time in many years.

I am not going to bore you with my thoughts about the country. Whether it has changed or not changed or waffle on about the security situation etc. etc.
I have my thoughts and will keep them to myself for while. But, it is still one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it is blooming cheap to live there!

I could not believe the prices in the restaurants and supermarkets. Even the house rents and prices.
But, especially the restaurants! And we went to many.
Where in this world can you get a full-on breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and chips etc. for just €4.00?
Or a full-on seafood platter with 12 prawns, chips and all the sauces for just € 8.00?
And that was not just at Derek’s restaurant but all over!
Come on!! Fish and chips (and a HUGE piece of Kingklip) for € 1.50! (No, this is not a typo!)

If you’re ever in Knysna please visit the Swing Café, Derek’s restaurant/nightclub. Good vibes, good food and good music!

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Well, it has been a long time!

A lot of water has gone under the bridge and life has changed for many of us.
Hopefully for the better.

Why the long absence?

Well, I am not going to make any excuses. Priorities changed and something had to give.
In this case our newsletter.

I must be quite honest in saying that I missed putting it together every month; it was always such a lot of fun.
And then of course the feedback we received, the contacts we had with South Africans all over the world and the interaction we saw between expats everywhere. We were really global!

Somehow I feel that Biltong is a kind of universal “language/link (whatever you want to call it)” that binds most South Africans together.
They may be anywhere in the world and not even knowing each other, but …. just mention “Biltong” and all walls seems to disappear and people are instant friends.

This is the one reason I have done this newsletter.

The other reason is that I just had to listen to the many, many people who are still writing to us asking for a new newsletter. We even get calls at all odd hours (perhaps they’re forgetting the time zones ;-))

People send us their email addresses just wanting to make sure that we have the correct one because they are worried that they had not received a newsletter for a while.
When in South Africa in December so many people asked; “When is there going to be another one?”

Well, here it is.

I hope that you get as much fun out of it as you did all those years ago and as I have had doing it.
It took a while because I did not realize how “rusty” I had become!

I would love to do another one after this. It’s been so much fun. But, I would need some help and input.
That is, after all, what this is all about. The interaction between the so many South Africans who live away from their home land.

So, if you have enjoyed this one why not put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard and let’s hear from you!

Hopefully till a next time!

Take care,

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Mmmmm ….

A woman is sitting at home on the patio with her husband drinking a glass of wine and she says: “I love you”.
He asks: “Is that you or the wine talking?”
She replies: “It’s me …….. talking to my wine”.

 

Remember……………..?
(We’ve all seen it before but it is still nice to remember …-Ed)

Remember…….
Before the Internet or the AppleMac… Before semi-automatics and crack cocaine… Before SEGA or Cartoon Network… Before Playstation and MTV…

Way, way back……….

• I’m talking about the time of Hide and Seek in the park…..or the dark.
• The cafe down the road?
• Hopscotch, Donkey, skipping and hand stands, backyard cricket with a tomato box, Dandy & Beano annuals
• French skipping, charms and “arlies”, jumping the river, living on the beach, building a swing from a piece of rope tied to a tree, tennis on the street or swing ball in the backyard.
• The smell of suntan lotion, hot tar and Oros.
• Wicks bubble gum for a cent.
• An ice cream cone from the kombi that plays a tune. Wait, can you still remember…
• When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere, and your Ma made you “dress up” for the trip.
• A million mozzie bites and peeling skin in summer.
• Sticky fingers and sand in and on everything.
• Cops and Robbers, Rounders, Stingers, Foefie slides and climbing trees.
• Walking or riding your bike to school – no matter what the weather.
• Running till you were out of breath.
• Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
• Jumping on the bed….. Pillow fights. Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down. Being tired from playing….. Remember that?
• The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
• Paper water bombs and clay “lats” were the ultimate weapon.
• A piece of card in the spokes held by a clothes peg transformed any bicycle into a motorcycle.

I’m not finished just yet!

Can you still taste and smell……….

• Eating jelly powder from the box, ice lollies made from cold drink in Tupperware holders in the freezer.
• Making sherbet from sugar and ENOS and boiling tins of condensed milk to make caramel – took hours!
• Marshmallow fish and mice.

Remember when…………

• There were two types of takkies – Tommies and the canvas ones, and the only time you wore them at school was for “PT”.
• It wasn’t odd to have two or three “best” friends.

• Nobody owned a pedigree dog.
• 25 cents was decent pocket money.
• When you’d reach into a muddy gutter for 5 cents and feel lucky.
• When nearly everyone’s Mom was at home when the kids got there.
• Remember when it was magic when dad would “remove” his thumb, or make 10 cents appear from behind your ear.
• When it was considered a great privilege and very unusual to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant or in a proper hotel.
• When on a rare occasion Dad stopped at a roadhouse or “Dairy Den”.
• Remember when any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
• When being sent to the headmaster’s office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn’t because of muggings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat…… and some of us are still afraid of them!!!

Remember when…………

• Decisions were made by going “eeny-meeny-miney-mo”.
• Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, “Nix!”
• A “race issue” meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
• Money was handled by whoever was the banker in “Monopoly”.
• The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.
• Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a BIC pen, pea shooter or a “cattie”.
• Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable vitamin C or Milk of Magnesia.
• Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
• Skills and courage were discovered because of a “dare”.
• Older Siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.

Didn’t that feel good…..just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!!!

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!!

Pass this on to anyone who grew up in South Africa who may need a break from their “grown up” life!

Take care,

The Daffodil Principle
~~ Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards ~~

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. “I will come next Tuesday, “I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!”

My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this all the time, Mother.”Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears, and then I’m heading for home!” I assured her.

“I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car.” “How far will we have to drive?” “Just a few blocks,” Carolyn said. “I’ll drive. I’m used to this.”

After several minutes, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage!” “We’re going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.”

“Carolyn,” I said sternly, “please turn around.” “It’s all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden.” We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns — great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

There were five acres of flowers. “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “She lives on the property. That’s her home.” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster:

There it was….”The Daffodil Principle.” For me, that moment was a life-changing experience.

I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun — one bulb at a time — to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable (indescribable) magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time — often just one baby-step at a time –and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.

When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world!

“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!

“My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said. It’s so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask….

“How can I put this to use today?”

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire. The truth is there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with… and remember that time waits for no one.

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one’s watching.

The Brand-New Biltong Buddy!!

This month sees the launch of our brand-new Biltong Buddy MK-VI!

We have put a lot of work in this and are very happy with the result.
The new Mark-VI Biltong Buddy Home Biltong maker operates with a heating element to aid the drying process of the meat.
It holds a maximum of 2kg of wet meat and is an ideal addition to your kitchen appliances for making your own “stukkie” biltong.

We have often wondered about the length and trouble they go through on those biltong making videos your get.
Making biltong the South African way (the way most butchers do it) is as easy as 1-2-3 …!!

Cut the meat in slabs resembling pieces of biltong, spice it, let stand overnight, hang and voila!! Superb biltong!

With the Rugby WorldCup on the horizon you’ll be the envy of your friends!

Do a deal with them … you supply the “stukkies” Biltong and they bring the beer!!!

Some of the advantages and features of the New Mark-VI Biltong Buddy:

• No more searching for globes which are getting more an more difficult to get)
• Full 110 and 220 volt versions. The 110 volt guys don’t have to run around looking for the right globe any longer!
• An absolute even drying of the meat within a matter of 2-4 days (depending how dry or wet you like your billies).
• Simple and easy design which means that very little can go wrong.
• Spare elements are available from our on-line store.
• A window in the front of the box so you can see what is happening without having to “peek” all the time. This means that you don’t have to lift the lid and slow down the drying process.

• The switch on the front panel of the box lights up to show that the unit is working.

Have a look at the pictures here and tell us what you don’t like about it! We think it’s magic!

The new Biltong Buddy Mark-VI is now available from our on-line store at www.biltongmakers.com

An interesting fact!

Did you know that there are customers all over the world who are still using the old Mk-II Biltong Buddy!

This is just one of many, many mails we receive every day from all over the world.

My little biltong maker has kept me sane and smiling ……

For years, my little biltong maker has kept me sane and smiling. Even my husband wonders how such a small thing can produce so much happiness. It works like a charm, is really easy to use, and makes the best biltong ever.

I first bought my baby Biltong Maker in late 2002 after six months of living in Amsterdam with no biltong. The cravings were just too much and I decided to make it a Christmas gift to myself. I actually found a supplier of biltong in The Netherlands where I could order online, but the complicated Dutch payment system was too much for a poor girl from Mafikeng.

So the hunt was on. Thanks to the Internet, I discovered The Biltong Maker.

It arrived a few weeks after Christmas, thanks to a short stop with Dutch customs. Luckily I had a wonderful butcher nearby who helped select and slice the meat, even though he shook his head in doubt when I described what I was doing. But he was very expensive, so I learned to buy the right cuts of meat in wholesale stores and markets.

Now I could make the best biltong, and cheaply too!

The guidance and recipes on the Biltong Maker site are amazing – you’re up and running in no time at all.

Erica Harper
Vienna, VA 22181
USA

Rockey’s New Turbo Machine

And yes, Rockey’s new 5kg Turbo Home Biltong maker has been an incredible success. So much so that we cannot possibly keep up with the orders that come in at the moment. The order processing time is therefore around 7 working days at the moment.

One incredible thing about the Turbo Model is that you don’t have to use the light. We found this out by accident when a customer called and said that it works perfectly without the heat from the globe.

This proves once again that it is not so much the heat but airflow that is the main factor in drying meat.

Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker

The RNA-5 (as we call it) is exactly the same as its brother the “Turbo” model except that it does not have a fan. It is perfect to dry up to 5kg of wet meat and makes incredible biltong but in larger quantities than the Buddy.

Special new features:

• All our Home Biltong Makers are now fitted standard with a CE approved appliance power cable complete with a standard EU two-pin plug.
• Grommets have been added to the cable entry point on the box.
• A highly improved and stronger PST is now used for all boxes.

And so, once again, we have improved on previous models and have made it easier and quicker than ever before for you to make your Biltong.

You too could be making your own Biltong in a very short space of time.
Have a look at our Home Biltong Makers and see how easy it is!!

Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker as well as the new Turbo Model can be found by clicking on this link.

It’s our Birthday … again!

This month it is 16 years ago that we made our very first Home Biltong Maker.

As most of you will know by now we did not really invent the original 2kg Biltong Maker.
Kel had an old Cardboard Biltong Maker box and worked a new idea around that one.

Now, sixteen years later, thousands of people all over the world are making their own Biltong!

We could tell you some stories about some other products that we have shipped across the world but we will leave that for another newsletter!

So, it’s April and it’s our birthday and we thought we had to do something special for our customers.

Since no-one will send us a present (he-he) we will give you something to celebrate about.

Here we go:

From date of publication of this newsletter till the end of May this is what will happen!

Free to the first 50 customers only!!
(With an order for one of our three Home Biltong Makers)

A choice of …..

• A Wooden Biltong Cutter.
• 1/2 kg of Safari Biltong Spice.
• 1/2 kg of the following spices ….
• Country Boerewors Spice
• Ouma’s Boerewors Spice
• Burgher Boerwors Spice

Special discounts for Special customers!!

• The Brand-New Mk-VI Biltong Buddy 2kg Home Biltong Maker for only R 799.00
  (Instead of the normal R 950.00)
• Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker for only R 895.00
  (instead of the normal R 1150.00)
• Rockey’s New Age TURBO Home Biltong Maker for only R 1095.00
  (instead of the normal R 1295.00)
• Our SI-30 Industrial Biltong Drying Cabinet (30kg wet meat) for only R 9995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 11995.00)
• Our Wooden Hand Biltong Cutter for only R 325.00
  (Instead of the normal R 425.00)
• Our Semi Industrial Hand Biltong Cutter/Shredder for only R 995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 1495.00)
• Our famous Safari pre-mixed Biltong Spice for only R 69.00 per 500 gram
  (Instead of the normal R 75.00)
• All Nice ‘n Spicy spice packets, complete with recipe, for only R 35.00 (including free airmail to anywhere in the world!)
  (Instead of the normal R 45.00)

Free with all Biltong Maker orders placed (from this newsletter publication date till the end of May)

• 20 special Biltong storage bags
• A packet of our famous Nice ‘n Spicy spices complete with recipe.

Get rid of mosquitoes …!

Mosquito Spray? … Worth a try!!

I was at a garden party a while back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone.

A man at the party sprayed the lawn and patio floor with Listerine, and the little blighters disappeared. The next year I filled a 1/2 liter spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes.
And voila! That worked like a dream.

It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children’s swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don’t leave home without it. Pass it on.

One of our friend’s comments:
I tried this on my patio and around all of my doors. It works – in fact, it killed them instantly.
It will last a couple of days. Don’t spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.

Johan says:
“Die goedkoper weergawe is Plax.
Helfte goedkoper as Listerine en werk net so goed.
Gebruik dit al lank, want boer mos met hase en jy kan geen gif buite gebruik met hulle in die tuin nie.
Enige iets is beter as die ander goed wat so sleg ruik. Plax of Listerine ruik en smaak beter!!”

Some more useful tips …
(do you have any, please let us know?)

An idea for Potjiekos lovers

This comes from Barry in South Africa. Give it a try and let us know what you think about his idea ..

Hi Guys,

Here is something that your readers may find interesting.
I’m a great Potjiekos maker, and I go for ‘beesstert’ (oxtail) Potjie most of the time.

I had gotten myself a pipe and stand which stands at the bottom of the pot with your food around the pipe, and works similar to the old coffee peculator. But you must make sure that all the onion bits are all removed before you place the stand at the bottom and before you place your ‘sealed’ meat around the pipe.

The onion bits quickly clog up the pipe if they are left in there. The onions go in much later after you have placed your potatoes and carrots in. During this time, I also pour almost a liter Coke into the pot (size 3 pot) and this really tenderizes the ox tail and gives it a some what sweeter taste to it.
The idea of the peculator pipe is to get your gravy and spices in the bottom of the pot to the top and over your veggies.

My mouth is actually watering just talking about it.)

Contact me if you wish for more info.

Barry
barry@tcspta.com

Good vision in a Downpoor!

We are not sure why it is so effective but just try this method when it rains heavily.
This method was told to us by a police friend who had experienced and confirmed it.

It is very useful…even driving at night.

During a heavy downpour most motorists turn on the HIGH or FASTEST SPEED of the windshield wipers. Yet the visibility in front of the windshield is still bad……

In the event you face such a situation, just put on your SUN GLASSES (any model will do), and miracles! All of a sudden, your visibility in front of your windshield is perfectly clear, as if there is no rain.

Make sure you always have a pair of SUN GLASSES in your car. You are not only helping yourself to drive safely with good vision, but also might save your friend’s life by giving him this idea. Try it yourself and share it with your friends!!!!

Amazingly, you still see the drops on the windshield, but not the sheet of rain falling. You can see where the rain bounces off the road. It works to eliminate the “blindness” from passing cars. Or the “kickup” if you are following a car in the rain.

They ought to teach this little tip in driver’s training. It really does work. This is a good warning.

I wonder how many people know about this???

Boererate

• Suurlemoen en koeksoda werk beter as Handy-Andy.
• Asyn en koeksoda maak vir ‘n baie goeie disinfectant.
• Asyn en warm water kan ontslae raak van ‘n mierplaag!
• Citrus Soda en suurlemoen maak ‘n aangebrande pot sommer vinnig skoon!

Our spices are Kosher and Halaal!

It will certainly interest our Jewish readers that our biltong spices are certified as being kosher by the Beth Din of Johannesburg. Anyone interested can mail us for a copy of the certification. (new 2011 certification is now available)
Our Muslim readers can rest assured that all our spices are certified Halaal by the Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust. A copy of the certification is available on request.

First we have some questions that continuously crop up in our mail box. The answers are simple and will solve most problems instantly!

QUESTIONS ON SAUSAGE CASINGS

• Where can I get casings for the boerewors I want to make?
• Which casing should I use for a particular sausage such as for normal boerewors or droewors?
• Can you please supply me with casings for my boerewors? You can’t get them here in our country.

THE ANSWER

Sausages are made in one form or another in almost every country in the world. It’s the way butchers use the bits and pieces that fall of the meat when trimming (off-cuts).

If your butcher or supermarket has sausages, the casings for these are available. The easiest way to find out where to get them is to ask your butcher!
In most cases he will even sell you some if he makes sausages himself.

As to what size to use? You know how thick boerewors and droëwors is. Just ask the butcher for the size you see in his display cabinet or get the phone number of the people who he buys them from.

We do not ship sausage casings. Not because they would not survive the trip. They certainly will. But simply because they are available right there where you are!

PLEASE GIVE ME A PRICE FOR A BILTONGMAKER AND THE SHIPPING

THE ANSWER

Instead of emailing us for a price just use the ‘PRICING AND SHIPPING’ link on our home page www.biltongmakers.com. It is much quicker and easier and you’ll even find a currency converter to see what it will cost you in your own money.

You will find this link on the left-hand side of our home page.
Follow the easy instructions you find there and you’ll find out the exact pricing for everything.

QUESTION

Gas bottle adapter?
I am trying to find an adapter for my wife’s Skottel Braai that we got when we went to SA to visit family.
I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find an adapter to fit an American Gas Bottle!
Do you have one or know how I could obtain one?

Jason Stoner
USA
stoner_gumby@yahoo.com

QUESTION

My biltong is hard on the outside and still pink on the inside
I recently purchased some biltong in SA from a butcher and the outside was dark, soft and shiny and it was really nice, although there was no fat on the meat the paper it was wrapped in was a bit oily.
When I got home I tried making my own but the outside is always rock hard with the inside very soft, it tastes nice but it is just the texture that I cannot get right.
Your help would be appreciated
Thanks

Edgar Gregan
Limassol, Cyprus
edgar_gregan@yahoo.co.uk

QUESTION

Kalahari Boerewors Recipe
Does anyone have a receipe for Kalahari Boerewors please?
Many thanks in advance

Jan Adrian Venter
New Zealand
janventer@xtra.co.nz

QUESTION

What is the Dragon herb?
This one comes up regularly so here it is again. This time from Lee-Anne Marais from Cape Town.
In one of your recipes you say we must use “Dried Dragon” I have looked it up on the net and have learnt something new. I have never heard of it before and neither have a lot of our suppliers of food products!

ANSWER

The herb called DRAGON is Tarragon and available from all good food stores and super markets.
You can get it as a small plant (like parsley, mint etc) or in a dried form in a small bottle.

Here is an extract from what we found on the web.
“Tarragon was used by the ancient Greeks as a remedy for toothache.
Today we know that tarragon contains an anesthetic chemical, eugenol, which is the major constituent of anesthetic clove oil, making its use for temporary pain relief understandable.
During medieval times there was a belief, called the Doctrine of Signatures, which stated that a herb’s appearance revealed its medicinal value. According to this philosophy, tarragon was thought to cure snake bites, due to the serpentine shape of its roots.
Even tarragon’s species name, dracunculus, comes from the Latin for dragon, again referring to the shape of its root, and adding to the myth of curing bites from venomous beasts and mad dogs.”
http://www.foodreference.com/html/a603-tarragon-dragon.html

QUESTION

How do I cook boerewors?
I live in Israel and just purchased 2 kg boerewors from a South African gentleman who was a butcher there.
I have read your article about how to cook them. As an inexperienced boerewors cooker I have a question.
Do you leave the entire link whole and grill it till done and then and only then slice up the sausage into portions? Or is it possible to cut up rather long sections to make grilling easier?
I hope that this does not seem like an absurd question to an experienced person like yourself.
(No question is absurd David and I bet that many people have asked themselves the same questions or simply end up with something they don’t like. -ED)
Thank you,

David Fishbein
Israel
nukepa@gmail.com

OUR COMMENT TO THIS QUESTION

Dear David,

Thank you for your email.
No questions is absurd. It actually makes good sense.
The traditional way is to grill the rolls and then cut it into pieces after it has been cooked.
The reason behind this is that the meat then cooks in its natural juices and the fat that is in the sausage. That way it will retain the juiciness and softness it is supposed to.
If you cut it up beforehand the juices will just run out and the fat will set the fire alight!
It’s always handy to have a jug of water next to the fire to sprinkle on the flames when these flare up.
Alternatively you can shape the longer pieces into smaller sausages (just turn them into smaller sausages). That way the juices will also remain. Watch out!! Don’t ever prick the sausage with a fork or damage the casing because, once again, the juices will disappear and your sausage will certainly be not as nice as it could be.

THE BILTONG TEAM

FEEDBACK

In reply to the many questions we get regarding a sausage maker the following feedback.

Kenwood (as in Kenwood mixer) produces a sausage attachment for their Kenwood Chef kitchen appliance. I believe they also make a mincer on its own with sausage spout.
When I got to New Zealand I bought a Kenwood Chef so it gets used for all the normal things and I get the benefit of using it to make sausages and they are awesome.

Cheers
Paul and Glenda Bing
Ohakune, New Zealand

Taxiing to a dead stop!
By James ClarkeTOGETHERNESS Amadeus Tshabalala jinks his Toyota mini-bus taxi (with BMW hubcaps) through the rush-hour traffic.

He is a confident man of high spirits, as evidenced by the stickers on his rear window: “God loves Taxi Drivers” and “Defeat Constipation – Travel by Taxi”.

On the front of his taxi, above a dent which, ominously, is in the shape of a large traffic cop with his arms akimbo, is a placard reading: Northern Suburbs Express – Inaugural Flight.

Using the word “flight” is Togetherness’ little joke. He could well have used the word “fright” for such is his sense of humour.

We are witnessing (dear reader) the inaugural journey of a township taxi which hopes to establish a daily service between the quiet, leafy, mainly white northern suburb of Jukskei Park and Johannesburg city centre. It is a 25km journey that takes Togetherness 8.5 minutes if it’s not too busy and assuming he can occasionally drive on the pavements to avoid queuing in traffic.

The percussion waves from Togetherness’ powerful radio cause the vehicle’s sides to rhythmically flex. He hoots as he drives. Togetherness hoots at anything he sees – including trees and pretty girls – as is the custom of township taxi drivers.

Aboard the taxi are a dozen white people. They do not come whiter. Their whiteness is not due to fear; it is due to stark terror. Take John Hilton. Never in his life has he experienced zero to 100 km/h in six seconds – not in heavy traffic.

Denise Smith’s colour had changed to green-white as quickly as the last traffic light changed to red – a colour which, as is traditional among taxi drivers, Togetherness ignores. He looks over his shoulder – for a full minute – asking passengers their destinations. Elsbeth Brown, sitting right at the back, says. “Randburg centre!” She really wants to go all the way to Johannesburg centre but, suddenly, Randburg seems preferable.

She worries about how she will make her way from the backseat, but only fleetingly because the taxi has now reached Randburg and has stopped as suddenly as a plane might stop up against a mountain.

Now everybody is in front in a warm, intimate heap.

Elsbeth alights as gracefully as anybody can with one knee locked behind the other. She is vaguely aware of passers-by loosening her clothing and shouting: “Give her air!”

Togetherness bowls happily along Jan Smuts Avenue overtaking a police car that is chasing a getaway car. Then he overtakes the getaway car, exchanging boisterous greetings with the driver whom he appears to know. Togetherness is steering with his elbows because he needs his hands free to check the morning’s takings and to wave to girls.

He announces: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We will shortly be landing in Johannesburg. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and your seats are in the upright position. Thank you.”

Piet Smit is chewing on a seatbelt that is made of leather. Togetherness had them specially made because he felt first-time passengers would need to bite on something.

Togetherness now merges with the mainstream of in-bound traffic. He merges with it in much the same way his Zulu ancestors merged with the British at the battle of Isandlwana.

He stops at his usual disembarkation point in the middle of a busy intersection and picks his teeth, patiently, while people sort out their legs and teeth before groping their way towards a street pole around which they can throw their arms.

By the time his passengers’ eyeballs have settled back in their sockets, Togetherness is halfway back to the northern suburbs.

Recipe Corner

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Pork Belly Roast

A Pork belly roast is such a fun and easy thing to do and it takes no time at all.
Pork is also a very inexpensive meat and a nicely roasted large Pork belly on a dinner table looks stunning and never fails to impress guests.

Your shopping list

• 1-2kg Pork belly (medium fat) complete with skin and somewhere between 5 and 10cm thick
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper corns
• 5 Chinese spice mix or
• Barbecue spice or
• A herb mixture such as an mix of origanum, thyme and rosemary

What to do

• Put the meat side up and rub with whatever spice or herbs you have handy.

• We often grind together some Chinese 5 spice and black pepper corns

• You can also use a herb mix of origanum, thyme and rosemary plus salt and pepper

• If you have nothing else simply use some barbecue spice

• Whatever you use, spice the meat side well

• Now turn the belly skin side up

• Score the skin of the belly long-ways with a sharp knife (or make diamonds like we do sometimes).
• Make sure that you don’t cut all the way into the meat
• Rub the whole skin side with some olive oil.
• Take some coarse salt and black pepper and rub well into the cuts and all the skin.
• Put in a container, cover with tin-foil or Gladwrap and keep in the fridge (preferably overnight)

The next day

• Heat the oven to 200C
• Take an oven tray and fill with about 1-2cm of water
• Put the meat skin-side up on a rack in the tray.
• Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours
• When the meat is done put the grill on full blast and really crisp up the skin to “bubbly” crackling. (Watch your teeth!)

Enjoy and don’t tell your doctor about it ;-))

 

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Super-hot gepekelde eiers !

Kan jy sê super-hot-gepekelde-eiers … ?

Nie met een van hierdie in jou mond nie!
Dit is Majorly warm en maak seker dat jy dit kan hanteer voor jy dit probeer!

Bestanddele

• 3 dosyn hardgekookte eiers (Geskil)
• 1 quart gedistilleerde wit asyn
• 1 ui (Gesny)
• 1 eetlepel mosterd saad
• 1 eetlepel dille nageslag
• 1 eetlepel gebreekte rooi peper flakes
• 1 eetlepel swart peper of peperkorrel
• 6 naeltjies vars knoffel
• 1 (16 gram) jar jalapeno peppers, met sap
• 1 (16 gram) jar habanero peppers, Met sap
• 10 koppeltekens Tabasco sous

So maak mens ..

Hard kook die eiers en steek ‘n paar keer duidelik deur die wit aan die dooier
Dan volg die onderstaande resep

• Plaas al die bestanddele, behalwe die hardgekookte eiers, in ‘n bedekte pot en kook vir 15 minute
• Plaas die hardgekookte eiers in ‘n glas pot en bedek hulle met die warm beit mengsel totdat die eiers heeltemal bedek is
• As daar nie genoeg asyn is nie, kan jy ‘n paar eetlepels warm water voeg by die asyn oplossing
• Marineer die eiers in die oplossing in die yskas vir 7 dae voordat dit bedien word
• Hoe langer hulle marineer, hoe meer robuuste die smaak!

geniet dit!

(Die gepekelde eiers sal vir ewig hou as niemand hulle eet nie ;-))

 

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Click below for our handy cooking converter

Bits and pieces from South Africa

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Letter from Cape Town

Hello everyone, No, I am still here. However I am retired now. I went off on early retirement in May 2008 (at 59) due to medical reasons ie: acute heart problems, constant heart-fibrillation, diabetes, thrombosis, depression etc, etc. Guess my days are numbered.

I keep busy doing the things I never got round to doing, I vacuum the house, (a domestic engineer now), prepare food for my wife who still works and I do handy-man things around the house. I would like to think that I also protect my house by being here, but these days, they even break-in and rob you whilst you are at home.

My strong points are language; English/Afrikaans and I would like to do translations for an income as one of my family members does, but he lives in Germany. He speaks of a Euro per word for translation work. My German is not nearly good enough for German translation work. However, as an unknown, it is difficult to get a break.

Depending on which side of the fence you stand on, the general feeling here in S.A. is either that of euphoria or of utter despondency. The euphoria referring to those who commit fraud and corruption here on a daily basis and manage to get away with it. The government have just announced that they are thinking of abolishing TV licenses, but in its place, they want to add a 1% or 2% surcharge to every taxpayer, which really means that 7-million people will pay and the remaining 38-million will not. There is also a National “free” Medical Aid on the cards in the future which will also be added to our tax responsibility on an annual basis.

The free housing supply to all who are needy (3-million so far) is still on schedule according to the minister of housing Tokyo Sexwale, but they have lost billions to shady building contractors who build sub-standard HOP-houses and flee once they have been (handsomely) paid. Apparently, corruption does not differentiate on skin-color. However, he seems very keen to apprehend the perpetrators.

Add to that the constant black cars with black windows (sic) that scream through busy intersections with wailing sirens and with blue lights flashing, just before impacting with an innocent citizens car at a traffic light and the typical “Banana Republic” vision really starts to take place.

Some cabinet ministers are allowed to “buy” personal vehicles of up to R1.2 million while the people who voted for them, rummage through rubbish-bins to look for something to eat. The new President, Jay Zee, seems to have the right objective in mind in striving to provide decent service delivery, mostly from lackluster municipalities who do exactly as they please, but it is still early days. We’ll see! Clean water supply is a major developing problem and nothing is done by anyone to stop contamination and seepage from nefarious origins which in turn poisons the underground water table.

The share-prices on the JSE fluctuate daily due to the world crisis and a return on investment that was adequate some years ago is no longer sustainable. We all are making an extra hole in our belts, literally and figuratively. The constant dropping of the repo-rate by the reserve bank leads to a vicious circle as only the people who live beyond their means benefit from it. The rest of us who actually have savings, lose out as our income rate is cut accordingly. Its a case of heads you lose, tails you lose! Survival is paramount and I really feel sorry for the really poor.

The daily murder rate here will put the American/Afghanistan war deaths to shame yet no-one seems to really care for South Africans. No-one here has the guts to bring back the death penalty to serve as a deterrent to violent crime. Perhaps the U.N. will one day send-in a peace-keeping force to protect the innocent citizens here? However, so far they have done absolutely nothing to assist innocent citizens in Zimbabwe and the head clown still reigns there quite happily and he still commits his despicable atrocities daily. So I wont hold my breath!

However, as long as we still have Johnny Walker whiskey to block-out the daily shocking thoughts and visions, we can (must) hold on and survive. Second on my list is biltong and the occasional (expensive) braai, third. I cannot understand it, but I am developing a vegetarian approach to life lately with meat taking a lower priority. Yes I know, terrible outlook, but curiously true.

I am curious now as to who was looking for me with you. Was the enquiry from S.A.? Please see if you can remember.

In conclusion, a joke;

Koos and his wife were on holiday in Pattaya and they stayed at a beachfront hotel. As an early riser, Koos snuck out of the hotel at 6 in the morning and took a stroll, but a pretty street-whore saw him and offered her horizontal refreshment to him at $200.
He started to barter and offered her $20. She disdainfully turned around and walked away.
Later, after breakfast, Koos and his wife went shopping and he again bumped into the same pretty tart who started to laugh hysterically.
She pointed a long finger at his wife and said: “See what you get for $20 mister!”

All the very best to all of you.

Regards,

Ben Schulz

 

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Commercial farmers leaving SA

The Times newspaper has reported that South African farmers are leaving the country in large numbers for a variety of reasons, including unbearable working conditions. Farmers are leaving the country because of poor working conditions for neighbouring states, such as Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Soviet State of Georgia among others.
There were 120,000 commercial farmers in South Africa in 1994 and only 37,000 remain, which has led to SA importing some of the food it used to produce, said AgriSA vice president Theo de Jager.

The country was now starting to import grains such as wheat. It was also on the brink of importing meat and poultry, which was being produced less and less in the country.

Farmers cited new laws, unionisation of farm workers, expensive water, electricity and other necessities, a shrinking supply of arable land, and the threat of land reform as reasons for farming in South Africa becoming unsustainable.

Many farmers believe that the latest threat, the New Security of Tenure Bill, will be the last straw driving farmers from the country, as it allows workers to plant crops, keep livestock and build houses on the farm on which they work.

Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti’s spokesman Mthobeli Mxotwa said the New Security of Tenure Bill was meant to “stop cruelty against farm workers.”
“Workers get kicked off farms and dumped along the side of the road”. The Land Tenure Act and Extension of Security of Tenure Act were found [to be] toothless – evictions continued unabated.

“We decided to tighten the new bill in order to give farm workers rights. By the way, we also extended those rights to land owners.”

Sapa
04 April 2011

10 things I miss about South Africa

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What do you miss most about South Africa?

We all miss things about South Africa.

It may be great to be an Expat and some of us live in some of the most idyllic parts of the world.

We have all the safety we longed for while still at home. Our children can play in the street without fear, we don’t have to call the security people when we want to go out at night … and yet ….
We all miss things about South Africa. All of us do!
So, here is a little place where you can tell us what it is that YOU miss about back home. Just the 10 most important mind.
We’ll publish them in our next newsletter and it will be fun to see how many of us miss the same things …

Here is a start:

The 10 things I miss most about South Africa

• The sound and fury of a real Jo’burg thunderstorm.
• The smell after the storm has abated.
• A late lunch braai with your mates that ends at around midnight.
• Having a greasy breakfast with the whole bunch the next morning ‘cos they never left.
• Sitting out in my garden watching the foals frolic.
• The taste of your first Castle on a Friday night.
• Driving through the Magaliesberg or at “Harties” on a Sunday afternoon.
• Weekends in the Waterberg where you can rediscover your soul amongst magnificent scenery and wildlife.
• Driving all the way to Broederstroom to the “chicken pie farm, home of the chicken pie”, just for one.

And, and, and…

Around the World

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Bits and Bobs from people around the world

Hallo there all expats and Saffies around the world!

This is how I make MY biltong!

Hope you guys are doing well, I really enjoy the news letter and hearing from expats all over the world making biltong. For about 25 years in South Africa, we hunted every year in June, bagged a Kudu and a couple of Impala and would cut everything up for biltong. We would then hang it up in the garage and dry it with fans

I moved to the USA 6 years ago and after initially struggling a bit, we found what we needed to make really nice biltong.

We normally buy 6 to 8 rump steaks, specially if Safeway (local supermarket) has a deal on the meat.
I cut them in strips, probably an inch thick. I then use Baleine course sea salt and red wine vinegar. I bought Crown National Biltong Seas Safari spices with us from SA (probably same as the spices you sell)

I then take a big enough container, sprinkle vinegar, salt and spices, and put one layer of cut meat, sprinkle all 3 again and then put a layer of meat and so on. This is then put in the fridge for 2 days, then hang it in the garage on wires and dry it with a good fan.
I think the secret is the meat laying in the mixture of salt, spices and vinegar.
Your biltong Buddy also works very well but I can just not make enough at a time!

Hopes this helps somebody, any expats in the US are most welcome to connect if they need help.

Take care and keep up the good work.
Cheers

Deon Pretorius
USA
deonpretorius@comcast.net

Something to smile about

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Another couple “shorties” that keep flowing in daily

 

A little known fact …

The first testicular guard (“ball box”) was used in cricket in 1874

and the first helmet was used in 1974

It obviously took men 100 years to find out they also had brains ;-))

 

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Indian Cab Driver

A drunk woman, stark naked, jumped into a taxi at a Durban Cab Rank.
The Indian driver opened his eyes wide and stared at the woman. He made no attempt to start the Cab.
“What’s wrong with you Love, haven’t you ever seen a naked woman before?”
“I’ll not be staring at you lady, I am telling you, that would not be proper, where I am coming from”. “Well if you’re not bloody staring at me Lovie, what are you doing then?”
“Well, I am looking and looking, and I am thinking to myself, where is this lady keeping the money to be paying me with.”

 

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On the subject of Colonoscopies…

Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous….. A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:

 

• Take it easy Doc. You’re boldly going where no man has gone before!

• Find Amelia Earhart yet?

• Can you hear me NOW?

• Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

• You know, in Arkansas , we’re now legally married.

• Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?

• You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out…

• Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!

• If your hand doesn’t fit, you must quit!

• Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.

• You used to be an executive at Enron, didn’t you?’

And the best one of all…. Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?

 

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The power of advertising …

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, “Son, how old are you?”
“Eight,” the boy replied.
The man continued, “do you know what these are used for?”
The boy replied, “not exactly, but they aren’t for me.
They’re for him. He’s my brother. He’s four.

We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can’t do either.”

 

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And last but not least …. Why we love children …

Nudity
I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked!
As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, ‘Mom, that lady isn’t wearing a seat belt!’

Opinions
On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother.
The note read, ‘The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents.’

Ketchup
A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar.
During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. ‘Mommy can’t come to the phone to talk to you right now. She’s hitting the bottle.’

More Nudity
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women’s locker room.
When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover.
The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, ‘What’s the matter, haven’t you ever seen a little boy before?’

Police
While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old.
Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, ‘Are you a cop? Yes,’ I answered and continued writing the report.
My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?’ ‘Yes, that’s right,’ I told her. ‘Well, then,’ she said as she extended her foot toward me, ‘would you please tie my shoe?’

Sport talk

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Snippets from the papers

Where to now for the Proteas?
Graeme Smith’s era has come to an end, not on the high he would have hoped for, and not on the high he probably deserves.
Full Story

Lions to employ kicking coach
Lions coach John Mitchell has announced that they will be employing a kicking coach to help the struggling Super Rugby outfit.
Full Story

White up for Brumbies interview
World Cup-winning coach Jake White has applied and will be interviewed for the head coaching job at Australia’s ACT Brumbies.
Full Story

Plenty at stake at Augusta
Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods have extra incentive to win the U.S. Masters this week.
Read Story

Sharks “desperate” to bounce back
The Sharks will be desperate to get back on the winning track when they host the Stormers after two consecutive defeats.
Read Story

 

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Wie Ondersteun JY?!?

 

	Blou Bul Rugby is soos ‘n Blou Movie …. Meestal voorspelbaar, maar steeds lekker om te kyk!
	Sharks Rugby is soos Finding Nemo …. Jy cheer vir die klein blisempie eintlik omdat jy hom jammer kry
	Stormers Rugby is soos Robben Eiland …. Jy lees nou en dan daarvan in geskiedenis boeke.
	Lions Rugby is soos Brokeback Mountain …. Daar’s altyd ‘n klomp gewillige poepholle wat op die veld rondhardloop.
	Cheetah Rugby is soos Eskom …. Jy weet daar’s krag, maar die ligte is af.

Our Birthday Competition!

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Our Birthday Competition!

Competitions are always fun and I remember from the past (I go back to 2005 now!) that we used to have a new competition every month!
We had fabulous prices as well such as Biltong Makers, Potjiepots, Barbecue tool kits, MP3 Players (remember Isa in Israel?) and even a whole barbecue!!

But we have had to move with the times and when things became busier in other areas we had to let something go.
First is was just the competition and then the newsletter.
That was a pity really because we always had lots of fun putting it all together!
But the requests to have another newsletter and another competition never stopped coming in.

I am very grateful that all the hard work we put into the newsletter since 2002 has had its rewards in the unbelievable feedback we always had and are still getting!!

Our 16th birthday seemed to be a good occasion as any to have another competition.
So for the many of you who have asked for this competition here it is!
It will be a once-off and will now run through to the end of August when the winner will be announced.

Just click here to go to the competition page or follow the competition link on our web site www.biltongmakers.com

The prize? ….

One of our very handy and smart looking barbecue tool sets (see picture). Just in time for those summer braais (in the northern parts of this world that is ;-))

Now, isn’t that smart!!

 

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FACEBOOK Competition

For those who are members of Facebook we have devised a competition as well.
All you have to do is go to The Biltongmakers.Com! Facebook page and simply click on the “like” button you will find on top.
That done your name will automatically go into the hat for the draw that will take place the moment we have reached our target of 500!
The winner will be announced in a future newsletter, by email and on the Facebook page!

The prize for this competion?

One of our Rocky’s all time favourite Home Biltong makers complete with instruction booklet, hooks, sample spices and dowels to hang the hooks on!

It is so easy to make your own Biltong with this incredible invention and it’s fun too. And the best part is that you can make your own Biltong just the way YOU like it and at a fraction of the cost!
Rocky’s New Age Home Biltong maker is used around the world from South Africa to England and from Russia to the “steppes” of Siberia and from Greenland to the sweltering climates of Florida, Australia, Singapore and Hongkong

Biltong is the universal language of all South Africans and we help them “talking” to each other wherever they may find themselves in this world!

So, to all of you who have been asking for this I can only say one thing … get going!!

 

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This from a previous winner!

Dear BILTONG TEAM,

Wow…..I’m blown away. This is the first time I have ever won anything. I’m looking forward to receiving my MP3 Player.
Once again many thanks, for the great web site. I so enjoy the recipes given and all the information you provide us with.

Many thanks,
Isa Kahn
Israel
2005

 

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Remember the following:

• The competition is totally free to anyone.
• You can enter as many times as you like.
• You can only enter via the Competition link on our home page or by clicking here
• Prizes are sent to the winner free of charge.

Come on, let’s hear from you too!!

You are probably sitting at the computer right now so how about a small (or big) contribution? It does not have to be about Biltong or such. We’d love to hear where you live and how you have adapted yourself to your new life style and surroundings.
Let our readers enjoy your story!

You might have a nice recipe to part with or perhaps a question to ask? Or perhaps you have read something of interest that you might want to share?
Perhaps you have some advice to give?

You never know how you could help somebody else with your own hints and tips.

Share it with other people around the world!

Click right here to start now or you can mail us at the webmaster@biltongmakers.com

Boerewors (Europe and UK only, sorry people!)

Summer is well on its way and our boerewors has once again proven to be a hit with South Africans and local people alike for the 10th year in a row!
We are making fresh batches of around 150 kg every week at the moment and are hardly keeping up. Especially our neighbours in the south of Europe are shipping it by the “truck load”!

This is the first year we actually ran out twice!
But, ‘n boer maak ‘n plan’ so we have enough fresh stock available most of the time.
To place an order just click on the picture or go to our web site at www.boerewors.be and fill in the order form.
You can either collect or we can mail it to you.

All our customers in Holland, Belgium and in fact, all over Europe are raving about the packing of and the condition in which the wors arrived at their doorsteps.

Just imagine some “lekker” pap and wors with a nice tomato and onion sauce!
(See the recipe section in our previous newsletter!)

Complete the order form you will find by going to www.boerewors.be or give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25.

Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram.
Like with everything else the price has increased slightly because of the increase in the price of meat, spices and casings. Our spices from South Africa have gone up by no less than 43% and there is a big shortage of casings we are told because China is buying up whatever they can get hold of!

Our normal price at the moment is € 10.25 per kg but for the time being we will keep it at only € 8.45 per kg!!

Droëwors …… a typical South African delicacy all of its own!

Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
The spices are of course imported especially from South Africa so you will get the “real” thing!

Fresh droëwors is available right now and we normally have ample stock.

The price is € 40.00 € 29.00 per 1kg pack or € 4.50 € 4.00 per 100 gram packet (at 08-04-2011).

Droëwors (like biltong) travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail in minimum quantities of 500 gram.

You can place your order now by going to www.boerewors.be, give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us.

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Biltong …… once hooked you’re a slave forever!

Biltong is without doubt the snack most associated with South Africa!
It is so much part of South African culture that there is no food related shop that will not stock it. You find it literally anywhere.
Say Biltong and you say South Africa!

Biltongmakers.Com has for more than 16 years supplied their Home Biltong Makers to South African expats all over the world so they could make their own biltong away from home.

We were often asked why we don’t make Biltong ourselves and then make it available to the poor and deprived South Africans living away from the Mother Country!
The requests were relentless and constant so almost 5 years ago we decided to give it a go and you can now get your biltong (and chilli bites) directly from us.
The spices are of course imported from South Africa so you will get the “real” taste like “back home”!

The price is € 50.00 39.00 per 1kg pack or € 5.50 4.95 per 75 gram packet.

Biltong travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail.

To place your order please go to www.biltongmakers.be and click on one of the order form links. You can also call us on +32 (16) 53.96.25

We will get right back to you with how much the postage will be.

Pig or Lamb on the Spit ……. something special!

Well, last summer certainly saw some lambs and piglets on the spit! In October we did our last one for a while. We needed a rest!!

It is almost summer again and the right time to start thinking about a spit braai this Spring or Summer.
Like every year, we are already booked almost full for May and part of June .
So, if you want to be part of the fun and really impress your friends, colleagues or other acquaintances, book now!

Lamb or pig on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive ……. Not so!
We will do a Spit Barbecue for parties of between 30 and 50 people from just € 22.50 per person.

Together with the meat we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes, a tomato/salsa salad as well as an incredible Tzatziki (cucumber, yoghurt and mint) salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well. And, don’t forget the mint sauce with the lamb and the apple sauce with the piggy!
For venues more than 50 km from our home base in Keerbergen there is a small transport fee.

Start planning now for those special occasions! Just keep in mind that quite a number of dates up to October are already booked!
Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.

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Keerbergen
BelgiumThe small explosion coming from the kitchen could be heard at the bar table outside. Very quickly a grayish cloud of dust came wafting out of the kitchen door and a gray dust settled all over the surfaces.

Everybody ran outside for cover and to get away from the horrendous smell of rotten egg.

I had just tried to open one of those thousand year old eggs I brought back from Singapore in December 2006!

It exploded in my face. (talk about egg on your face!)

I am always one for bringing back absolutely useless and strange things from far away countries. This time it was one of those raw duck eggs wrapped in gray clay and I was going to show Hans and Joan (who were there for lunch) how nice it was to eat one of those things!

I don’t know what was worse, the smell, my guests retching outside or the look I got from June!

Anyway, that was another one to write off to experience.

Never again!

But, then ….. I had to see what a thousand year old egg is really all about. Surely, I could not have made such a mistake out of total ignorance.

This is what I found.

Preserved duck eggs are a traditional Chinese delicacy, and although known as “1000-year-old eggs” they are rarely more than 100 days old. (So mine was a rarity at almost 500 days!)
It is a common dish, sometimes known as pidan, that is made by coating duck or chicken eggs in a clay-like plaster of red earth, garden lime, salt, wood ash, and tea. To prevent the eggs from sticking, and for an attractive presentation, the chef advises layering and wrapping individual eggs in rice husks and packing them into an airtight container.

(Needless to say that I did none of the above of course. Just left it in an egg cup on a kitchen shelf looking pretty)

The preserved duck egg is smooth and creamy like an avocado, with a greenish yolk, and a no-longer-white white that is compared to the color of blackish amber or black opal, with hints of yellow, blue, and green hues. The flavor is “rich, pungent and cheese-like.”
Serving suggestion: Cut in wedges and serve with sweet pickled vegetables or a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, rice wine, and minced ginger. Yum!

Or, as the old Latin adage says: “de gustibus non est disputandum” (there’s no accounting for taste)!

Much better were Joan’s vetkoeke.

I had not had any of those for yonks and when we went around there a couple of weeks ago she was busy making these vetkoeke the size of rugby balls.
Wow!
The last time I remember having one of those was when Kel came to fetch me at home in Linbro park and took me to the other side of Pretoria where, according to him, you could get the best vetkoeke and mince in the world! They were good, but not half as good as Joan’s!
After eating Joan’s vetkoeke Kel would certainly have changed his mind!

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It’s been a couple of months since our last newsletter and if it wasn’t for the hundreds of emails we keep on getting, asking where the next one is, I would still be procrastinating.

So here we are. It’s April already and the first quarter of the year is behind us. How time flies. Just the other day we were on holiday in Turkey.

But, that is the life we lead. We rush around not counting those precious seconds, minutes, hours and days we sometimes just throw away by ignoring how precious they really are and doing something more than let them just pass by.

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This month it will be 13 years since Biltongmakers started going. I can’t believe it sometimes. Those early days when Kel designed his first Biltong Maker and we started playing around with a little web design program to see if we could make ourselves famous!

How little did we know and how much has been learned.

But, here we are.
The Biltong Buddy, Rockey’s Biltong maker and our large Industrial Cabinets are taking a place of pride in kitchens and butcheries all over the world in countries as far flung as Taiwan, Singapore, Russia, Khazakstan, Barbados, Florida, Iceland, Australia, the USA, Europe and, ah well, too many to mention.
And while one always has some unhappy customers these are very few and far between the thousands upon thousands of people who are very happy that they can make their own biltong so far away from home. Their emails and letters tells us that daily.

Needless to say, it also makes us happy. Happy to be able to provide a service that gives a little of “the home country” to those so far away.

And so we, in the northern hemisphere go into our summer and our friends “Down South” into their winter. I hope you will have a good one, whichever it may be.

Till the next time,
Take care,

Lo

11 things you will not learn at school …

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a high school graduation in the US.
Gates listed 11 things that, in his view, you will not learn in school.
His concern – that feel good, politically correct teaching has created a generation of kids with little concept of reality who have been set up for failure in the real world.

His advice is as follows:

1. Life is not fair – get used to it!
2. The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
3. You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
5. Flipping hamburgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
6. If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
7. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try de-lousing the closet in your own room.
8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
9. Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that in your own time.
10. Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

Daylight Saving Time

To many of us Daylight Saving Time is a way of life. But have you ever stood still by what it is and, more important, the funny and strange things that can happen when you add or remove an hour to your day?
Origin
In the ancient water clock on the right, a series of gears rotated a cylinder to display hour lengths appropriate for each day’s date.
Although not punctual in the modern sense, ancient civilizations adjusted daily schedules to the sun more flexibly than modern DST does, often dividing daylight into twelve equal hours regardless of day length, so that each daylight hour was longer during summer.

For example, Roman water clocks had different scales for different months of the year: at Rome’s latitude the third hour from sunrise, hora tertia, started by modern standards at 09:02 solar time and lasted 44 minutes at the winter solstice, but at the summer solstice it started at 06:58 and lasted 75 minutes.
After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season. Unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some Mount Athos monasteries.

Benjamin Franklin (below) suggested firing cannons at sunrise to waken Parisians.

During his time as an American envoy to France, Benjamin Franklin,author of the proverb, “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”, anonymously published a letter suggesting that Parisians economize on candles by rising earlier to use morning sunlight.

This 1784 satire proposed taxing shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells and firing cannons at sunrise.
Franklin did not propose DST; like ancient Rome, 18th-century Europe did not keep accurate schedules. However, this soon changed as rail and communication networks came to require a standardization of time unknown in Franklin’s day.

It was William Willett who invented DST and advocated it tirelessly.

This prominent English builder and outdoorsman invented DST in 1905 during one of his pre-breakfast horseback rides, when he observed with dismay how many Londoners slept through the best part of a summer day.
An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk. His solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later.
He lobbied unsuccessfully for the proposal until his death in 1915.

Germany, its World War I allies, and their occupied zones were the first European nations to use Willett’s invention, starting April 30, 1916.
Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year and the United States adopted it in 1918.
Since then, the world has seen many enactments, adjustments, and repeals.[20]

When do we change our clocks?

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

In the European Union, Summer Time begins and ends at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time). It begins the last Sunday in March and ends the last Sunday in October.
In the EU all time zones change at the same moment.

During DST clocks are turned forward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.

This year the change over date for Europe was March 30th. For the US it was on March 9th.

When in the morning?

In the EU clocks change at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time. In spring clocks spring forward from 12:59 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. In the autumn clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Incidents and Anecdotes

Throughout its long and fascinating history, daylight saving time has had a remarkable impact on a wide variety of unexpected areas–from Middle East terrorism to feuding twin cities, voter turnout to time-change riots, radio stations to trick-or-treaters, and opera performances to manslaughter charges.

Draft Status, Vietnam War
A man, born just after 12:00 a.m. DST, circumvented the Vietnam War draft by using a daylight saving time loophole. When drafted, he argued that standard time, not DST, was the official time for recording births in his state of Delaware in the year of his birth. Thus, under official standard time he was actually born on the previous day–and that day had a much higher draft lottery number, allowing him to avoid the draft.

Bombing Thwarted
In September 1999, the West Bank was on Daylight Saving Time while Israel had just switched back to standard time. West Bank terrorists prepared time bombs and smuggled them to their Israeli counterparts, who misunderstood the time on the bombs. As the bombs were being planted, they exploded one hour too early killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims two bus-loads of people.

Time Change Riots
Patrons of bars that stay open past 2:00 a.m. lose one hour of drinking time on the day when Daylight Saving Time springs forward one hour. This has led to annual problems in numerous locations, and sometimes even to riots. For example, at a “time disturbance” in Athens, Ohio, site of Ohio University, over 1,000 students and other late night partiers chanted “Freedom,” as they threw liquor bottles at the police attempting to control the riot.

Radio Stations
AM radio signals propagate much further at night than during the day. During daytime, more stations in neighboring areas can broadcast on the same frequency without interfering with each other. Because of this situation, there are hundreds of stations licensed to operate only in the daytime. Daylight Saving Time can affect the bottom line of these daytime-only radio stations: during parts of the year it can cause the stations to lose their most profitable time of day–the morning drive time. The gain of an hour of daylight – and thus broadcast time – in the evening does not fully compensate for the morning loss.

Violent Crime
A study found that crime was consistently less during periods of Daylight Saving Time than during comparable standard time periods. Data showed violent crime down 10 to 13 percent. It is clear that for most crimes where darkness is a factor, such as muggings, there are many more incidents after dusk than before dawn, so light in the evening is most welcome.

Oil Conservation
Following the 1973 oil embargo, the U.S. Congress extended Daylight Saving Time to 8 months, rather than the normal six months. During that time, the U.S. Department of Transportation found that observing Daylight Saving Time in March and April saved the equivalent in energy of 10,000 barrels of oil each day – a total of 600,000 barrels in each of those two years.
Likewise, in 1986, Daylight Saving Time moved from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in April. No change was made to the ending date of the last Sunday in October. Adding the entire month of April to Daylight Saving Time is estimated to save the U.S. about 300,000 barrels of oil each year.
Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time commenced on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday in November, thereby saving even more oil.

Births and Birthdays
While twins born at 11:55 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. may have different birthdays, Daylight Saving Time can change birth order — on paper, anyway. During the time change in the fall, one baby could be born at 1:55 a.m. and the sibling born ten minutes later, at 1:05 a.m. In the spring, there is a gap when no babies are born at all: from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
In November 2007, Laura Cirioli of North Carolina gave birth to Peter at 1:32 a.m. and, 34 minutes later, to Allison. However, because Daylight Saving Time reverted to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m., Allison was born at 1:06 a.m.

Rockey’s new TURBO Home Biltong Maker!

And so the success story continues …..

The introduction of Rockey’s new TURBO Home Biltong Maker has taken the Biltong making world by storm.

We have just not been able to keep up!

Everytime a new batch arrives from the factory it has already been pre-sold.

The new Turbo model is basically Rockey’s New Age Biltong Maker with a fan added at the bottom. More slots were added for improved airflow and the whole unit looks AND works very smart! The big thing is that it keeps humidity out thus eliminating virtually all chances of mould and it dries the meat about twice as fast as with the convential method.

All in all a good investment for those people who make a lot of Biltong!

Of course we must not forget the standard RNA-5 model and the ever popular Biltong Buddy! Both are excellent machines, something to which thousands of satisfied customers will testify!

Special new features:

• All our Home Biltong Makers are now fitted standard with a standard appliance approved power cable complete with a standard EU two-pin plug.
• Grommets have been added to the cable entry point on the box.
• A highly improved and stronger PST is now used for all boxes.

And so, once again, we have improved on previous models and have made it easier and quicker than ever before for you to make your Biltong.
Not convinced yet?
Just read about what people are saying (we only started keeping records in 2001) on our customers comments page.

You too could be making your own Biltong in a very short space of time.
Have a look at our Home Biltong Makers and see how easy it is!!

Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker as well as the new Turbo Model can be found by clicking on this link.

You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.

It’s a special birthday for us this year and we are the ones who are giving away the presents!Have a look at these prices!

• Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker for only R 729.00
  (instead of the normal R 1050.00)
• Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker (New TURBO Model) for only R 995.00
  (instead of the normal R 1195.00)
• The famous BILTONG BUDDY Home Biltong Maker for only R 595.00
  (Instead of the normal R 795.00)
• Our SI-30 Semi-Industrial Biltong Drying Cabinet for only R 5995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 7449.00)

• Our IDC-120 Industrial Biltong Drying Cabinet for only R 16850.00
  (Instead of the normal R 18995.00)(only 7 left as at 13-04-2008)
• Our Semi Industrial Hand Biltong Cutter/Shredder for only R 995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 1475.00)
• Our beautiful black-wood hand biltong cutter for only R 290.00
  (Instead of the normal R 390.00)

This exquisite hand made biltong cutter makes a lovely gift!

Click here to go to our on-line shop.

Some useful tips

Hang-over
Eat honey on crackers. The fructose in the honey will help to flush out the alcohol in your system.

Hay fever
Steep 1 teaspoon fenugreek seed in 1 cup water, covered, for 10 minutes. Drink 1 cup a day to help hay fever symptoms.

Headache Eat 10-12 almonds, the equivalent of two aspirins, for a migraine headache. Almonds are far less likely to upset the stomach.

Hiccups
Only 2 remedies have I ever known to actually work. The first listed makes the most sense, since a hiccup is simply a spasm of the diaphragm, and you need to disrupt this spasm. The second offers no rhyme or reason, but works nonetheless.

Breath in as deeply as you can, then exhale as hard as you can; repeat 10 times; when exhaling the last time, keep the air pushed out, not taking another breath for as long as you can stand. This normally works the first try, but repeat if necessary. Be sure to sit down when doing this.

This is a remedy only feasible when sitting at a bar. Have the bartender fill a small glass with club soda. Light a match and drop it, then drink the water quickly (being careful not to drink the match). It works, but I don’t know why! Drink 1/2 glass water, slowly.

Keep a tsp. of sugar in your mouth and suck slowly.
Suck 2-3 small pieces of fresh ginger.

Take a large mouthful of water with out swallowing, plug both ears, and slowly begin to swallow the water. Unplug your ears and you’re hiccup free! (Submitted by Mrs T. Falkmann)

Eat a heaped teaspoon of peanut butter all at once. (Submitted by Tracy Pletcher)

Hickey
Coat area liberally with lotion.
Rub with the back of a cold spoon vigorously for as long as you can stand to, changing the spoon for new cold one every 10 minutes.
Recommended time for this treatment is 45-60 minutes.

Why it works:
A hickey is a bruise; the discoloration of a bruise is caused by blood accumulating under the skin from broken capillaries; this remedy breaks up the old blood so it can be reabsorbed by the body more quickly, therefore diminishing the discoloration.

Rub white toothpaste over the hickey, allow to dry, and later, wipe it off with a warm face cloth. After a few applications, the hickey will be faded. Do not use gel toothpaste. (Submitted by Hot Rod Anne.)

Insect bites
Mix water with cornstarch into a paste and apply. This is effective in drawing out the poisons of most insect bites and is also an effective remedy for diaper rash.

Our spices are Kosher and Halaal!

It will certainly interest our Jewish readers that our biltong spices are certified as being kosher by the Beth Din of Johannesburg. Anyone interested can mail us for a copy of the certification. (new 2007 certification is now available)
Our Muslim readers can rest assured that all our spices are certified Halaal by the Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust. A copy of the 2007 certificate is available on request.

QUESTION

Can you help with a recipe for a Russian sausage please? – we live in Oz.
Kind regards

Leon van der Linde
Australia
leovdlinde@yahoo.com

 

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QUESTION

What is Saltpeter in Biltong used for?

Answer

Saltpeter or Sodium Nitrate is a salt used to keep the red colour in the meat and as a preservative as well Most people don’t use it any more as too much could cause a problem. It has to be used in minute quantities.
Fred,
Australia

 

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QUESTION

Does anyone have a Chicken Biltong recipe?

Answer

I use the same method for chicken as I do for beef, and it tastes nearly as good!
If you need a recipe I would recommend the one at:
http://www.biltongmakers.com/biltong13_recipes3_connoisseur.html

David Elvey
London. England

 

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QUESTION

When meat is dried in a biltong cabinet by means of heat/warmth what temperature is it done at?
Are there any enzymes destroyed in the meat?

Answer

I have had this out with the local government in our country. There is no real temperature that is required. The heat from an ordinary bulb is enough to heat the meat required but air MUST circulate around the Meat.
The enzymes will stay intact because, like in cooking, the meat does not lose any of its goodness providing you use a good quality meat such as Silverside which I find best.

Andrew Grover
Bishop’s Waltham, England

 

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FEEDBACK ON MOULD

We all have had to do with mould at some stage in our biltong making efforts. Here are a couple of feed backs from readers on how mould can be prevented.

What to do about mould

I believe the problem lies in the lack of circulation and/or a lack of heat. As another option you could add a little more salt but only as a last resort.

Andrew Grover
Bishop’s Waltham, England

 

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I found using apple cider vinegar sprayed on the biltong (only if mould appears) normally kills the growth straight away.

Leon,
South Africa

 

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I have been making biltong on a regular basis, and one of my first batches turned out mouldy, which was very distressing, coz I intended on selling it to friends… So I “washed” it with vinegar, and then left them to dry again and it seemed fine after wards.
But I realized that there were two factors that could contribute to mould forming.
Humidity and
An inadequate amounts of spices.

the spices help to preserve the meat and also help to dry it. Since i corrected these two problems, I have not had any problems.
Also beware that if you store the biltong (especially wet) in closed plastic containers they WILL go mouldy. So it is better to freeze them or keep them in paper bags. Don’t freeze in paper bags because the biltong will dry out. Only freeze in plastic bags.

Brain Ridley
United Arab Emirates

 

Stoep Talk

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In this case, a dog’s life wouldn’t be so bad …
By James ClarkeWhen, not long ago, New York billionaire Leona Helmsley died, she left the equivalent of R85-million to her Maltese terrier.
Trouble.

Now I happen to know Maltese terriers because, by default, I became custodian to two of them in succession – both now deceased.

They are useless little animals, strictly designed for women.
Well, not entirely useless because a pair of them, once they’re dead, can make a fine pair of warm slippers and can even be used as a woolly cloth to shine the car.

But how would my attitude change if I were introduced to Trouble, who, after all, has done far better in life than me (or even I. Or maybe both of us)?

More important, as a more successful animal, what would Trouble’s reaction be to me? He would probably rush up and pee against my leg.
I’d try to impress him by telling him a little lie – that I was personally acquainted with the German shepherd, Gunther IV, who is currently the richest animal on earth. He is worth R1,2-billion.

The London Daily Telegraph reports that Gunther inherited the money from his dad, Gunther III. His dad died in 1992 after being left R400-million by his owner, Countess Karlotta Libenstein.

I am always polite to German shepherds anyway – even poor ones. I make a point of being polite to anything with bigger teeth than me. And being the epitome of a middle-class person, I am especially respectful to anybody whose income makes mine look ridiculous.

Apparently there’s a chimpanzee in Cape Town named Kalu who was rescued from a tree by Patricia O’Neill. Patricia, in her will, has left her Cape Town estate to Kalu.

It’s difficult to know how the chimp will treat the estate.

What would happen if Kalu didn’t pay the electricity bills – after all he won’t need electricity because chimps, being strictly diurnal, never read at night and are not terribly keen on cooking or using power tools.

Would Eskom sue? And how would the chimp defend himself in court? I suppose by biting the prosecutor and witnesses who displeased him.

The same might apply to canine defendants.

Not long ago a New York poodle inherited around R220-million, which is quite serious money for a dog who needs little more than dog biscuits and an occasional change of collar.

And who administers these inheritances? Apparently trustees who are sometimes related – related to the deceased, not to the animal.

“Hi Fred, who’d you work for these days?”

“Got a real nice job, working for a Dalmatian. He’s a multi-multi millionaire.”

“Really? I knew a Dalmatian once – Guzitsa Valdivastiniskozich. Nice guy. Dalmatia’s on the Croatian coast y’know? What are they like to work for?”

“This one’s okay. He whines a bit if I don’t take him for a walk. Sometimes he pees in my kitchen and he goes around sniffing dogs’ behinds. That sort of thing.”

“You’re kidding! Mind you, if you’re a multi millionaire you can be as eccentric as you like I suppose. Is he old?”

“About 11 I think.”

“Fred? Are you okay? You don’t need some sort of help do you?”

“I’m fine – just have to get back to give the blighter his new flea collar.”

“See you around Fred. Must hurry.”

GOING CUCKOO

Last Wednesday Ros Mitchell in Bryanston heard this year’s first Piet-my-vrou cuckoo.

A day later, Robert Couperthwaite, on the family’s farm in the Magaliesberg near Nooitgedacht, heard a single call before the rain fell.

Oddly enough, his sister, Joan D’Arcy of Ruimsig, now living in Singapore, regularly heard the first cuckoo of the season.

Recipe Corner

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The Great South African Koeksuster

So many readers have been asking again and again for a good Koeksuster recipe. Well, Annie Sieber from Crown National in Johannesburg obliged. Annie reckons this is the best and easiest Koeksuster recipe ever.

Here we go ….

Annie’s Koeksusters

The Syrup
Make the syrup the day before and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

What to get
Please note: 1 ml is 0.42 gram or around 1/2 gram

• 750 ml sugar
• 625 ml water
• 2 ml cream of tartar
• 1 cinnamon stick

What to do

• Dissolve sugar in water over low heat
• Add the cream of tartar and the cinnamon stick
• Boil this for 10 minutes and then set aside to cool
• Refrigerate overnight

Annie’s cooking tip
When using the syrup, I usually stand the bowl in a larger bowl of ice cubes to maintain the chill. It is very important that the syrup is ice cold and stays that way while using it.
Some people I know even make 2 bowls of syrup. As the one bowl gets hot from the hot koeksusters, they place the bowl in the deep freezer, then alternate the 2 bowls.

The Dough

Your shopping list

• 500 g flour, sifted
• 2 ml salt
• 5 ml ground cinnamon
• 2 ml ground ginger
• 10 ml instant dry yeast
• 75 ml sugar
• 50 ml melted butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• About 250 ml lukewarm water
• Oil for deep frying

How to go about it

• Place the sifted flour in mixing bowl, add salt and spices and mix well
• Add the yeast and the sugar and then the melted butter and the egg
• Add enough water to form a soft dough
• Knead until smooth and elastic
• Place in lightly greased bowl, cover and leave in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk – about 40 minutes.
• Roll out dough to 6 mm thick on a lightly floured surface
• Cut into rectangles 40mm x 70mm
• Divide each rectangle into 3 strips, leaving about 10mm from one end uncut.
• Plait dough loosely and secure the ends
• Leave in warm place to rise (about 10 to 15 minutes).
• Deep fry in hot oil until cooked and golden brown, then plunge into cold syrup
• Leave a while to absorb the syrup, then remove and place koeksusters on a draining rack so excess syrup can drip off.

This recipe makes about 36 koeksusters.

Enjoy it!

Annie Sieber
Johannesburg, South Africa

 

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Click below for our handy cooking converter

Bits and pieces from South Africa

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Escom pulls the plug on Jokes …
By Barry Bateman

If Eskom could generate a watt for every laugh at its expense it would solve the energy crisis and sell surplus power to meet China’s demand.

South Africans can’t be accused of having no sense of humour if the “Eishkom” e-mails and cartoons are anything to go by: Do you know what the difference is between South Africa and the Titanic? The Titanic went down with its lights on.

Madam & Eve have had a dig at the power utility as has Zapiro, while Nandos has started a new print campaign.

“Eish kom nou,” the ad reads with a picture of a bottle of Nandos peri-peri sauce with a candle burning on its lid. “When the lights go out you can still enjoy a saucy night in.”

But Escom managers don’t share the same funny bone.

An e-mail sent to employees states: “In terms of the Escom Information Security Policy users shall not use any electronic communication facilities provided by Escom to create, send, forward, store or display material that is fraudulent, sexually explicit, obscene, defamatory, racially or sexually harassing, threatening, unlawful, contrary to the rules of Escom, the regulations of the appropriate Escom ethics body or otherwise illegal.

“This is a request for Escom employees that receive these jokes to forward them to group communications and under no circumstances should these jokes be circulated,” it read.

 

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Put Cape Town on Monopoly map

 

Cape Town stands a chance of being placed on the map, or board, as one of the 22 greatest cities in a world version of property board game Monopoly.

Monopoly has initiated a competition to find the greatest cities in the world, which will replace the street name’s on the game’s conventional version.

Fans from across the globe can cast their votes online and be part of creating the first worldwide Monopoly.

Having received 0,9 percent of the votes so far, Cape Town is currently in 27th place.

Potential voters can vote for 10 great cities daily, while the 20 cities with the most votes will be selected to be placed on the World Edition game board.

The city with the highest votes will be placed as the highest rent property.

Amsterdam, London, Cape Town, Cairo and Buenos Aires are among the cities up for votes, while additional space will be reserved for two cities nominated through a wild card vote.

The wild card vote is open to any city.

Voting opened this week and closes on February 28.

Voting can be cast through the SA Goodnews website www.monopolyworldvote.com

 

 

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Cry, the beloved country …
November 2007

Why I am fleeing South Africa
by Anne Paton (widow of Alan Paton)

I am leaving South Africa . I have lived here for 35 years, and I shall leave with anguish. My home and my friends are here, but I am terrified.

I know I shall be in trouble for saying so, because I am the widow of Alan Paton.
Fifty years ago he wrote Cry, The Beloved Country. He was an unknown schoolmaster and it was his first book, but it became a bestseller overnight. It was eventually translated into more than 20 languages and became a set book in schools all over the world. It has sold more than 15 million copies and still sells 100,000 copies a year.

As a result of the startling success of this book, my husband became famous for his impassioned speeches and writings, which brought to the notice of the world the suffering of the black man under apartheid. He campaigned for Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and he worked all his life for black majority rule. He was incredibly hopeful about the new South Africa that would follow the end of apartheid, but he died in 1988, aged 85. I was so sorry he did not witness the euphoria and love at the time of the election in 1994. But I am glad he is not alive now. He would have been so distressed to see what has happened to his beloved country. I love this country with a passion, but I cannot live here any more. I can no longer live slung about with panic buttons and gear locks.

I am tired of driving with my car windows closed and the doors locked, tired of being afraid of stopping at red lights. I am tired of being constantly on the alert, having that sudden frisson of fear at the sight of a shadow by the gate, of a group of youths approaching – although nine times out of 10 they are innocent of harmful intent.
Such is the suspicion that dogs us all.

Among my friends and the friends of my friends, I know of nine people who have been murdered in the past four years. An old friend, an elderly lady, was raped and murdered by someone who broke into her home for no reason at all; another was shot at a garage.

We have a saying, “Don’t fire the gardener”, because of the belief that it is so often an inside job – the gardener who comes back and does you in.

All this may sound like paranoia, but it is not without reason. I have been hijacked, mugged and terrorised.
A few years ago my car was taken from me at gunpoint. I was forced into the passenger seat.
I sat there frozen. But just as one man jumped into the back and the other fumbled with the starter I opened the door and ran away.
To this day I do not know how I did this. But I got away, still clutching my handbag.

On May 1 last year I was mugged in my home at three in the afternoon. I used to live in a community of big houses with big grounds in the countryside.
It’s still beautiful and green, but the big houses have been knocked down and people have moved into fenced complexes like the one in which I now live. Mine is in the suburbs of Durban , but they’re springing up everywhere.

That afternoon I came home and omitted to close the security door. I went upstairs to lie down. After a while I thought I’d heard a noise, perhaps a bird or something.
Without a qualm I got up and went to the landing; outside was a man. I screamed and two other men appeared. I was seized by the throat and almost throttled; I could feel myself losing consciousness.
My mouth was bound with Sellotape and I was threatened with my own knife (Girl Guide issue from long ago) and told: “If you make a sound, you die.” My hands were tied tightly behind my back and I was thrown into the guest room and the door was shut.
They took all the electronic equipment they could find, except the computer. They also, of course, took the car.

A few weeks later my new car was locked up in my fenced carport when I was woken by its alarm in the early hours of the morning. The thieves had removed the radio, having cut through the padlocks in order to bypass the electric control on the gates.

The last straw came a a while later, shortly before my 71st birthday.
I returned home in the middle of the afternoon and walked into my sitting room. Outside the window two men were breaking in. I retreated to the hall and pressed the panic alarm. This time I had shut the front door on entering. By now I had become more cautious. Yet one of the men ran around the house, jumped over the fence and tried to batter down the front door.
Meanwhile, his accomplice was breaking my sitting- room window with a hammer. This took place while the sirens were shrieking, which was the frightening part.
They kept coming, in broad daylight, while the alarm was going. They knew that there had to be a time lag of a few minutes before help arrived – enough time to dash off with the television and video recorder.
In fact, the front-door assailant was caught and taken off to the cells.

Recently I telephoned to ask the magistrate when I would be called as a witness. She told me she had let him off for lack of evidence.
She said that banging on my door was not an offence, and how could I prove that his intent was hostile?

I have been careless in the past – razor wire and electric gates give one a feeling of security. Or at least, they did. But I am careless no longer.
No fence – be it electric or not – no wall, no razor wire is really a deterrent to the determined intruder. Now my alarm is on all the time and my panic button hung round my neck.
While some people say I have been unlucky, others say: “You are lucky not to have been raped or murdered.” What kind of a society is this where one is considered “lucky” not to have been raped or murdered – yet?

A character in Cry, The Beloved Country says: “I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving they will find we are turned to hating.” And so it has come to pass. There is now more racial tension in this country than I have ever known.

But it is not just about black-on-white crime. It is about general lawlessness. Black people suffer more than the whites. They do not have access to private security firms, and there are no police stations near them in the townships and rural areas. They are the victims of most of the hijackings, rapes and murders. They cannot run away like the whites, who are streaming out of this country in their thousands.

President Mandela has referred to us who leave as “cowards” and says the country can do without us.
So be it.
But it takes a great deal of courage to uproot and start again. We are leaving because crime is rampaging through the land. The evils that beset this country now are blamed on the legacy of apartheid.
One of the worst legacies of that time is that of the Bantu Education Act, which deliberately gave black people an inferior education.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that criminals know that their chances of being caught are negligible; and if they are caught they will be free almost at once. So what is the answer
? The government needs to get its priorities right. We need a powerful, well-trained and well-equipped police force.

Recently there was a robbery at a shopping centre in the afternoon. A call to the police station elicited the reply: “We have no transport.” “Just walk then,” said the caller; the police station is about a two-minute sprint from the shop in question. “We have no transport,” came the reply again.
Nobody arrived.

There is a quote from my husband’s book: “Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear.
Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley.
For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.”

What has changed in half a century? A lot of people who were convinced that everything would be all right are disillusioned, though they don’t want to admit it.

The government has many excellent schemes for improving the lot of the black man, who has been disadvantaged for so long. A great deal of money is spent in this direction. However, nothing can succeed while people live in such fear.
Last week, about 10km from my home, an old couple were taken out and murdered in the garden. The wife had only one leg and was in a wheelchair.
Yet they were stabbed and strangled – for very little money. They were the second old couple to be killed last week. It goes on and on, all the time; we have become a killing society.

As I prepare to return to England , a young man asked me the other day, in all innocence, if things were more peaceful there.
“You see,” he said, “I know of no other way of life than this. I cannot imagine anything different.”
What a tragic statement on the beloved country today.

“Because the white man has power, we too want power,” says Msimangu. “But when a black man gets power, when he gets money, he is a great man if he is not corrupted. I have seen it often. He seeks power and money to put right what is wrong, and when he gets them, why, he enjoys the power and the money.
Now he can gratify his lusts, now he can arrange ways to get white man’s liquor.
I see only one hope for our country, and that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring only the good of their country, come together to work for it.

I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving, they will find we are turned to hating.

 

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Crime News Update
April 2008

Some of our readers have asked us why they must read about blood and gore and all the bad things happening in South Africa in-between our lovely recipes and other nice stories.

We agree.

We all know how bad it is in our beloved country and that it is going from bad to worse. But, why should we be reminded about that in a newsletter that is trying to give some cheer.
So, from now on we will no longer have a crime update in our newsletter. We see and hear enough about it anyway.

Around the World

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Bits and Bobs from people around the world

The British Solution to Save Petrol

Brown wants us to cut the amount of petrol we use……

I have a great idea. Let’s do the following:

• Deport the three odd million illegal immigrants that live in our country. Less people equals less petrol used.
• Bring our troops home from Iraq to guard the Channel.
• When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the Channel, hand him a canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to Iraq or Afghanistan.
• Tell him if he wants to come to Britain then he must serve a tour in the military.
• Give him a soldier’s pay while he’s there and tax him on it.
• After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended this country.
• He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal resident.

This option will probably deter illegal immigration and provide a solution for the troops in Iraq and the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves.
If they refuse to serve, ship them to Iraq or Afghanistan anyway, without the canteen, rifle or ammo.

Problem solved!

 

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SA to lose its UK visa-free status

The United Kingdom is “likely” to strip SA of its “visa-free” status this year because of rampant corruption in the Department of Home Affairs, the Sunday Times reported.

South Africans would have to pay £ 63.00 (nearly R 1000) and provide fingerprints, “facial biometrics” and travel documents to obtain visas, the newspaper said. More than 250 000 tourists, business people and family visitors to Britain would have to apply for visas each year.

“The door is being shut because corrupt Home Affairs officials have been dishing out genuine passports to people smugglers, foreign asylum seekers and — allegedly — suspected terrorists wanting to enter Britain”, the report said.

As a result, British immigration experts said, the South African passport was “no longer worth the paper it’s written on”.

South Africa leapt to the top of the British government’s visa “hit list” last month following a British trial that heard that at least 6000 illegal Asian immigrants had been smuggled into Britain on South African passports.
Last week Sir Stephen Lander, chairperson of Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency, told Britain’s Home Affairs Committee that the case “is likely” to lead to visa controls being placed on all South Africans, the Sunday Times said.

British immigration authorities are currently subjecting South Africa, with other countries, to a “Visa Waiver Test”, expected to end this year. Experts said South Africa was almost certain to fail on three of the six key criteria due to crime and Home Affairs corruption.

On Friday, the British Home Office insisted a decision had not been made but admitted that the issues raised by a recent police operation “will be of concern to both governments”.

Cleo Mosana, spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, acknowledged on Friday that there were “major issues about the integrity and credibility” of South African passports, the Sunday Times said. She said South Africa had met Britain to discuss the review. South Africa was attempting to deal with the passport corruption.

Something to smile about

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This month just a couple of the “shorties” that keep on flowing in daily

Die Boer en die Prokureur

‘n Boer, Piet, was in ‘n motor ongeluk.

In die hof, is die vervoermaatskappy se hot shot prokureur besig om hom te ondervra.

Het jy, op die ongelukstoneel, gesê: “Ek’s orraait!” vra die prokureur.
Piet: Wel, kom ek vertel jou wat gebeur het. Ek het net my gunsteling koei, Bessie, op die sleepwa gelaai en…
Die prokureur val hom in die rede: “Ek vra nie vir detail nie, antwoord net die vraag. Het jy, op die ongelukstoneel gesê: “Ek’s orraait!” Ja of nee?
Piet: Wel, ek het net vir Bessie op die sleepwa gehad en ek was skaars op die pad…
Die prokureur val hom weer in die rede en sê aan die regter: Edelagbare, ek probeer net die feit vasstel, dat hierdie man, by die ongelukstoneel, aan die verkeersman gesê het dat hy oraait is. Nou probeer hy my kliënt dagvaar. Ek glo vas hy is ‘n bedrieër. Sê asb vir hom hy moet net die vraag beantwoord.

Teen hierdie tyd is die regter al redelik geintresseerd in Piet se storie oor Bessie, en sê vir die prokureur: “Ek wil graag sy storie oor die koei hoor”.

Ou Piet bedank die regter en gaan voort met sy storie.

“Wel, soos ek gesê het, ek het net vir Bessie op die sleepwa gelaai en was op die pad toe daar skielik ‘n moerse trok van die kant af kom, ‘n stop straat skip en my bakkie en sleepwa in hulle moer in ry.
Ek is eenkant toe gegooi in ‘n sloot en Bessie anderkant toe in ‘n ander sloot. Ek was seer, nogals erg seer en wou nie beweeg nie.

In elk geval, ek het toe vir Bessie gehoor kerm en ek het geweet sy is in erge pyn, net deur te luister na haar kreune. Nou, net na die ongeluk, kom daar n spietkop op die toneel aan en hy het ook Bessie se gekerm gehoor, so hy het toe nader aan haar gegaan.
Nadat hy na haar gekyk het en die toestand gesien het waarin sy was, het hy sy pistool uitgetrek en haar tussen die oë geskiet.”

“Toe kom die spietkop oor die pad na my kant toe, sy pistool nogsteeds in sy hand, en hy vra: Hoe voel jy?”

“Nou vertel vir my, meneer prokureur, wat de F…. sou jy vir hom gesê het?”

 

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Holy Cow!

Van der Merwe jokes are not dead – they’ve merely been hibernating…

Every Friday evening after work Van der Merwe would braai a big, fat juicy steak.
But his neighbours, being Catholic and therefore reluctant to eat meat on Fridays suffered agonies of temptation as the delicious aroma carried on the evening breeze.

They persuaded their priest to try to convert Van.
Success!
Van attended Mass and the priest sprinkled holy water over him and said, “You were born a Protestant, raised a Protestant but now you are a Catholic.”

Everybody was delighted. But when Friday night came the wonderful aroma of grilled steak again wafted over the neighbourhood.

The priest rushed into Van’s garden just in time to see him clutching a small bottle of holy water and sprinkling it over the grilling meat and chanting, “You was born a cow, you was raised as a cow, but now you’s a kabeljou!”

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Exercise for over 40’s (or those nearing it…)

Just came across this exercise suggested for the over 40’s to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. It seems so easy so I thought that I’d pass it on to some of my friends and family. The article suggested doing it three days a week.

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 2kg potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax.

Each day, you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 5kg potato bag. Then 25kg potato bag and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 50kg potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute (I’m at this level).

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the bags.

 

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And lastly, just before going to sleep……

Lekker slaap om die wêreld/Goodnight around the world:
Holland: Goeden nacht
Australia: Night Mate
America: Goodnite
Germany: Schlafen sie wohl

South Africa: Is die deure gesluit, die vensters toegemaak
,die kar ingetrek en die alarm geaktiveer?
Is die Rotweilers gebêre en veilig?
Lekker slaap, moenie worry nie, Eskom sal die ligte afsit!

Sport talk

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Snippets from the papers

‘2010 won’t be canceled’
The sports ministry has reportedly put R260-million on the line to make sure electricity blackouts do not threaten the staging of the 2010 Football World Cup.
Full Story …

Local lads will have inside edge
While the door is not closed on overseas-based players to get into the Springbok team, it is a lot more open for those players who’ll be involved in this year’s Super 14 competition.
Full Story …

Polly a truly class act
Former South African coach Shaun Pollock has been a faithful servant of South African cricket for well over a decade. Graeme Ford pays tribute to Polly.
Full Story …

SA’s 2010 organisers take on critics, cynics
South Africa’s soccer World Cup organising committee and officials, are being assailed on all fronts by political uncertainties, crime and power cuts.
Full Story …

Let’s hear from you too!!

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Come on, let’s hear from you too!!

Our regular readers (like Annie and her comrades at Crown National) may have noticed that I have gone from a monthly issue to a bi-monthly one and even worse! The reason is simple. It is impossible to do a newsletter of this size on my own. I am an editor and rely on you the readers for input!

You are probably sitting at the computer right now so how about it. Let our readers enjoy your story!
It does not have to be about Biltong or such. We’d love to hear where you live and how you have adapted yourself to your new life style and surroundings.

You might have a nice recipe to part with or perhaps a question to ask?
Perhaps you have some advice to give?

You never know how you could help somebody else with your own hints and tips.

Share it with other people around the world!

Click right here to start now or you can mail us at webmaster@biltongmakers.com

Boerewors for Europe and the UK

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Boerewors (Europe and UK only, sorry people!)

It’s almost Spring and now is the time for you guys in Europe and the UK to start stocking up for that first warm day when you haul out the braai for the first time this year!
We are making fresh weekly batches of around 150kg at the moment but our boerewors is still disappearing faster than we can make it, especially via our internet site!
But, we normally have enough fresh stock available most of the time.
To place an order just click on the picture or on www.boerewors.be and fill out the order form. You can either collect or we can mail it to you.

All our customers in Holland, Belgium and in fact, all over Europe are raving about the packing of and the condition in which the wors arrived at their doorsteps.

Just imagine some “lekker” pap and wors with a nice tomato and onion sauce!

Complete the order form you will find by going to www.boerewors.be or give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25.

Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram.
The normal price is € 8.45 per kg but for the time being we will keep it at only € 8.45 € 7.95 per kg!!

You can also place your order by simply clicking here.

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Droëwors around the world

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Droëwors …… a typical South African delicacy all of its own!

Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
The spices are of course imported especially from South Africa so you will get the “real” thing!

Fresh droëwors is available right now and we normally have ample stock.

The price is € 40.00 € 30.00 per kilogram vacuum pack or € 4.50 € 4.00 per 100 gram packet.

Droëwors (like biltong) travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail in minimum quantities of 500 gram.
You can place your order now by going to www.boerewors.be, give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us.

 

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Now also available at

DE WIJN KRAAL
The South African Wine Specialist Store in Leuven, Belgium.
Telephone 016 58.46.06

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Biltong for all our readers!

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Biltong …… once hooked you’re a slave forever!

Biltong is without doubt the snack most associated with South Africa!
It is so much part of South African culture that there is no food related shop that will not stock it. You find it literally anywhere.
Say Biltong and you say South Africa!

Biltongmakers.Com has for more than 12 years supplied their Home Biltong Makers to the South African expat so they could make their own biltong away from home.

We were often asked why we don’t make Biltong ourselves and then make it available to the poor and deprived ex-South Africans!
The requests have been relentless and constant so we decided to give it a go on a temporary basis. Just to see how well it would sell.

So, from now on you will be able to get your biltong directly from us.
The spices are of course imported from South Africa so you will get the “real” taste like “back home”!

The price is Euro 40.00 per 1kg vacuum pack or Euro 5.00 per 100 gram packet.

Biltong travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail.

To place your order please go to www.biltongmakers.be and click on one of the order form links. You can also call us on +32 (16) 53.96.25

We will get right back to you with how much the postage will be.

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Lamb on the Spit ……. something special!

Well, some people are verrrrrrrrrry quick of the mark! And no wonder because they know what it is like to have a party or function with a lamb on the spit!
Coming May and June are virtually booked full so, if you want to be part of the fun and really impress your friends, colleagues or other acquaintances, book now!

Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive ……. Not so!

We will do a lamb on the Spit for parties of between 30 and 50 people for just € 18.00 and € 15.00 a head respectively.

Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes, a tomato/salsa salad as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well.
For venues more than 50 km from our home base in Keerbergen there is a small transport fee.

Start planning now for those special occasions! Just keep in mind that quite a number of dates up to September are already booked! In fact, there are only three dates left between May and the end of July. June is fully booked.
Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.

You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter you may unsubscribe at the bottom where you will find an automatic email link. Just click on that and send. Your name will then be permanently deleted from our database.

If you, your family or your friends want to subscribe to the newsletter please click on this link.

Yes, please subscribe me to your monthly Newsletter!

DISCLAIMER

The information and contributions contained in this newsletter are received from various readers local and international. Views and opinions reflected in our newsletter are not necessarily those of Biltongmakers.Com and its team members.

Keerbergen
Belgium

The “Aegean Jet” was skimming the waters at a fast pace. The spray of the wake thrown up by the catamaran’s twin turbo diesel engines sometimes shooting as high as 10 feet into the air.

The sky was deep blue and the breeze coming from the Aegean sea cooling on the skin.

We got up at 5.30 to be at the harbour on time to catch the boat.

The trip to Rhodes was relaxing. A lovely boat with airplane-like seating and a speed to almost match it! I stood outside at the bow for most of the 50 minute trip.

We arrived in the little harbour of Rhodes at around 10.30 and were soon through customs.

Outside taxi drivers were vying for our custom. They were all offering an hour long guided tour around the town. We haggled a bit (even June is getting quite good at it!) and were soon shown the most important sights around the small town. I did not know that this is the best preserved and fully operational medieval village in the world. Complete with walls and the original houses and buildings.
Of course the houses are now mostly occupied by tourist shops. A bit of a pity.

The trip to Rhodes Island in Greece was one of the things we promised ourselves during our trip to Turkey.

Just days before …..

We were coming from the theater and were walking down Curetes street. The afternoon sun was beating down on my capless bald patch and we were hot.

Walking down towards the library on the square at the end of the road, we passed the Memmius Monument and Domitian Place and we were talking amongst ourselves how incredible well this whole town was kept.

Just past the public lavatories on the right, were the terraced houses of the rich and famous and just ahead of us was Hadrian’s temple.

We were in Ephesus the ancient town in western Turkey.

Ephesus was first heard of over 4000 years ago but the town we walked through was from the Roman time – around 30-100 AD.

I always wanted to see Ephesus because it has such an incredible history. Not only biblical but long before that as well.

We arrived there on Sunday afternoon after a harrowing journey during which June found out that our driver of our small 16 seater bus was dozing off behind the wheel. Needless to say he was fired with full support of all. A new driver was installed and although he was wide awake and did not fall asleep behind the wheel he only knew one speed up and down the mountain passes. And his hooter of course!

Even I was worried – which says a lot!!

But let me start at the beginning ….

We were on holiday in Turkey. We stayed in a little village called Icmeler, a lovely small place on a beautiful bay.

We needed to get some sun in and on our bodies and this was the place to do it.

It was quiet. The tourists had mostly left with only a few remaining. It was the middle of October and soon most holiday places would close down completely not to open again till next April.

One of the things, apart from lazing by the pool or on the tiny beach was a trip to Ephesus and Hierapolis with its beautiful terraced baths.

It turned out to be the highlight of our holiday.

I cannot even start to explain how incredible well preserved Ephesus is. And till today only 30% has been unearthed! I also cannot even start to talk about the history of the town. Artimus was their goddess and both the apostles John and Paul spent time there.

Just little away from the town is the house where Mary spent the last days of her life

To put it in a nutshell, if that is at all possible, you cannot possibly do all of this in one day . There are so many buildings to see and read up on. From the library built by Celsus (see top left, that’s our little group in the front), the Grand Theater that could seat 25000 people, the terrace houses of the rich to the plague of Nike, the goddess of victory.

Can you see where Nike took their emblem from?

We left walking down harbour street with in the distance the prison [where Paul was held for three years] looking down on us from it’s mountain perch. From there we went to Hierapolis but I cannot go in to that as well unfortunately. I would need another 10 pages!

If you are interested in this type of history please click on the link for Ephesus and Hierapolis. Enjoy it!

For the rest it was a sun break.. We soaked up the sun, para-sailed, went on a trip to Rhodes Island in Greece and visited the small little markets in Icmeler and Marmaris.

We needed the break!

The last Saturday we watched South Africa win the Worldcup sitting in a small road side restaurant. We were the only South Africans amongst the dozens of England supporters!

I felt good when we won. We cheered every move, English or Bokke. Do you think for one moment that even one of the UK supporters would cheer a good move by us?

No Sirree!

Well, winter has really hit us early. When June went to work early this morning (at 6.30) it was -4C!

When I got myself out of bed eventually and looked out of the upstairs windows, all I could see was white frost. Brrrrrr!

Sitting here looking out of the study window it looks nice and sunny but believe me, there is a bite in the air.

The gardener came this morning to clear up some of the leaves. He is standing outside right now with the leave blower. Poor chap.

I feel sorry for him. But, he needs the work.

I think he is Albanian and does not speak a word of anything that I speak so communication is by means of showing him what to do and how to do it and through a complicated system of hand signals we have developed between the two of us!

His name is Ashok and he is the husband of our “poetsvrouw” or cleaning lady (that’s what they call them here).

I can’t believe that there are just 24 days to go before it is Christmas again. June and I have decided to stay home this year.
She cannot get off this December and has to work straight through.
Even boxing day is not a holiday in Belgium! Slave drivers!

But, last year was her turn when she took three weeks off to go to Singapore. Now it’s one of her colleagues!
No problem though. I cannot remember when we were on our own for Christmas!

One last little story

At the end of October it was little Caitlyn’s birthday. We went to Den Haag to be at her little party. She turned four. Towards the end of the afternoon she was quietly dressing her playmate.

One of the presents she got was a little box of a kind of rhinestone stickers. The kind that you can stick on paper or your dolly or yourself for that matter.

Very carefully she put another star on its back and then a couple of coloured buttons It crawled slowly across the table having to carry this extra load seemed a bit difficult.

The little eyes on their stalks turning around to see what is was on its back.

Eventually she was told to go and put it back in the garden which she dutifully did, complete with adornments.

Soon afterward we heard a splat and a crunch. Tony had gone outside for a smoke ……..

At least it went looking beautiful!

Well, that leaves me to say cheers. If you don’t hear from me before the time please have a lovely time over Christmas with your friends and family and may the New Year bring some peace and quiet in this world for a change.

We all need that!

Lo

Where there is hope,there is light.
Where there is faith,there is an end in sight.
where there is a will, there is a way.
Where there is love, there is the strength to brave the day.
God bless!

What shall I give for Christmas?

Flanders’ Poppies

Ever Ask the Question………

What have Red Poppies have to do with Veterans Day?

For many years I have found myself asking what the significance of the red poppies were in relation to Veterans or Armistice Day.
This year that question was asked of me and I had no answer.

I just had to find out the story behind the symbol and what a lot of interesting information I found!

Here it is, put together as well as I could from all kinds of bits and pieces I read …..

Throughout history is has been noted that after most major wars poppies popped up in the battlefields and on soldiers graves.

It seems that poppy seeds can lay dormant in the soil but when the soil is heavily turned or dug up they start to grow!

The most detailed of this event took place in World War One in Flanders, Belgium. In the craters where bombs fell and on the mounds of rubble, poppies bloomed everywhere.

The heavily churned earth and the high concentration of lime from the limestone buildings made the perfect catalyst for the poppies to grow.

Near Ypres (Ieper), where the fighting was at it’s fiercest, the soldiers were greeted by an amazing sight as they ventured out of the trenches in early Spring.
The fields were covered with a carpet of red as the local Flanders Poppy flourished in the recently bomb-tilled soil.

This, and perhaps the death of his close friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helme, in the second week of fighting during the Second Battle of Ypres (Ieper), was the inspiration for Canadian artillery officer and military doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, to pen his now famous poem on a scrap piece of paper on May 2nd, 1915: –

McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” remains to this day one of the most memorable war poems ever written. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres (Ieper) salient in the spring of 1915.

“The poem was very nearly not published. Dissatisfied with it, McCrae tossed the poem away, but a fellow officer retrieved it and sent it to newspapers in England.

The Spectator, in London, rejected it, but Punch published it on December 8th, 1915, where it was seen as an invitation for recruits.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

John McRae’s commanding officer records that ‘this poem was born of fire and blood during the hottest phase of the second battle of Ypres’. This battle began on April 22 1915 and lasted 17 days. Total casualties have been estimated at 100,000 on either side.

Half the Canadian brigade to which John McRae was attached were killed.

Shortly afterwards a profoundly weary McRae was posted away from the front line to a hospital in Boulogne. Friends were worried by the change in him.

He worked at the hospital until January 1918, and was about to take up a post with the British army when he fell ill with double pneumonia and meningitis, and died on January 28.

He is buried in the cemetery at Wimereux, France.

After its publication in Punch the poem soon became the unofficial anthem of the soldiers in the trenches where it was memorised and passed on by word of mouth.

One of the many readers moved by it was Moina Michael, the American War Secretary of the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association).
She suggested that American ex-servicemen adopt the poppy as their emblem, and started plans for artificial poppies to be made.

In November 1918, Moina Michael penned a response to McCrae’s poem entitled “We shall keep the faith” where she promised to wear a red poppy each year in remembrance.

We Shall Keep the Faith

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields

The Tradition grows

In 1918, on the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 o’clock in the morning the Germans signed the armistice and World War One was officially over.

That day is now remembered as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.

The idea of wearing silk Poppies caught on and soon became a tradition amongst those wishing to remember the soldiers who had not returned.

Wearing a poppy in November is a way of remembering those who gave their lives for their country.

The first Poppy Day was held on November 11 1921 and John McRae’s poem has been associated with the Poppy Appeal ever since.

On Armistice Day in Ieper (Ypres) in Flanders, the idea for The Poppy Umbrella was inspired by the powerful image of poppies growing amongst the soldiers’ graves in John McCrae’s poem.

Note by the editor:

Some years ago when I went to Ieper (Ypres) for the first time I came back and said to June that the whole trip had been kind of eerie.
I found that driving around in the western part of South Flanders, around where Ieper and Koksijde are, that I was driving around in one big graveyard.

The old bunkers, the abandoned airfields and the tank defenses still there make you feel that it could still be war.
Just no more soldiers ….

[Footnote: Did you know that more than 3000 years ago Poppies were taken to the graves of the dead as a sign of respect!]

The South African Meat Industry Company,
Samic has very nice meat cutting charts.
Just click on the banner below for lots of interesting information.
I must compliment whoever does the SAMIC newsletter for their lovely sayings! Have look, they are amazing!

A happy and a sad story …..

It is said that a picture paints a thousand words. This is particularly true with the picture Neil Rossister from England sent us. He reckons that even the lady at the Post Office has staked a claim!

Good luck and happy Biltong Making Neil. It’s so nice to see a smiling face!

Please email us if you need any help.
As a thank you for your smile I will be sending you half a kilogram of our famous safari pre-mixed biltong spice soon.

And then …. there is the sad story about Bill, an ex-Rhodie from Canada. He runs a little chat web site. Bill ordered his biltong maker at the end of September to be delivered by surface mail from South Africa. He paid with PayPal.
Three weeks later he decides that he has now waited long enough and cancels his PayPal payment. Goods not received! “I’ll pay when the goods finally get here”
This is the very first time in our 12 years of existence that this has happened. What did you expect Bill? A low-flying ox wagon?
Three weeks via surface mail? Come on, not even airmail orders take that short!

Needless to say that Bill did not send us his picture.:-((

Exciting News about Rockey’s Home Biltong Maker!

All of our products are constantly being upgraded in order to maintain the high standard of workmanship we have become known for over the last 12 years.

However, it is not often that we can announce a major development!

At last, after months of testing and preparing we can announce that Rockey’s new Age Home Biltong Maker will be supplied with a fan option. A fan will assist with the drying of the meat especially in areas where high humidity is experienced at times.

Although not necessary, the fan will certainly reduce the drying time giving those people who make Biltong on a small commercial basis a chance to increase their output!

Talking about small industrial manufacturers I must think about one of our customers in England who makes Biltong at home and then sells it on EBay! Apart from making money out of it he also keeps himself supplied with Biltong free of charge!

The fan option will be available as an accessory in our on-line shop and will cost only R 155.00 fitted or
R 99.50 as a “do-it-yourself’ kit.

It will be available from the middle of January.

As an additional improvement all Rockey’s Biltong Makers will be fitted with an on/off switch and both Home Biltong Makers will be fitted with a standard EU cable with a moulded two-pin plug.

And so, once again, we have improved on previous models and have made it easier and quicker than ever before for you to make your Biltong. Not convinced yet? Just read about what people are saying (we only started keeping records in 2001) on our customers comments page.

So, to all of you who have not tried it yet, now is the time!

ESPECIALLY WITH SOME VERY NICE SPECIAL PRICING WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR! (SEE BELOW!)

You too could be making your own Biltong in a very short space of time.
Have a look at our Home Biltong Makers and see how easy it is!!

Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link.

You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.

Special Christmas Pricing for Special Customers!

• Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker for only R 745.00
  (instead of the normal R 950.00)
• The famous BILTONG BUDDY Home Biltong Maker for only R 595.00
  (Instead of the normal R 750.00)
• Our SI-30 Industrial Biltong Drying Cabinet for only R 5995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 6995.00)
• Our Semi Industrial Hand Biltong Cutter/Shredder for only R 995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 1475.00)
• Our beautiful blackwood hand biltong cutter for only R 290.00 .-. A lovely Christmas present!
  (Instead of the normal R 390.00)

Free with all Biltong Maker orders placed

• 20 special Biltong storage bags
• A packet of our famous Nice ‘n Spicy spices.

Click here to go to our on-line shop.

[These special offers are for a limited period only and can be changed without prior notice!]

Mushroom potatoes

Some months ago whilst watching a cookery program on DSTV, I came across a visually pleasing potato tip which I tried immediately and I found it immensely satisfying to prepare potatoes in this way and I would now like to share it with everyone who reads this.

This works best with small roundish potatoes.

Start by peeling them and try to improve the roundness when peeling. Cut the potato in half. Take an apple-corer [usually a stainless steel circle shaped utensil with serrated teeth at the end] and shove/turn it into the middle of the flat surface that you have just cut, about half-way. Leave it there and take a knife and cut a 10mm “skirt” horizontal to the flat surface into and towards the corer which is still in the potato, whilst turning.

The “skirt” is now loose and can be broken off or slid down the corer shaft, to be used elsewhere.
Now, gently slide the corer off the potato shaft or push it out with your pinkie and you now are left with a potato that looks like a white button mushroom!

This may sound like hard work, but I found that after a few minutes I could churn them out at a rapid rate and they look so good!
Either deep-fry them or use in your Potjie, but not for too long as they will start to disintegrate and you will lose the mushroom effect.

They look and taste so good and everyone is very perplexed as to the taste and as to what they really are. Everyone loves them as we all “eat with our eyes”, don’t we?

Enjoy!
Ben Schultz
Nelspruit
South Africa

Our spices are Kosher and Halaal!

It will certainly interest our Jewish readers that our biltong spices are certified as being kosher by the Beth Din of Johannesburg. Anyone interested can mail us for a copy of the certification. (new 2007 certification is now available)
Our Muslim readers can rest assured that all our spices are certified Halaal by the Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust. A copy of the 2007 certificate is available on request.

South African Meat Cutting Charts

Below you will find three excellent meat cutting charts.

These are displayed with the compliments of SAMIC.
(The South African Meat Industry Company).
SAMIC has a very interesting web site as well as a weekly newsletter about anything to do with the
Meat Industry in South Africa.
Now, don’t think this is a totally boring web site (I thought so first) but it has some very interesting articles and statistics.

Welcome to Apartment Oberholzer in Vienna, Austria
Winter or summer, our charming Viennese building will make you feel right at home. As our guests’ well-being is a matter close to our hearts, the quiet residence offers every convenience from a microwave, dishwasher and washing machine to Satellite TV.

The Vienna city center is within 10 minutes walking distance. Public transport is right at the Guest house.

Our well-kept, 54 m² newly renovated non-smoking holiday flat is suitable for 1-4 people. It is central, quiet, charming and very reasonably priced.

For further information please see our website www.netland.at/wien/oberholzer

As in every newsletter, here is our regular section with some of the many questions we receive from our readers all over the world.
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them?
(Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com
so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future)

QUESTION

Hi there,

Saw your website and am looking for a Kudu Potjie recipe. Please could you send me one or does anybody have one?

Thanks,
Mike Gooch
South Africa
mike@cogs.co.za

QUESTION

Hello all,

I am interested in an old fashioned biltong drying cupboard.
Could you please give me a call or drop me a mail and let me know where I can get one of these in South Africa?

Thanks a lot
Karen Rudd
Johannesburg, South Africa
karen@leap.co.za
Tel: 083-327-2133

QUESTION

Hi Team

Can you perhaps tell me how do I make biltong wheels and biltong chips. I bought my own equipment to make wors and I want to sell droëwors and biltong on a small scale. Do I give some potential buyers a taste first or where do I begin .I also got myself a scale ,packages and a sealer. Your soonest reply will be appreciated.

Cheers
Hugo Boezak
George, South Africa
hboezak@distell.co.za

QUESTION

I am still looking for a cheese wors recipe. Can anybody help please????

Kevin Hayes
United Kingdom
kevinhayes460@btinternet.com

Pampoens weren’t impressed with the celery …
By James Clarke

I used to be a keen gardener, especially when it came to growing vegetables. Not long ago I was asked to address a garden club in the next street to where my fame as a gardener had spread. The subject: “Gardening as a therapy”.

When I sat down to think about the subject, I realised most of my gardening was pure therapy anyway, because most of what I grew was thrown away. My family was unable to keep up with production.

You cannot plant one cabbage just as you cannot plant one potato or a single bunch of carrots. So, in midsummer you end up with a dozen full-grown cabbages, kilograms of beans, clouds of cauliflower, brinjals by the bag and tomatoes enough to stock Woolworths.

My wife would say: “We cannot possibly eat a cabbage a day.”

I think there’s a by-law.

There are exceptions. For instance, in the event of a fire next door one is allowed to call out “Fire!” three times; and again, in the event of an earthquake registering 9 on the Richter Scale, or, say, in the event of a catastrophic flood such as we had in 1994 when I last had cause to address a neighbour.

There was a howling gale, I recall. The rain was lashing down and my neighbour was frantically smashing a hole though the back wall of his garage.

Flood water was damming up against the back of his house and the pressure had to be relieved.

“Having a spot of bother, are we?” I called over the fence.

“Yes,” he shouted over the roar of the water.

I clucked – loudly, in the hope he could hear that I was concerned. But neither of us went on and on about it. Eventually the wall burst and he was washed away, probably ending up in the mainstream Jukskei. I kept meaning to ask our maid to ask their maid if they found him.

Anyway, these particular neighbours were wary of me because they once saw me talking to my vegetables. Talking to vegetables provides excellent mental therapy.

I have often wondered what would have happened had my neighbours learned that when they were out I peeped over the wall and talked to their vegetables, too. (I just said “Howzit?” and things like that.)

My modest success in growing vegetables was not due to any innate farming genius within the Clarke family. In fact the Clarkes, right back to the time of Ethelred the Unsteady, have been intensely urban people who mostly ended their days by being run over by buses or falling down manholes.

My success with beans and things was, I am convinced, because I talked to them as equals.

Many people do not believe me but, sometimes, vegetables talk back. I have recorded elsewhere (see Annals of the Cruciferous Soc., Nat Arch. Vol III 8673:1 op cit. sit op.) how cabbages enjoy talking politics. Pumpkins, too. The latter sometimes get into parliament.

Onions can be so emotional they bring tears to one’s eyes; turnips can be hilarious.

When I suggested to a particularly healthy lettuce that she went into politics with the pumpkins she said the celery… wasn’t good enough. Oh how we laughed.

Two lovely recipes!

In the last newsletter (August) we had several bread recipes. This month something different from long, long ago.

Here we go ….

Ron Warren’s biltong recipe

This is a Biltong recipe sent in by Ron Warren from South Africa in November 2003.

Ingredients for the spice mix

• 700 gm medium salt
• 180 gm brown sugar
• 15 ml black pepper
• 120 gm ground coriander (I do not enjoy the scorched and coarsely ground as it sticks in teeth)
• 30ml bicarbonate of soda

How to use the spice mix and make the Biltong

• Sprinkle 40 gm per kg of meat
• Add a generous sprinkle of vinegar between layers of biltong
• Allow to stand for at least 6 to 8 hours turning the meat over half way
• Dip biltong in 350ml vinegar and 4.5 liters of boiling water (or hot) and hang to dry

I have lines in my pantry above my fridge and deep freezes with a fan mounted to one side and this works like a dream especially in muggy damp weather.
The heat off the fridge and freezers keeps the air dry especially at night. The biltong is allowed to drip until dry outside before I move it inside.
I make biltong and dry wors the whole year round.

For my dry wors I use a dry wors premix but add 1/3 chili-bite biltong mix to it and even my kids love it.

All the best
Ron Warren
South Africa
ronwarren@xsinet.co.za

George Wolvaardt se Potjiekos

This recipe was sent to us by George Wolvaardt in July 2003

Hierdie potjie is altyd lekkerrrr!!

Dit kan binneshuis op die stoof gemaak word as die weer baie sleg is, gebruik platboom potjie vir die stoof.

Wat om the gebruik

• 1 kg Stowe beesvleis ( in blokkies gesny) Skaap of hoender werk net so lekker.
• 1 ui fyngekap
• 3 knoffelhuisies fyngekap
• 25 ml olyfolie
• Groente na smaak. Ons gebruik gewoonlik wortels, aartappels, baba-kooltjies of kool in kwarte gesny en botterskorsie in stukke gesny.
• 1 koppie fyngekapte pietersielie
• 1 eetlepel fyn koljander
• 1 eetlepel BBQ speserye
• 1 liter kookwater
• 100 ml tamatiesous ( ………ek bêre altyd my laaste bietjie tamatiesous in die bottel vir potjiekos en vul dit dan met die blokkie en kookwater…………!!!!)
• 1 beesvleis-aftreksel-blokkie
• 1 teelepel sout
• halwe teelepel vars gemaalde swartpeper

Metode:

• Voeg die olie in potjie en verbruin die vleis
• Voeg nou die uie en knoffel by die vleis en soteer die uie en knoffel saam met die vleis tot uie deurskynend is
• Pak nou die groente in lae, eerste die aartappels, dan die wortels dan die kool en laaste die pampoenstukke
• Gooi die speserye en al die oorblywend bestandele by die liter aftrekselmengsel en gooi oor die potjiekos
• Sodra dit kook, strooi die pietersielie oor en plaas die deksel op, prut vir EEN UUR
• Bedien op lekker rys of krummelpap
• Beetslaai gaan ook lekker daarmee saam. HEER-R-R-LIk !!

Moenie vergeet om ‘n lekker wyntjie saam voor te sit nie.
Geniet rustig saam met familie en vrinne.

George Wolvaardt
South Africa
gwolvaardt@lando.co.za

Click below for our handy cooking converter

Is South Africa on the brink of a total blackout?
15-11-2007

Escom’s system of rotating existing power supplies – known as load shedding – will be with the country for between five to seven years while systems are upgraded to cope with increased demand, the company said on Thursday.

“We expect the reserve margin to continue on a downward trend for the next five to seven years until (a) new base-load power plant is built,” the company’s media desk said.

Over the last decade, South Africa had experienced a steady growth in the demand for electricity linked to increased economic growth.

This had exhausted Escom’s surplus electricity generation capacity and reduced the reserve margin progressively.

In response, it accelerated the implementation of its capacity expansion program and would invest R150-billion in the upgrading of the country’s power supply infra-structure.

The biggest percentage of that expenditure would go towards improving generation capacity and would include the construction of new power stations.

Meanwhile, to cope with the reduced reserve capacity, the company had introduced load shedding, rotating power supplies nationally, to avoid a total blackout.

On Thursday morning supplies were powering ahead, but customers were urged to continue conserving energy by switching off non-essential equipment and geysers to reduce demand.

Businesses were asked to switch off non-essential lighting and office equipment during peak usage periods between 7am and 10am and 6pm and 9pm.

Escom thanked customers already carrying out these measures.

Prepare for seven years of blackouts!

Blackouts are here to stay – for up to seven years, says Escom.

An Escom spokesperson said demand and supply for electricity was “tight”, and that load-shedding was “not short-term”.

His comments came as South Africans endured another cycle of load shedding across the country, the result of unplanned outages and equipment repairs at a number of Escom’s power station units.

Load shedding was stopped temporarily on Wednesday afternoon, but was likely to resume towards evening, said Escom.

Escom spokesperson Tony Stott said load shedding would begin again “as we move into peak hours… probably at around 5pm or 6pm”.

Stott said power stations hit by unplanned outages “usually” took between half a day and three days to repair.

The need for repairs arose from “normal wear and tear” at mechanical power stations.

“We have been running them hard for the past few days to meet demand for electricity because there is not enough spare capacity.”

On Wednesday morning about 10 percent of plants were undergoing planned maintenance and about seven percent unplanned maintenance, Stott said. This was an improvement on Tuesday night, when about 11 percent of units were undergoing unplanned maintenance.

“We were able to bring back some units last night. Load shedding could be expected (today), but may be prevented towards the weekend as demand for electricity decreases.”

Stott said South Africans should be aware that load shedding was a reality to deal with for the next few years.

Crime News Update
November 2007

And you thought that crime only happens in the big cities and not in the small coastal towns?
You must be kidding!

79-year-old ‘hero’ recovering

La Lucia, November 15 2007
By Rivonia Naidu

Roger Wright will forever be his family’s biggest hero. And as he celebrated his 79th birthday on Wednesday, he was surrounded by his loving wife, Myra, his children, Julia Paterson, Simon Wright and Diane Whittaker, as well as most of his 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

They described him as a great man with a strong will and fighting power.

Wright and his wife Myra were attacked in La Lucia on Monday night, when an intruder armed with a knife broke into their home on Wilden Place and attempted to rob the couple.

Wright’s sheer determination and love for his family helped him fight off the armed attacker, who fled the scene.

However, Wright was seriously wounded in the chest and at the back of his neck as the intruder stabbed him several times.

He is now in ICU at St Augustine’s Hospital, where he is recovering. Myra is traumatized and will receive counseling.

On Wednesday, with a traumatized Myra by her side, Whittaker said her dad was everyone’s biggest hero.

“He’s the greatest father ever. Our parents are the best, they’re wonderful, loving and the most supportive parents,” she said.

She said on the night they were attacked, her parents, who celebrated 55 years of marriage this year, were having a romantic candle-lit dinner when the intruder walked into their home.

“My mum said the evening started off so beautifully. She and my dad were enjoying their meal when my mom noticed the intruder, but because she couldn’t do anything, my father got up and looked for him.

“The intruder then attacked my father from behind and a huge scuffle ensued. The intruder stabbed my father many times and he was bleeding profusely.”

Whittaker said her mother then began screaming and the intruder went into the kitchen, picked her mother up and threw her across the room.

“The intruder flung my mother so hard that she hit her head on the fridge. He then tried to throttle her, but my father, although he was seriously injured, came back into the kitchen and pulled the man off my mother. I don’t know what happened, but the man then ran away.”

She said she was also thankful to her parents’ neighbour, Anton Lailvaux.

“He saved my dad’s life. He helped by trying to stop the bleeding and by calling the necessary emergency officials.”

She said although the entire family was traumatized, they were grateful that her parents’ lives were spared.

“They loved their home, I mean they lived in it for 35 years and I would have really hated it if their lives ended in a place that’s so special to them.

Whittaker described her family as just another victim of crime in South Africa.

Friday, November 2, 2007

“They are hurting her, they are hurting her……”

These were the anguished words a Pretoria man heard as his domestic worker described to him over her cell phone how his wife was being attack by armed thugs who had broken into their home in Lynnwood Manor.

Gideon Odendaal, who was in Cape Town on business, listened as Fransiena Majadibodu described the attack in a whisper while hiding under a bed.

The men – three of whom were arrested within hours of allegedly torturing, sexually assaulting and killing Cathy Odendaal on Tuesday – are believed to have overpowered Odendaal while she was walking through the garden of her home in Farnham Road.

It is believed the men may be linked to a spate of house attacks in the area, including the shooting of the three-year-old child of Musa Ebrahim’s domestic worker during an attack on his home, also in Farnham Road, on Sunday.

It is believed that Odendaal, who ran a raw material trading business, surprised the men when she returned after going shopping.

They overpowered her as she tried to run into the house.

It is believed she was killed when, after being tortured and left for dead, she managed to press a panic button.

The security company then called Gideon to inquire if the family was all right. He frantically called their home and her cell phone. He then called Majadibodu. Whispering, she told him how she was hiding under the bed and there were men in the house attacking his wife.

“She kept saying that Cathy was calling for help. “She kept saying: ‘She is crying, she is crying.’ She said Cathy was calling her and that her killers were hurting her.

“She kept saying: ‘They are hurting her, they are hurting her, they are hurting her,'” he said.

He called the police, his security company and the neighbourhood watch. “I did not know what to do. I did not how I could help my wife. I did not know what was happening to her. “All I wanted to do was protect her,” he said.

He said it was clear from the state the property was in that his wife had put up a fight. Her body was found in a washroom. “It is terrible. I do not want to know what she went through. I cannot bear to go inside.”

“My wife is dead. What am I going to do? What am I going to do now?” he asked, adding that their children no longer wanted to live in the house.

“We cannot bear to be in the house. It is just too awful,” he said. He said it was not known how the killers got into the house. “There is no sign of forced entry. It is a complete mystery”.

Police spokesperson Inspector Paul Ramaloko said that three people who had been arrested in connection with Odendaal’s murder, would appear in court soon. He said a gun as well as jewelry believed to belong to Odendaal had been recovered.

So, consider the following:

The USA has been at war in Iraq for some 4 years, approx 3500 soldiers killed in action. The scale of this conflict has resulted in effectively a regime change with both the US Senate and House changing from Republican to Democrat.

The scale of the conflict in South Africa is that every year, some 30 000 people are killed, someone raped every 2 minutes (our government seeks to withhold accurate crime statistics from us, probably due to the scale of the slaughter) and one of our ministers calls those who question and criticize him “WHINGERS” who should leave the country!

Our President must agree with him, since there has been no public retraction, let alone rebuke.

Bits and Bobs from people around the world

Has anyone seen or heard from David Lewis from Whakatane in New Zealand??

Hi, My name is Stephen Coote and I live in Nelson, New Zealand.
I’ve started to experiment making biltong, and more recently sausages, using game meat which I get myself.

This afternoon I made some sausages based on your Whakatane Wors recipe. I used the meat from an Australian Brushtailed Opossum, and the casings were the intestines of the same animal.
I think these are the best sausages I’ve made so far.
So I want to say thanks for publishing the recipe, and it would be nice if somehow my thanks could be passed on to David Lewis who originally provided this recipe. He may be interested to know that our national pest animal, the possum, was used successfully instead of beef in his recipe.
I would be happy for you to forward my email to him if possible.

I have a question. Can droe wors be eaten without cooking (like biltong)?

Many thanks in advance
Stephen Coote
New Zealand
coote@clear.net.nz

Hi Lo

Trust everything is OK on your side. I say this, because I notice you are depriving me of my monthly “fix” of your excellent newsletter.

You have no idea how much everyone I know looks forward to your newsletters. I hope that it is merely pressure of business keeping you too busy for the newsletters and not something more serious.

Anyway, hope to hear from you soon!
Regards

Annie Sieber
Equipment Admin Manager
Crown National
Johannesburg, South Africa

That’s nice Annie and all the others at Crown National! Your mail will keep me going again for a while. You talk about your monthly “fix”. Well, your mail was a good “fix” for me!
It’s nice to see that all the hard work is actually read! I hope you enjoy this newsletter. (Ed)

PS. I wonder if Liekie and Fernando read it (get it)?

Hello,

Thank you once again for a great newsletter.

Here are a few things that you may like to use as contributions….

The first is an answer to Moira Cochrane who asked for a good Milktart recipe – here is mine and it is REALLY good. I don’t bake too well but this seems to work every time and I have even been brave enough to make it as a Christmas gift for various locals.

Traditional Melktert

Pastry Ingredients

• ¼ cup margarine
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons iced water

What to do

• Cream marge and sugar together
• Work in the flour and salt
• Add water and work to a soft dough
• Wrap up and chill until required

Filling Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons flour
• vanilla essence (optional)

How to do it

• Scald milk with cinnamon stick (you could use a double boiler but I just use a good pot)
• Combine sugar and flour and stir in the hot milk slowly
• Return to heat and cook for about 15 min (no lid) stirring from time to time
• Remove from heat and stir in the butter
• When cool add eggs one at a time, beating well each time
• Line a 22cm tart plate with pastry and pour filling in
• Bake at 200 degrees for 20 mins
• Before serving sprinkle the top with cinnamon and castor sugar

My second contribution is a joke I read in the 5th of July edition of You magazine – my husband brings them back to me when he travels home for work so that I can catch up on the general skinner.

Men Megastore:
A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City but it clearly states in its rules women may visit it only once.

There are six floors and the men get better as the shopper ascends the building. Women may choose a man from any floor but may not go down again except to exit the building.

A woman goes to the store and on the first floor finds a sign that reads, “These men have jobs and love the Lord.”

The sign on the second floor reads, “These men have jobs, love the Lord and love kids.”

The sign on the third floor reads, “These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids and are extremely good-looking.”

“Wow,” she thinks but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the fourth floor where the sign reads, “These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead good-looking and help with the housework.”

“I can’t stand it!” she exclaims and rushes up to the fifth floor where the sign reads, “These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework and have a strong romantic streak.”

The woman is tempted to stay but eventually goes up to the sixth floor where the sign reads, “There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building and have a nice day!”

Finally a response or question for Chris who wrote in your August newsletter; “Has the penny finally dropped”?

I so wish that I were back in South Africa to somehow be part of the solution, any ideas of how I might be able to play any small part while stuck here?
I try promoting the SA wherever possible and encourage whoever I can to visit, and the people who have, have loved the experience and want to go back again.

Looking forward to next month’s edition.
Kind regards
Carla McLachlan
carla_mclachlan@hotmail.com

[Thank your for putting in the effort and giving us a lovely contribution. Wish there were more of you! – Ed]

The following is a contribution from Carol James from Worthing in the UK.
Read this carefully because it’s so true!!

HANDBAGS…

Have you ever noticed gals who sit their handbags on public toilet floors – then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table?

Happens a lot!

It’s not always the ‘restaurant food’ that causes stomach distress. Sometimes “what you don’t know ‘will’ hurt you”!
My Mum used to get so upset when guests came in the door and plopped their handbags down on the counter where she was cooking or setting up food. She always said that handbags are really dirty, because of where they have been.

While we may know what’s inside our handbags, do you have any idea what’s on the outside? Shauna Lake put handbags to the test – for bacteria – with surprising results. You may think twice about where you put your handbag.

Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won’t be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day?

“I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a lot,” says one woman. “On the floor of my car, and in toilets.” “I put my handbag in grocery shopping carts, on the floor of the toilet while changing a nappy,” says another woman “and of course in my home which should be clean.”

We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake. Most women told us they didn’t stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared.

It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked. Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.

In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that’s not the worst of it. “There is fecal contamination on the handbags,” says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role.
People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception.
The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all. “Some type of feces, or possibly vomit” says Amy.

So the moral of this story – your handbag won’t kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don’t put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.

Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. “If you think about putting a pair of shoes onto your countertops, that’s the same thing you’re doing when you put your handbag on the counter-tops” – your handbag has gone where individuals before you have sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, emptied bowels, etc!

Do you really want to bring that home with you?

[Thank you Carol – never thought of that really -Ed]

How to give a cat a pill

You will have seen this before, it’s been around for ages in one form or another, but it always makes for a good read, especially if you are a cat lover!

1. Pick up the cat, and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of the cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to the cheeks whilst holding the pill in the right hand. As you gradually ease the cat’s mouth open in this fashion, pop the pill into it’s mouth and allow the cat to close mouth and swallow.

1. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle the cat in left arm again, and repeat process.

1. Retrieve cat from under the bed in the main bedroom, and throw away the soggy pill.

1. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and thrust pill to the back of it’s mouth with right forefinger. Hold cat’s mouth shut for count of ten.

1. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse in from garden to assist.

1. Kneel on floor with cat firmly wedged between knees. Hold front and rear paws. Ignore growls emitted from cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler, and rub cat’s throat vigorously.

1. Retrieve cat from curtain rail. Get another pill from foil wrap. Make a mental note to buy a new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from floor, and set aside for gluing later.

1. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with cat’s head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw and force cat’s mouth open with pencil. Blow forcefully down straw.

1. Check label on cat’s pills to see if they are harmful to humans. Drink beer to take away the taste and apply band-aid to spouse’s forearm. Remove blood from carpet with soap and water, and discard shredded towel in waste bin.

1. Retrieve cat from neighbour’s shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard and close door on cat’s neck so as to leave only the head protruding. Force mouth open with spoon, and however much force it takes. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

1. Fetch screwdriver from garage to put the cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Pour scotch and drink in one gulp. Apply cold compress to cheek, and check date of last tetanus jab. Apply whisky compress to cheek to disinfect and toss back another shot for good measure. Throw T-shirt in bin next to shredded towel.

1. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road, and apologize profusely to neighbour who crashed into his pool whilst swerving to avoid the cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

1. Tie the little sod’s front paws and rear paws tightly to legs of metal garden chairs with twine. Find heavy pruning gloves from shed. Push into cat’s mouth, followed by a large piece of fillet steak. Hold cat’s head vertical, and pour two liters of water down cat’s throat to wash down pill.

1. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room for stitching of your fingers and forearm, and removal of pill from your left nostril. Call in at garden center on way home to get new garden chairs.

1. Arrange with SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and find out if they have any hamsters who need good homes.

HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL:
Wrap it in bacon.

Nursery Rhymes?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
The structure of the wall was incorrect
So he won a grand with Claims Direct.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.
Oh sh*t, it’s Global Warming.

Mary had a little lamb
her father shot it dead.
Now it goes to school with her
between two chunks of bread.

Simple Simon met a pie man going to the fair.
Said Simple Simon to the pie man
“What have u got there?”
Said the pie man unto Simon
Pies you d**khead.

Mary had a little lamb
it ran into a pylon.
10,000 volts went up its a*se
and turned its wool to nylon.

Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie
kissed the girls and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play
he kissed them too cause he was gay.

Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
And planned to do some kissing.
Jack made a pass
and grabbed her a*se
Now two of his teeth are missing.

Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white and wispy.
Then it caught Foot and Mouth Disease
And now it’s black and crispy.

Why the Springboks deserve to be champions
by Gavin Rich

Two weeks on from the World Cup and still I keep hearing idiots say that the Springboks are somehow not worthy champions because they did not play New Zealand or Australia along the way.

This makes no sense. New Zealand never got to play South Africa at the World Cup because they weren’t good enough to beat France in a quarter-final played on neutral territory. That same French team then returned to French soil and were beaten by England.

England, already hammered 36-0 by South Africa in a pool game, were then comprehensively outplayed again by the Springboks, who always seemed to have something in hand, in the final.

The French who beat the All Blacks were also outplayed twice by Argentina, who in turn were beaten by 23 points by the Boks in the semi-final, again in a match where John Smit’s team never really appeared to raise a sweat.
So as a New Zealand rugby writing mate put it to me, where does that leave the All Blacks?

In the case of Australia, they lost to England in the quarter-final in Marseilles, and the ease with which the England forwards destroyed the Wallaby pack suggests the Boks probably would have done the same. The Boks have a lot more skill at the back than England do, and would have put the Wallabies away given the same forward dominance.

If Australia were not good enough to beat England and New Zealand were not good enough to beat a weak French team, then they didn’t deserve to win the World Cup, and to their credit, most Kiwis and Aussies of my acquaintance agree with this assessment.

Most of them reckon the Boks were the best team at the World Cup because they were best equipped to alternate between the various types of game strategy required to win the tournament.

And ultimately, Bob Skinstad is right – the only way to become world champions is to win the World Cup. The All Blacks haven’t done that since 1987 so they are not world champions. In athletics it is all about who wins the Olympic gold medal every four years, and it has become the same in rugby, just as it is in soccer and cricket.

I did feel a bit cheated by not seeing the Boks and All Blacks clash at the World Cup. It was the clash everyone was waiting for. I would like to have seen them play because I am convinced that, given the type of rugby that prevails in the knock-out stages of the World Cup, as well as the brainless rugby the All Blacks play when the pressure is on, South Africa would have won.

In the only full-strength meeting between the two teams this year the dice was loaded against the Boks, who were feeling the effects of fatigue after several months of non-stop rugby because of South Africa’s success in the Super 14. For those who forget, the Boks were also that day without Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez, a first choice No 8, Juan Smith and skipper John Smit.

Most of those players were hugely influential at the World Cup. It was also before Graham Henry had his brain explosion by dropping backline playmaker Aaron Mauger, so the All Blacks were arguably also a much better team in that Durban Test than they were at the World Cup.

And yet the Boks led the All Blacks most of the way, and it was only the Kiwi depth on the bench that got them home as they came from behind. I doubt they would be capable of coming from behind in a high pressured World Cup final for the simple reason that over and over again they have proved they just don’t have the temperament to handle the massive expectation of their nation.

That is why they are perennial also-rans in the tournament that matters and why they are not world champions. Those who disagree should just go and look at the names inscribed on the Webb Ellis trophy, and then go buy a couple of sacks of lemons that they can suck on for the next four years.

Snippets from the papers

‘New coach must choose his assistants’
The choices for the next assistant coaches for the Boks are as critical as the man who will take over from Jake White, convener of selectors Peter Jooste says.
Full Story…

England felt like a pub team – Dallaglio
England hooker Mark Regan has hit back at teammate Lawrence Dallaglio’s scathing attack on their coach, which he dismissed as a marketing ploy to sell his new autobiography.
Full Story…

Smit overjoyed to be at Clermont
Springboks World Cup-winning captain John Smit has arrived at Clermont-Ferrand to join his new team.
Full Story…

Proteas ready to devour NZ top order
Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Andre Nel must be licking their lips at the prospect of facing up to New Zealand’s shaky top order in the first Test.
Full Story…

Third World realities weigh on 2010 World Cup
Carl Peters has some thoughts on why Fifa president Sepp Blatter is pushing for an end to the World Cup rotation policy…
Full Story…

-How to watch Rugby from your armchair-
Click here to find out!

Let’s make the next issue a Bumper one!

Our regular readers (like Annie and her comrades at Crown National) may have noticed that I have gone from a monthly issue to a bi-monthly one and even worse! The reason is simple. It is impossible to do a newsletter of this size on my own. I am an editor and rely on you the readers for input!

You are probably sitting at the computer right now so how about it. Let our readers enjoy your story!
It does not have to be about Biltong or such. We’d love to hear where you live and how you have adapted yourself to your new life style and surroundings.

You might have a nice recipe to part with or perhaps a question to ask?
Perhaps you have some advice to give?

You never know how you could help somebody else with your own hints and tips.

Share it with other people around the world!

Click right here to start now or you can mail us at webmaster@biltongmakers.com

Boerewors (Europe only, sorry people!)

Next Tuesday (November 20th) it will be up at 5 am again and freezing my fingers off mixing and spicing meat for our wors. I never want to be a butcher. Perhaps I should teach someone to do this for me! Thank goodness I don’t have to do the whole job myself!
It is still disappearing faster than we can make it and it is winter!
Nevertheless, we have fresh stock available all the time.

Ever seen a Springbok enjoying one of our boerie rolls (in Montpellier, France – the Fuji game)?
Well, by the look on his face Schalk enjoyed it and so will you!
Give it a try.

All you do is to go to www.boerewors.be and fill out the order form. You can either collect or we can mail it to you.

All our customers in Holland, Belgium and in fact, all over Europe are raving about the packing of and the condition in which the wors arrived at their doorsteps.

Just imagine some “lekker” pap and wors with a nice tomato and onion sauce!

Complete the order form you will find by going to www.boerewors.be or give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25.

Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram.
The normal price is € 8.45 per kg but for the time being we will keep it at only € 8.45 € 7.95 per kg!!

You can also place your order by simply clicking here.

Now also available at

STONEMANOR
The British Store in Everberg, Belgium – Telephone 02 759-4979

DIE WERF
The new South African shop in Tervuren, Belgium – Telephone 02 305-3296

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Droëwors …… a typical South African delicacy all of its own!

Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
The spices are of course imported especially from South Africa so you will get the “real” thing!

Fresh droëwors is available right now and we normally have ample stock.

The price is € 40.00 € 30.00 per kilogram vacuum pack or € 4.50 € 4.00 per 100 gram packet.

Droëwors (like biltong) travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail in minimum quantities of 500 gram.
You can place your order now by going to www.boerewors.be, give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us.

We are not responsible for packets confiscated by customs in your country.

Now also available at

STONEMANOR
The British Store in Everberg, Belgium – Telephone 02 759-4979

DE WIJN KRAAL
The South African Wine Specialist Store in Leuven, Belgium.
Telephone 016 58.46.06

DIE WERF
The new South African shop in Tervuren, Belgium – Telephone 02 305-3296

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Biltong …… once hooked you’re a slave forever!

Biltong is without doubt the snack most associated with South Africa!
It is so much part of South African culture that there is no food related shop that will not stock it. You find it literally anywhere.
Say Biltong and you say South Africa!

Biltongmakers.Com has for more than 12 years supplied their Home Biltong Makers to the South African expat so they could make their own biltong away from home.

We were often asked why we don’t make Biltong ourselves and then make it available to the poor and deprived ex-South Africans!
The requests have been relentless and constant so we decided to give it a go on a temporary basis. Just to see how well it would sell.

So, from now on you will be able to get your biltong directly from us.
The spices are of course imported from South Africa so you will get the “real” taste like “back home”!

The price is Euro 40.00 per 1kg vacuum pack or Euro 5.00 per 100 gram packet.

Biltong travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail.

To place your order please go to www.biltongmakers.be and click on one of the order form links. You can also call us on +32 (16) 53.96.25

We will get right back to you with how much the postage will be.

(For outside the EU we must mention that we are not responsible for packets confiscated by customs in your country.

Now also available at

STONEMANOR
The British Store in Everberg, Belgium – Telephone 02 759-4979

DE WIJN KRAAL
The South African Wine Specialist Store in Leuven, Belgium.
Telephone 016 58.46.06

DIE WERF
The new South African shop in Tervuren, Belgium – Telephone 02 305-3296

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Lamb on the Spit ……. something special!

Keep this in mind for next summer but book early!

Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive ……. Not so!

We will do a lamb on the Spit for parties of between 30 and 50 people for just € 18.00 and € 15.00 a head respectively.

Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes, a tomato/salsa salad as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well.
For venues more than 50 km from our home base in Keerbergen there is a small transport fee.

Start planning now for those special occasions! Just keep in mind that quite a number of dates up to September are already booked!
Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.

Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us.
(A Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)

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You can click on the links below to view some of the previous issues of our newsletter.

Perhaps you would like to subscribe to this newsletter or tell a friend about Biltongmakers.Com! and the incredible Biltong Makers!! You can be included in this newsletter by clicking on the following link.
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You are receiving this newsletter because you have previously placed an order with Biltongmakers or made an enquiry about Biltong, Boerewors or Potjie Pots or someone has submitted your name to us thinking that you might be interested.
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DISCLAIMER

The information and contributions contained in this newsletter are received from various readers local and international. Views and opinions reflected in our newsletter are not necessarily those of Biltongmakers.Com and its team members.

Keerbergen
Belgium

Henry watched from the shoreline at Portsmouth as the pride of his fleet turned to go into battle.
It was early in the morning on July 19th, 1545 when Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose went in to battle against the French Fleet, just off the shores of Portsmouth.

Then, as she turned, there was a sudden gust of wind or perhaps she turned too sharply taking on water through her port holes. Whatever the cause, as she turned, she capsized and sank!
With her almost the entire compliment of sailors, gunners and soldiers perished.

Nothing was ever seen of her again until ….

It was another quiet morning. It was October 11th, 1982. There was a large crowd gathered along the shore at Portsmouth and, as they looked out over the Solent, just like Henry VIII had done so many years ago, they were the first to see the Mary Rose rise from her watery grave where she had lain for almost 437 years!

Today she lies in a large hall, behind glass walls, at the historic dockyard in Portsmouth, constantly being sprayed with a solution that, it is hoped, will preserve her for ever.

That is where I saw her a couple of weeks ago.

Now, I am sure that most of us have heard about the Mary Rose. Some of us may remember the day she was brought back to the surface from the waters just of the shores of Portsmouth, that October day back in 1982.

But, nothing prepares one for the breathtaking and eerie beauty of what is left of her when you walk into that hall.

There is a deathly silence all around.

She is so delicate that, even though she is behind glass you cannot take flash photographs for fear of doing harm to her.

Looking at her lying there you are transported back to that day, almost 437 years ago, when she sunk. You can almost hear the gasps of the crowds on the shore and see the look of shock and credulity on the face of Henry VIII.

Whenever you have a chance you should go and see her. It is certainly worth the trip.

In the mean time, click here to read her story and see all the pictures!

Now, after this (to me at least) fascinating bit of history let’s get back to the present.

To me there is nothing better than the smell of a braai! I can just hang over the fire and inhale those incredible fumes and smells of wood burning and meat cooking.

When June and I are on our own we now use one of these “throwaway” little braais. They work like a charm for just two people and you don’t have the hassle of cleaning up afterwards!

The big advantage is that you can have a braai every single day providing you have a bit of good weather of course. And that is something we have not seen much of in Belgium this year so far.

Mind you, last weekend was great. Blazing sun with absolutely no wind and temperatures at the back of the house went up as high as 36C!!

We hope to get away towards the end of September for a couple of weeks. Apart from it being too busy at Biltongmakers.Com at the moment it will also be nice and quiet then in most holiday places because the schools will have started again.

I can’t stand full beaches.
I suppose that no-one who has experienced the solitude and pure joy of stretches of white beaches going on for miles and miles with only the occasional people around will never get used to being packed like sardines in a can like I have seen at some of the holiday resorts in Spain, France and Italy.

Anyway, until such time we’ll just have the occasional weekend away.

Next week Paris and the weekend after that the yearly Mussels fest at Yerseke in Holland. We went there last year and that was good fun.
Scores of people out on the mussels boats, loads of beer flowing and eat as many mussels as you can!

But more about that the next time.

Till then, take care,

Lo

“I have learnt my lesson, I asked God to make me a millionaire, but I forgot to state the currency!”
-Anonymous Zimbabwean citizen-

“You can’t have everything! Where would you put it?”
-Steven Wright-

The Secret behind the number 11 – Pretty Chilling

Do yourself a favour and read this to the bottom.
Try it out. I did and I got goose bumps!
If you are a skeptical person – still read on as it’s actually very interesting!

This is actually really freaky!! (Mainly the end part, but read it first)

• New York City has 11 letters
• Afghanistan has 11 letters.
• Ramsin Yuseb has 11 letters. (The terrorist who threatened to destroy the Twin Towers in 1993)
• George W Bush has 11 letters.

This could be a mere coincidence, but this gets interesting

• New York is the 11th state.
• The first plane crashing against the Twin Towers was flight number 11.
• Flight 11 was carrying 92 passengers – 9+2=11
• Flight 77 which also hit Twin Towers, was carrying 65 passengers – 6+5=11
• The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11 as it is now known – 9+1+1=11
• The date is equal to the US emergency services telephone number 911 – 9+1+1=11

Sheer coincidence? Read on and make up your own mind!

• The total number of victims inside all the hi-jacked planes was 254 – 2+5+4=11
• September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year – 2+5+4=11
• The Madrid bombing took place on 3/11/2004 – 3+1+1+2+4=11
• The tragedy of Madrid happened 911 days after the Twin Towers incident.

Now this is where things get totally eerie

The most recognized symbol for the US, after the Stars & Stripes, is the Eagle. The following verse is taken from the Koran, the Islamic holy book:

“For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced: for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah and there was peace.”

That verse is number 9.11 of the Koran.

Unconvinced about all of this Still?

Try this and see how you feel afterwards, it made my hair stand on end.

• Open Microsoft Word and do the following:
• Type in capitals Q33 NY. This is the flight number of the first plane to hit one of the Twin Towers.
• Highlight the Q33 NY.
• Change the font size to 48.
• Change the actual font to the WINGDINGS 1

What do you think now?!!

You know what?

I have traveled the world and am always on the look-out for some really nice bacon and pork sausages to take back home.
We have scoured the shelves of most department stores in England from Marks and Spencers to Waitrose. We have been to butchers, we have tried it ourselves but never ever have I come across a pork sausage as nice as an ESKORT pork sausage.

And I promise you I did NOT get paid to say this!

Anyone who traveled the road from Johannesburg to Durban knows the ESKORT butcher there, next to the road between Johannesburg and Durban.

We have never traveled that road without stopping for a nice pork belly, some bacon and, of course, the famous pork sausages!

Well, ESKORT is 90 years old this year and I thought it worth a mention.

Certainly my Sunday mornings have never been the same without a rashers or two, or six of ESKORT bacon and some of their sausages.

Here is their story in short ……

In mid 1917 a group of nine people gathered in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, to discuss the establishment of a Bacon curing factory in the area. By August 1917 the Farmer’s Co-operative Bacon Factory Limited was founded and building started on the banks of the Bushman’s River in Estcourt.

The factory was officially opened on 6 June 1918 by General Louis Botha. Thrupps of Johannesburg became one of the Co-operative’s first large clients to whom bacon was sold.

In June 1919 the S.S. Saxon carried the first Bacon exports to the United Kingdom which were excellently received by that market. In 1920 the fledgling Co-operative was awarded a Gold and Silver Medal from the British Dairy Farmers Association at the London Dairy Show (the acknowledged Bacon Show of the World).

That same year the manufacture of the now famous ESKORT Gold Medal Pork Sausages commenced and the Co-operatives’ continued marketing of excellent products were rewarded with the third successive wins in the Export Hams and Bacon categories at the 1922 Rand Easter Show.

Tragedy struck in 1925 when a fire caused extensive damage to the factory and production was temporarily relocated to Nel’s Rust Dairy Limited in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Despite the setback the Company gained the high honour of winning the top three prizes at the 1926 London Dairy Show.

During the Second World War over 1 million tins of sausages were supplied to the Allied forces all over the world and over 12 tonnes of bacon per week was supplied to convoys calling at Durban Harbour.

Early in 1948 plans for a factory in Heidelberg, Gauteng were drawn up. This factory commenced production in September 1954.

The retail Eskort butchery, a favourite shopping stop for travelers between the Reef and Durban was opened in 1951.
In 1992 the Co-operative celebrated 75 years of marketing quality products to the South African and International Markets, as well as being recognised as a major leader in the development of a stable South African Pig Industry.

The Eskort product portfolio has recently been extended into the fresh pork market with products such as Spare Ribs, Bacon Cherry sticks, Marinated Rashers and Smoked Eisbein. Many of these products including Gammons are packed under the labels of South Africa’s leading retailers. Eskort is also a supplier to Wimpy, the historic Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town and produces a range of products endorsed by Weigh-less.

Eskort is also actively involved in the local communities supporting the Shalom Children’s Ministries in Heidelberg, the Bhekuzulu Self Sufficient Project that cares for HIV sufferers, orphans and displaced children in the Estcourt community. Eskort is also the proud sponsor of the Eskort Cavanaugh Marathon. The staff complement at both Estcourt and Heidelberg is in excess of 600 people.

As Eskort prepares to celebrate ninety years of providing South Africans with a range of top quality nutritional products focus will remain firmly in ensuring that the needs of our consumers will be met in every way possible.

The South African Meat Industry Company,
Samic has very nice meat cutting charts.
Just click on the banner below for lots of interesting information.

Nothing compares with out Home Biltong Makers ……

Our Home Biltong makers have given many of our customers much joy and happiness and have brought many of them a little of “South Africa back” in their homes.

It is so easy to make your own Biltong and it is ever so cost effective. In fact it only costs you just a fraction of the price you pay in the shop and, what is more important, you can make it just the way YOU like it.

Please read what these people had to say.

COMMENTS FROM BILTONG LOVERS AROUND THE WORLD!
Hi Lo,

My mother-in-law, Jenny Winters (an old customer of ours-Ed), brought me a Biltong Buddy last Christmas and I just wanted to say that it has not stood still for even one day!
I just wanted to say that my Biltong is perfect and it’s so easy to make!
Thanks again for a SUPERB machine!
Keep up the good work

Laurie Allsworth
Cape Town, South Africa (08-08-2007)
allsworth@telkomsa.net

Hi Guys,

I unveiled my first batch of biltong this evening and am so happy to tell you that it was a HUGE success.

We had a couple of South Africans over for the “first taste test” and they all thought it was a good as the real stuff if not better!

I am indebted to you for your help throughout the process. I am going to try various types of meat each time because no-one knows what “silverside” or “topside” is.

In this first batch, I used “top sirloin” which I am told is from the hind quarter of the cow.

Anyway, I am big hit with all my mates – that is all that counts!

Cheers for now and thanks again.

Dan Rankow

Jupiter, Florida, USA

(28-07-2007)

danrankow@aol.com

– Tel: +1 561-346-9900

Hello Biltong Team!

Well everything went great and my biltong turned out excellent!

I work with a South African bloke so he had a try and reckoned it was “the real thing!”

I’m up for the next lot now so I’m going to check out the recipes again and have a go at something different.

Thanks again for sharing all your ideas and for all your help!

Kind Regards

Neil Webster

Brisbane, Australia

(06-06-2007)

natandneil@bigpond.com

Hi Biltong Guys!

WOW ….. our first batch of biltong was great !!!!!

We have a butcher here in Canada who had a shop in Toronto in a prominent South African area, so he started making wors and biltong, not bad, but not like ours!!

He had since relocated to our area, much to our delight! To start of our Rockey’s 5kg BILTONG MAKER we made droëwors with his wors and the family consumed it in about four days.

But when the biltong was ready from the Quick Biltong Recipe it was gone in two days! I had to hide a piece to give to my daughter in Miami, especially as she has shares in the Biltong Maker as my son’s Christmas present.

Rockey’s Biltongmaker has a permanent place in the kitchen as is working all the time!!

Thanks for keeping in touch with your News Letters, I do enjoy receiving them, as well as all the future Biltong we will be eating.

Alles van die beste,

Dawn Lyell

Coldwater, Ontario, Canada

(05-03-2007)

alandawn70@yahoo.co.uk
And so, once again, more and more people keep on telling us how fantastic it is to make your own biltong! Just read about what people are saying (we only started keeping records in 2001) on our customers comments page.

So, to all of you who have not tried it yet, now is the time!

ESPECIALLY WITH A VERY NICE SPECIAL SURPRISE WE HAVE HIS MONTH! (SEE BELOW!)

You too could be making your own Biltong in a very short space of time.
Have a look at our Home Biltong Makers and see how easy it is!!

Details on ROCKEY’S 5kg Home Biltong Maker can be found by clicking on this link.

You can have a look at the BILTONG BUDDY here.

Special discounts for Special customers!!

• Rockey’s New Age Home Biltong Maker for only R 895.00
  (instead of the normal R 950.00)
• The famous BILTONG BUDDY Home Biltong Maker for only R 795.00
  (Instead of the normal R 750.00)
• Our SI-30 Industrial Biltong Drying Cabinet for only R 5995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 6995.00)
• Our Semi Industrial Hand Biltong Cutter/Shredder for only R 995.00
  (Instead of the normal R 1475.00)

Free with all Biltong Maker orders placed

• 20 special Biltong storage bags
• A packet of our famous Nice ‘n Spicy spices.

Click here to go to our on-line shop.

[These special offers are for a limited period only and can be changed without prior notice!]

What Vodka can do for you!

WHO WOULD OF THUNK IT

• To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The solvent dissolves the adhesive.
• To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set 5 minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
• To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
• Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
• Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, then blot dry.
• Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
• Add a splash of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo.
• The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
• Fill a 16-ounce trigger-spray bottle and spray bees or wasps to kill them.
• Pour 1/2 cup vodka and 1/2 cup water in a freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, reusable ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes…
• Fill a clean, empty jar with freshly packed lavender flowers. Fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly, and set it in the sun for 3 days. Strain liquid, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
• Make your own mouthwash by mixing 9 tablespoons powered cinnamon with 1 cup vodka. Seal in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Strain through a coffee filter.
• Mix with warm water and rinse your mouth. (DON’T SWALLOW!)
• Using a cotton swab, apply vodka to a cold sore to help it dry out.
• If blister opens, pour vodka over the raw skin as a local anesthetics that also disinfects the exposed dermis.
• To treat dandruff, mix 1 cup vodka with 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary. Let sit 2 days, strain through a coffee filter, massage into your scalp and dry.
• To treat an earache, put a few drops of vodka in your ear. Let sit for a few minutes, then drain. Vodka will kill the bacteria causing pain in your ear.
• To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
• To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
• Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
• Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.
• Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.

And, my personal favorite …

If all else fails, just turn the bottle upside-down and drink it. Then nothing else will matter anyway!Anyway keep up the good work!
Kind regards

Graham Ferreira
Mallorca

(Thank you Graham – I’m gonna try all of them! – Ed)

Our spices are kosher

It will certainly interest our Jewish readers that our biltong spices are certified as being kosher by the Beth Din of Johannesburg. Anyone interested can mail us for a copy of the certification. (new 2007 certification are now available)

South African Meat Cutting Charts

Below you will find three excellent meat cutting charts.

These are displayed with the compliments of SAMIC.
(The South African Meat Industry Company).
SAMIC has a very interesting web site as well as a weekly newsletter about anything to do with the
Meat Industry in South Africa.
Now, don’t think this is a totally boring web site (I thought so first) but it has some very interesting articles and statistics.

Welcome to Apartment Oberholzer in Vienna, Austria
Our charming Viennese building will make you feel right at home. As our guests’ well-being is a matter close to our hearts, the quiet residence offers every convenience from a microwave, dishwasher and washing machine to Satellite TV.

The Vienna city center is within 10 minutes walking distance. Public transport is right at the Guest house.

Our well-kept, 54 m² newly renovated non-smoking holiday flat is suitable for 1-4 people. It is central, quiet, charming and very reasonably priced.

For further information please see our website www.netland.at/wien/oberholzer

Like every month, here is our regular section on the many questions we receive from our readers all over the world.
If we have not given an answer and you can help these people could you please mail them?
(Please copy us in on your mails @ info@biltongmakers.com
so we can help other people who might have the same questions in the future)

QUESTION

Hi Guys,

I now live in New Zealand – love this newsletter – and long for a good melktert!
Please can someone send me their ‘ultimate” recipe and any other Good ‘ol Afrikaans cake/biscuit recipes.
Love to our homeland,

Moira Cochrane
New Zealand
cochranedm@xtra.co.nz

Good Morning!

Please could you find out for me the correct way to make chicken stixs. I have a little biltong shop in PE and customers always ask me for chicken stixs.
I have a biltong dryer.
Thanks

Margaret Goodwin
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
margie4@telkomsa.net

QUESTION

Thanks for a great website!
I note that your recipes do not include saltpeter while many others do.
What is saltpeter used for in biltong? What are your views?
Groete from London

Lionel
London, England
Lionel@ljcc.org.uk

QUESTION

I would like to know if giraffe biltong is any good.

Barney
South Africa
andries@demacoengineering.co.za

QUESTION

Enige wilds resepte vir wors en droëwors sal waardeer word.

Tony de Beer
South Africa
swemco@telkomsa.net

QUESTION

I was wondering if you had a cheese wors recipe

Kevin Hayes
United Kingdom
kevinhayes460@btinternet.com

When reminiscence rears its nostalgic head …
By James Clarke

I try not to reminisce too often in this column for fear of boring the children. But sometimes I can’t help it. Like today when I received via Stella Nosic, formerly of Johannesburg, now living in Toronto, a cascade of nostalgia from South Africans living there.

Another ex-Johannesburger in Canada, Barbara Durlacher, apparently instigated the flurry of e-mails about “old Joeys” from South Africans living in Canada.

The reminiscences are, unfortunately, distinctly white-orientated, and it would be an interesting exercise to collate some black-orientated memories of yesterday’s Johannesburg.

The Canadian list includes:

• Houses with corrugated iron roofs that increased the winter cold and the summer’s heat.
• The butcher and the grocer calling for orders.
• Nelsrust Dairies and the daily deliveries.
• Rinsing off the cardboard milk caps.
• The tinkle of the ice-cream guy with his bike – tuppeny lollies.
• Newtown Market – the auctioneer’s rapid-fire sales and the horse-drawn carts waiting for loads.
• Sandown’s gentle country life with its stables and horses. Quiet walks in Illovo along sandy, tree-lined roads.
• Miles of golden grasslands between Joburg and Pretoria.
• A migrant worker playing a homesick tune on a mbira (finger piano).
• Eric Egan and early morning “physical jerks”.
• Wonderful “English” radio serials. Remember the Man in Black?
• Esme Euvrard, Springbok and Lourenço Marques radio stations.
• Chanting gangs of labourers digging trenches.
• Hand-cranked phones and a “party-line”.
• Stinkwood and Imbuia “ball-and-claw” furniture.
• Cosmopolitan Hillbrow; cosy Café Kranzler and Viennese coffee and its newspapers on sticks.
• The designs and colours of Basotho blankets worn by homebound miners walking to Park Station led by an Induna … marching to a song of home, carrying sewing machines, paraffin lamps and Primus stoves.
• Park Station and the “Blue Room” restaurant.
• Knitting socks, balaclavas and scarves for the troops.
• General and Isie Smuts and the “Little Man” lapel pin.
• The original Wanderers Stadium near Park Station.
• Cream and red trams and trolley buses – an agile conductor in navy uniform and cap with his silver coin holder, bundle of tickets and hand-punch. Delays while he hooked the electric unit back on the overhead wires with a long bamboo pole hidden underneath the bus.
• The scent of “Evening in Paris” at your first dance – Lisle stocking, nylons …
• C-to-C (Cape-to-Cairo) cigarettes – a shilling (1/-) for 30.
• A penny, a tickey, a shilling (a bob), a half-crown, a florin and a guinea.
• The Rand Daily Mail.
• Pink penny stamps with a picture of Britannia – ha-penny if the envelope was open; same-day telegrams – penny a word!
• Tea-room “bios” with their continuous performances.
• The Dolls House at midnight, and a double-thick chocolate malt.
• Eloff Street trams; elegant shops full of imported clothes, handbags and shoes, milliners; Saturday shopping and white-gloved lift-girls: “Going Up!”

And that’s only a fifth of the list Barbara compiled!

(If you get to read this Barbara, please send us some more – magic! – Ed)

Three lovely recipes!

Last month we had a Neck of Mutton Potjie. In this section you will find a recipe for the Pot Bread you serve with the mutton.

But first ….

Dave’s Boerewors Burgers

Dave writes …

I was passing through South Africa in 1979 with the Transglobe Expedition on my way to the Antarctic.
I suffered a bad accident, breaking my leg in many places, and had to stay in Capetown for 8 months.
During my stay I came to love some South African staples, including Boerewors.
I have NOW adapted the recipe to the Canadian way of life and make “Boereworsburgers”

This is what you need …

• 1¼ lbs lean ground beef
• 1¼ lbs ground pork
• ¼ lb pork fat, chopped finely
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground mixed pepper
• 1 Tbsp roasted ground coriander
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground dried thyme
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 2 Tbsp malt vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

And this is what you do …

• Mix all together, form into 6-oz burger patties.
• Cook gently on a barbecue at medium heat.
• Do not overcook or else they will become too dry.

I have just discovered a new store here in Victoria, British Columbia that is owned by a South African and imports a lot of South African produce. He also makes his own Boerwors, droewors and biltong.
The store is called “Aubergine Fine Produce & Specialty Foods” at 2579 Cadboro Bay Road, Victoria, B.C., Canada
Love your website!
Cheers

Dave Peck
Victoria, B.C., Canada

Potbroodwiele

Hierdie potbroodwiele word gemaak van gekoopte brooddeeg wat per kg by die meeste winkels se bakkerye beskikbaar is.

Uit die spens:

• 1 kg brooddeeg
• Tamatiepuree na smaak OF blikkie tamatie-en-uiesmoor
• 1 pakkie bruinuiesoppoeier
• Knoffel
• 1 blikkie mossels OF weense worsies (in skyfies gesny) OF gebraaide spekvleis gerasperde cheddarkaas
• 250ml room

So maak mens:

• Rol deeg in reghoek en smeer tamatie oor
• Sprinkel soppoeier en knoffel oor
• Versprei vleis van jou keuse (mossels of worsies of spek) en kaas oor en rol dit op soos ‘n rolkoek
• Sny in skywe, plaas in gesmeerde oondpan, gooi room oor en bak vir 45 min teen 180°C
• Of plaas in swart platboompot en bak in buite-oond (gat in grond met kole om of op ‘n rooster met ‘n omgekeerde appelboks oorgetrek met foelie).

Jy vreet jou vingers af.

Nardus van der Merwe

Mieliebrood

Hi daar!

Dit is ‘n mieliebrood resep wat ek by my ma gekry het, ek het dit altyd by die huis gebak, maar toe gaan kamp ons en ek probeer dit, en ja dit is lekkerder om die kampvuur met lekker plaasbotter en korrelkonfyt …

Bestanddele:

• 500g bruismeel
• 1/2 teelepel sout
• 1 koppie melk
• 2 eiers
• 1 blikkie geroomde suikermielies 410g
• Bietjie pietersielie en paprika vir versiering
• 1 koppie kaas (strooi bo-oor deegmengsel)

Metode:

• Smeer die platboom pot goed in met olie sowel as die deksel
• Meng nou al die bestanddele saam en gooi in swartboompot
• Dit bak omtrent vir 1 uur oor lae hitte, hou maar net dop.
• Indien verkies kan ‘n mens groen rissies, bacon, uie, of feta kaas meng voor jy bak.

Elsabe van Zyl

Vetkoek in Skottelbraai

Uit die spens:

• 2 koppies koekmeel
• 40ml suiker
• 10ml bakpoeier
• knippie sout
• 2ml gemengde speserye
• 2ml kaneel
• 1ml gemaalde naaltjies
• 2 ekstra groot eiers (geklits)
• 250ml kookwater
• 30g rosyne of korente
• olie vir diepbraai

So maak mens:

• Sif droë bestanddele saam
• Klits eiers en meng met kookwater
• Meng droë bestanddele geleidelik in totdat gladde deeg verkry is
• Roer die rosyne by
• Verhit olie in die CADAC skottelbraai en braai 3 tot 4 lepelsvol beslag in warm olie tot poffering en goudbruin
• Draai om en braai anderkant ook liggies
• Verwyder van olie en dreineer op kombuispapier
• Bedien warm

(Lewer omtrent 15 vetkoekies)

Marlene Badenhorst

Click below for our handy cooking converter

Britain bans biltong
22-06-2007

Johannesburg

The habit of packing some biltong in your suitcase as a gift for homesick friends and family in the UK will have to stop, if the British government has its way, The Star reported on Friday.

Many a concerned mother has sent a package of South African goodies, inevitably including some biltong and dry wors, to London. South Africans who live and work in the UK generally stock their bags with local favourites during visits home.

But UK customs want to put a stop to this. They have launched a media campaign to warn visitors that it is illegal to bring meat and animal products into the UK and that those who do get caught could be fined up to £1 000 (about R14 000) or even be liable for prosecution.

“They actually have ‘meat patrols’ when flights from South Africa arrive at Heathrow,” says Will Boscawen, who is helping to run the “If In Doubt – Leave It Out” marketing campaign for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
Other countries specifically targeted are Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh and China.

Boscawen said many South Africans believed they could take biltong if it was vacuum-packed, but all meat products are banned. “The UK, being an island, has to be sensitive about possible pests that could be brought into the country via food parcels,” he said.

Crime News Update
May 2007

By: Lugisani Mulaudzi
MulaudziL@johncom.co.za

Please keep the following in mind and NEVER think you are safe!

Palisade fencing
A normal car jack is being used to open and thus separate the vertical bars on palisade fencing thus allowing criminals to walk through fencing and remove objects or prepare cars for hijacking.

Electric fencing It’s simple. Take a length of wood with two nails attached, push it through two wires, and voila, the current is re-directed causing no harm to the criminal but does in fact damage and disable your electric fence which inevitably still costs you in repairs. Another method of deactivation is by jumper cables.
Simply redirect current and the result is – No alarm.
Sadly in so many instances where people have electric fencing, they don’t even activate the fences. The criminals know this.

To disable a motorized gate
Simply pour petrol over it and set alight. This allows for the gate to be moved open without too much difficulty and don’t be surprised at how easily your car was removed.

The best part is this
The very latest trend is to place a burning CD in an open window of a home. The toxic fumes serve to drug the inhabitants.
The effects are very deep sleep to awaken a few hours later, feeling very drowsy. Whilst asleep, the criminals have free access and reign to everything in your home.
The terrifying part is that you cannot even protect yourself. You simply go to sleep

It is important that we know how these crimes are committed. Remember crime is very big business in South Africa Forewarned is forearmed.

The latest hijack hotspots in Johannesburg and Pretoria as supplied by eBlockwatch and SAPS are:

Johannesburg:

1. The William Nicol Drive offramp from the N1 from the Sandton side.
2. The corner of Old Pretoria Road and 1st Avenue in Alexandra.
3. New Road offramp in Midrand.
4. Riviera Road offramp near Killarney Mall.
5. Intersection of Christiaan de Wet Road and Wilgerood Road in
6. Roodepoort.
7. All the traffic lights along Louis Botha Avenue between Alexandra
8. and Hillbrow.
9. Parkwood and Saxonwold (Rosebank precinct).
10. Upper Houghton and Killarney (Hillbrow precinct).
11. Between 10th and 11th avenues and 4th and 7th avenues in Parkhurst
12. (Parkview precinct).
13. Glenhazel, Lombardy East and Sandringham (Sandringham precinct).
14. Orange Grove and Highlands North (Norwood precinct).
15. Yeoville, Bellevue and Bellevue East (Yeoville precinct).
16. Wynberg, Bramley, Marlboro and Kew (Bramley precinct).

Pretoria:

1. The Atterbury Road offramp from the N1 in Menlyn.
2. Lynnwood Road offramp on the N1.
3. John Vorster Drive offramp from the N1 in Lyttelton.
4. Jean Avenue offramp from the R28 in Centurion.
5. Rigel Avenue offramp from the N1 in Erasmuskloof.
6. Corner of University Road and Lynnwood Road in Hatfield.
7. The traffic lights along Walker Street in Sunnyside.
8. The Lynnwood Road and Hans Strijdom Drive intersection in
9. Garsfontein.
10. The traffic lights along Nelson Mandela Drive in Sunnyside.
11. The traffic lights along Simon Vermooten Road in Silverton.
12. Along Beyers Naude Drive and Paul Kruger Street in Wonderboompoort.
13. Nelson Mandela Drive, Duncan Street and Walker Street in Sunnyside.
14. The R55 in Erasmia.
15. Burnett Street, Hilda Street and the Atterbury Road offramp in the
16. Brooklyn area.
17. Delfi Avenue and Garsfontein Road in Garsfontein.

Please be very careful when traveling alone!

A woman was pushed off the road on Saturday at 10:00 am on Parkland drive in Esther Park road. A white taxi full of men followed her for about 5 minutes and then moved in next to her car and slowly pushed her towards the pavement.
They kept on until a couple of other cars started to drive around her, and then left.

This morning another lady stopped at a traffic light on Jan Smuts Avenue Kempton Park.
A taxi stopped next to her and five guys jumped out of the taxi. One banged on the roof of her car, two tried to open the front doors, a third jumped onto the bonnet of her car and a fourth stood in front of her car.
She got such a fright that she pulled away knocking the chap in front of her down and crossed the red robot.

It seems that this is a new type of intimidation, victimizing mainly women drivers.
Please be very careful when driving on your own. This is the 11th case we’ve heard of since last week. A single woman traveling from Boksburg stopped at a robot and was pulled from her car and raped repeatedly by 4 men in a taxi and another 2 at the Modderfontein intersection.
Please pass this on – not only to females – but to everyone – be alert.

Another favourite way to hijack you is by bumping you softly and as you get out the car to see what had happened they hijack you!

PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

Managing Director Guard Force International

Bits and Bobs from people around the world

Zimbabwean ISPs* to spy on users
07 August 2007

Johannesburg
– Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have slammed Zimbabwe for passing a controversial law allowing the government to monitor phone calls, faxes and emails.

“Zimbabwe had already given itself one of the world’s most repressive legislative arsenals as regards press freedom. Now all forms of communication have been placed under surveillance,” the Paris-based body said in a statement.

“RSF regrets that the Interception of Communications Act was finally signed into law by President Robert Mugabe on 3 August. The promulgation of this law is further evidence of Mugabe’s desire to keep news and information under close control.”

The law provides for the setting up of an interception centre to listen into telephone conversations, open mail and intercept emails and faxes.

ISP’s do the dirty work

The law also compels Internet service providers to install equipment to facilitate interception “at all times or when so required” and ensure that its equipment allows full-time monitoring of communications.

“A service provider who fails to give assistance in terms of this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine… or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or to both,” reads part of the new law.

The law came under a barrage of criticism while it was still being debated, with media groups saying it was a major step backwards.

The government in Harare defended the new law saying it was necessary to protect the country from international terrorism and espionage

*Internet Service Providers

The following was sent to us by Meryl Roets from Belgium. Meryl is a regular contributor to our newsletter. Meryl had a small spine operation earlier in the year. We hope you are feeling much better now Meryl!

SOUTH AFRICA BULLETIN

from the headquarters of
TAU SA in Pretoria
Web: www.tlu.co.za
Tel.: + 27 12 804 8031 — Fax: + 27 12 804 2014 — E-mail:info@tlu.co.za

HAS THE PENNY FINALLY DROPPED?
It is of some relief to many South Africans that the blinkers are now gone vis a vis the realities of the new South Africa. Until recently this has been a country of pretence, both within and outside our borders.
But even the most valiant supporters of democracy are now disillusioned – overseas television and media which soft-soaped the country’s peccadillos and glorified the burgeoning of what was hoped would be the African continent’s shining light have now turned.
South Africa was to be the country that proved the Afro-pessimists wrong, but expectations have been turned on their head.

Things started to wobble a while back – foreign governments warned of crime as tourists were killed and mugged, corruption reared its ubiquitous head, the Black Economic Empowerment syndrome curtailed foreign investment, and the collapse of the police force, the swamping of our cities by millions of aliens, and a general discernment that South Africa’s looming modus vivendi was not to be that much different from the rest of the continent became an undeniable reality, even among the most ardent believers in the new dispensation …

The gloves have come off, both here and abroad.
Britain’s Sky News’ recent program on crime in South Africa pulled no punches – there were no excuses, no “legacies of apartheid”, just a brutal look at a country from which much was expected, and from which little has emanated except decay and decline.
The BBC’s John Simpson’s report on crime in South Africa so enraged the ANC that they used the racist card to refute Simpson’s report.
The most prominent TV network in the Arab world, Al Jazeera, recently presented a one-hour English-language programme on crime in South Africa where no quarter was given to the SA government.
To cap it all, CNN’s Africa representative Jeff Koinange and his pregnant wife were held up and mugged outside their offices in Johannesburg. Within half an hour, a shaken Mr Koinange was on the air to millions of CNN viewers throughout the world, reporting on his ordeal.

A July 2006 report by British insurance company Norwich Union, in which the company investigated traffic accidents, food poisoning, violent crime, theft and lost baggage across the world, rated South Africa number one in the categories violent crime and lost baggage, and fifth in the category food poisoning
. The list was compiled after examining 60 000 claims submitted by British tourists in 2005.

Crime has become a catalyst – it has focused and concentrated a rising anger and frustration at the ANC government’s gross incompetence, arrogance and lack of accountability. Celebrity murders have riveted South Africa. The cold-blooded shooting of world famous naturalist and historian David Rattray shocked people around the world, including the Prince of Wales, a personal friend. Local singers, actors, businessmen and ordinary people have gathered to protest.
Letters in their hundreds of thousands were sent to the President who, with a certain degree of disdain, agreed to look into the crime situation, at the same time dismissively accusing those who complained of being Pharisees.

HONEYMOON
The world’s honeymoon with South Africa is over. The new South Africa, warts and all, is anything but pleasant.
Many of those who hoodwinked the world for so long as revolutionaries “fighting for their people” are now shown to have feet of clay – they are venal and corrupt, uncaring about the masses they purport to represent, while sneering at those who dare to criticize, those who pay their very generous salaries.

The rose-coloured glasses have disappeared, and the crime travesty is worsened by the apparent lack of shame and culpability. The attitude that whatever we do, we’ll be in power forever is manifest in, for example, the behaviour of our police chief who rides around in a stolen 4 x 4 vehicle, by the rousing send-off to jail given by ANC big wigs and ministers to convicted MP Tony Yengeni, and the couldn’t-care-less attitude to the breaking of his parole rules.
The fact that police commissioner Selebi was given the post of Interpol head reveals how unrealistically the international community viewed South Africa’s new rulers.

A serious defect in the country’s overseas image has been the brazen crimes committed against foreign government representatives in South Africa.
The US ambassador to South Africa said in November 2006 that crime could abort SA’s holding the 2010 FIFA World Cup games. The Iranian embassy has been hit six times. In one instance, a gun was forced into the mouth of an official. The safe was broken, cash stolen and personnel assaulted.
The German ambassador reported that some German tour operators who had come to SA to arrange world cup tours were mugged. During January 2007 alone, the Gabon embassy was robbed by armed men, a Greek embassy official was robbed at gun point, the Pakistani embassy was broken into, and a US embassy employee was attacked with a spanner and severely injured at his house.
On the same day, there was an attempted robbery at the Saudi embassy. In October and November last year, the Bangladeshi embassy was broken into three times in three weeks.

Ironically, while President Mbeki was very publicly welcoming the Chinese president in Pretoria this month, a huge wall was being constructed at the Chinese ambassador’s residence in Waterkloof because of a recent robbery at the house.

KLEPTOCRACY
Not only violent crime upsets South Africa’s citizens. The wholesale plunder of the country’s resources is under way by public officials. South Africa has become a kleptocracy to match even the most brazen of Africa’s poachers. It will take longer to bankrupt South Africa because there’s more here to steal.
Lavish overseas trips for government bigwigs and their friends and relatives are commonplace, and the culture of entitlement permeates virtually every facet of public life.
Nepotism is rampant but what adds salt to the wound is a clear lack of shame and an attitude of contemptuousness with which criticism is dismissed as racist and/or whingeing.

Because violent crime is rampant, citizens must protect themselves. Internet circulars tell us of the latest hijacking trick – spraying acid into a driver’s face. We are urged to cooperate with the police. We are warned at street crossings about hi-jack and robbery hot spots. We are forming self-help groups, residents’ associations, concerned taxpayers’ organizations.
We have to – the government cannot protect us. They will not release statistics, which are now obtained from insurance companies.

The monthly average of cash in transit robberies increased to 27 for the first half of 2005. Armed supermarket robberies are easy money for the gangs who storm these stores. South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world – 51 murders per 100 000 people in 2003 (possibly higher now) compared to 4,6 persons in the United States, India’s 3,7 and China’s 2,1. Nigeria reported only 1,5 murders per 100 000 people in 1994, while Egypt’s figure stood at 0,4 for the same year.

Serious crime has moved into the urban areas – it has been endemic within the commercial farming sector for years. SA’s farmers are the most murdered group anywhere in the world outside a war zone.

Businesses that backed the ANC before they came to power are now spending millions on newspaper ads calling for the government to stop crime. It’s a bit late.
And the human capital necessary to curtail crime – what the government euphemistically calls “capacity” – is simply not there.
Adding more policemen is more of the same. Experienced and dedicated police personnel have left the service in droves. They simply cannot take the incompetence and corruption, and they are sick of doing the work while someone else less qualified gets promoted.
This is what they tell us, and this is what they tell anyone who will listen.

The only real solution is self-protection, and this is a business which has grown exponentially as crime exploded.
Farmers have cooperated on security measures for years. Now urban dwellers will have to do the same. Not to do so would open the gates to anarchy which, given the government’s current attempts to curb crime, is just out there, looking for the loopholes.
How the government could even think of guaranteeing the safety of half a million foreign visitors in 2010 is beyond comprehension.

If you have read this far, then maybe you are left wondering too!
Do we put on the blinkers and pretend it isn’t happening or are we going to fight back and stop this crap from going any further?

This is my home, I’m not leaving!

Chris.

Sex education!

The following is an actual extract from a sex education school textbook for girl, printed in the early 60’s in the UK and written by a woman!
When retiring to the bedroom, prepare yourself for bed as promptly as possible.
Whilst feminine hygiene is of the utmost importance, your tired husband does not want to queue for the bathroom, as he would have to for his train. But remember to look your best when going to bed.

Try to achieve a look that is welcoming without being obvious.
If you need to apply a face cream or hair rollers wait until he is asleep as this can be shocking to a man last thing at night.
When it comes to the possibility of intimate relations with your husband it is important to remember you marriage vows and in particular your commitment to obey him.

I he feels he needs to sleep immediately then so be it. In all things in bed be led by your husband’s wishes; do not pressure him in any way to stimulate intimacy.

Should your husband suggest congress then agree humbly all the while being mindful that a man’s satisfaction is more important than a woman’s!
When he reached his moment of fulfillment a small moan from yourself is encouraging to him and quite sufficient to indicate any enjoyment that you may have had.

Should your husband suggest any of the more unusual practices, be obedient and uncomplaining but register any reluctance by remaining silent.
It is likely that your husband will then fall promptly asleep so adjust your clothing, freshen up and apply your night time face and hair care products.

You may then set the alarm so that you can arise shortly before him in the morning.
This will enable you to have his morning cup of tea ready when he awakes!

Wrong spelling!
A young monk arrives at the monastery

He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church by hand.

He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript.
So, the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up! In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk, says, “We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son.” He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn’t been opened for hundreds of years. Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot.

So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing,

“We missed the “R”, we missed the “R” !”

His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably.

The young monk asks the old abbot, “What’s wrong, father?”

With A choking voice, the old abbot replies,

“The word was CELEBRATE.” –>

Snippets from the papers

Saru bans overseas-based Boks
The country’s leading rugby players have been dealt a heavy blow after Saru decided that players basing themselves abroad would no longer be eligible for the national team.
Full Story …

‘Black doesn’t equal coloured’
Saru’s Deputy President Mike Stofile believes more than seven players of colour should be included in the Springbok line-up by the 2011 World Cup.
Full Story …

Seven blacks in 2011 Bok XV
South African rugby has set a target of at least seven players of colour in the Springbok starting XV in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Full Story …

Jake blows the whistle on French referee
Springbok coach Jake White eagerly watched England’s World Cup dress-rehearsal match against Wales – and has now emailed a list of concerns about refereeing to the IRB.
Full Story …

SA women cricket team take Netherlands to the cleaners
The South African women’s cricket team has beaten the Netherlands three matches in a row – and Johmari Logtenberg used the occasion to make the sixth-best score of all time in women’s cricket.
Full Story …

-How to watch all the World Cup games-
Click here to find out!

Let’s make the next issue a Bumper one!

Our regular readers may have noticed that I have gone from a monthly issue to a bi-monthly one. The reason is simple. It is impossible to do a newsletter of this size on my own.

We need regular input from our readers.

You are probably sitting at the computer right now so how about it. Let our readers enjoy your story!
It does not have to be about Biltong or such. We’d love to hear where you live and how you have adapted yourself to your new life style and surroundings.

You might have a nice recipe to part with or perhaps a question to ask?
Perhaps you have some advice to give?

You never know how you could help somebody else with your own hints and tips.

Share it with other people around the world!

Click right here to start now or you can mail us at webmaster@biltongmakers.com

Boerewors (Europe only, sorry people!)

Still getting up at all hours to make wors. Perhaps I should have become a butcher! And still we can hardly keep up.
It is disappearing faster than we can make it! Nevertheless, we have fresh stock available all the time.

So if you need Boerewors just email us or call. You can either collect or we can mail it to you.
All our customers in Holland, Belgium and in fact, all over Europe are raving about the packing of and the condition in which the wors arrived at their doorsteps.

Just imagine some “lekker” pap and wors with a nice tomato and onion sauce!

Just give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us.

Our Boerewors is vacuum packed in quantities of about 500 gram.
The normal price is € 8.45 per kg but for the time being we will keep it at only € 8.45 € 7.95 per kg!!

You can also place your order by simply clicking here.

Now also available at – STONEMANOR – The British Store – in Everberg, Belgium
Telephone 02 759-4979

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Droëwors …… a typical South African delicacy all of its own!

Droëwors, as it is known in South Africa, is as much part of the country’s culinary culture as Biltong, Pap, Boerewors and Potjiekos.
The spices are of course imported especially from South Africa so you will get the “real” thing!

Fresh droëwors is available right now and we normally have ample stock.

The price is € 40.00 € 30.00 per kilogram vacuum pack or € 4.00 € 3.50 per 100 gram packet.

Droëwors (like biltong) travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail in minimum quantities of 500 gram.
You can place your order now by going to www.boerewors.be

Interested? Give us a call on +32 (16) 53.96.25 or email.

We are not responsible for packets confiscated by customs in your country.

Now also available at

STONEMANOR – The British Store – in Everberg, Belgium
Telephone 02 759-4979
+++++++++
DE WIJN KRAAL – The South African Wine Specialist Store – in Leuven, Belgium.
Telephone 016 58.46.06
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Biltong …… once hooked you’re a slave forever!

Biltong is without doubt the snack most associated with South Africa!
It is so much part of South African culture that there is no food related shop that will not stock it. You find it literally anywhere.
Say Biltong and you say South Africa!

Biltongmakers.Com has for more than 12 years supplied their Home Biltong Makers to the South African expat so they could make their own biltong away from home.

We were often asked why we don’t make Biltong ourselves and then make it available to the poor and deprived ex-South Africans!
The requests have been relentless and constant so we decided to give it a go on a temporary basis. Just to see how well it would sell.

So, from now you will be able to get your biltong directly from us.
The spices are of course imported from South Africa so you will get the “real” taste like “back home”!

The INTRODUCTORY price is € 3.50 per 100 gram packet.

Biltong travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you anywhere in the world via priority mail.

To place your order please email us at info@biltongmakers.be or call us on +32 (16) 53.96.25

We will then get back to you with how much the postage will be.

We are not responsible for packets confiscated by customs in your country.

Now also available at

STONEMANOR – The British Store – in Everberg, Belgium
Telephone 02 759-4979
+++++++++
DE WIJN KRAAL – The South African Wine Specialist Store – in Leuven, Belgium.
Telephone 016 58.46.06
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Lamb on the Spit ……. something special!

Summer is in full swing (you could have fooled some us here in Belgium) and we have several spit braais under our belt this year.

Lamb on the Spit is a way of entertaining as only known by very few mainly because it is thought to be very expensive ……. Not so!

We will do a lamb on the Spit for parties of between 30 and 50 people for just € 18.00 and € 15.00 a head respectively.

Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes, a tomato/salsa salad as well as a choice between a pasta salad or three-bean salad. Garlic or bread rolls are included as well.
For venues more than 50 km from our home base in Keerbergen there is a small transport fee.

Start planning now for those special occasions! Just keep in mind that quite a number of dates up to September are already booked!
Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.

Booking early is essential and you can do so on
+32 (16) 53.96.25 or email us.
(A Lamb on the Spit can only be done outside because we cook on coals!)

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Before the Internet or the AppleMac…
Before semi-automatics and crack cocaine…
Before SEGA or Cartoon Network…
Before Playstation and MTV…

Way, way back ….

• I’m talking about the time of Hide and Seek in the park…..or the dark.
• The cafe down the road?
• Hopscotch, Donkey, skipping and hand stands, backyard cricket with a tomato box, Dandy & Beano annuals
• French skipping, charms and “arlies”, jumping the river, living on the beach, building a swing from a piece of rope tied to a tree, tennis on the street or swing ball in the backyard.
• The smell of suntan lotion, hot tar and Oros.
• Wicks bubble gum for a cent.
• An ice cream cone from the kombi that plays a tune.

Wait …. can you still remember ….

• When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere, and your Ma made you “dress up” for the trip.
• A million mozzie bites and peeling skin in summer.
• Sticky fingers and sand in and on everything.
• Cops and Robbers, Rounders, Stingers, Foefie slides and climbing trees.
• Walking or riding your bike to school – no matter what the weather.
• Running till you were out of breath.
• Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt
• Jumping on the bed….. Pillow fights. Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down. Being tired from playing….. Remember that?
• The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
• Paper water bombs and clay “lats” were the ultimate weapon.
• A piece of card in the spokes held by a clothes peg transformed any bicycle into a motorcycle.

I’m not finished just yet!

Can you still taste and smell ….

• Eating jelly powder from the box, ice lollies made from cold drink in Tupperware holders in the freezer.
• Making sherbet from sugar and ENOS and boiling tins of condensed milk to make caramel – took hours!
• Marshmallow fish and mice.

Remember when ….

• There were two types of takkies – Tommies and the canvas ones, and the only time you wore them at school was for “PT”.
• It wasn’t odd to have two or three “best” friends.

• Nobody owned a pedigree dog.
• 25 cents was decent pocket money.
• When you’d reach into a muddy gutter for 5 cents and feel lucky.
• When nearly everyone’s Mom was at home when the kids got there.
• Remember when it was magic when dad would “remove” his thumb, or make 10 cents appear from behind your ear.
• When it was considered a great privilege and very unusual to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant or in a proper hotel.
• When on a rare occasion Dad stopped at a roadhouse or “Dairy Den”.
• Remember when any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
• When being sent to the headmaster’s office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn’t because of muggings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat…… and some of us are still afraid of them!!!

Remember when ….

• Decisions were made by going “eeny-meeny-miney-mo”.
• Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, “Nix!”
• A “race issue” meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
• Money was handled by whoever was the banker in “Monopoly”.
• The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.
• Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a BIC pen, pea shooter or a “cattie”.
• Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable vitamin C or Milk of Magnesia.
• Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
• Skills and courage were discovered because of a “dare”.
• Older Siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.

Didn’t that feel good…..just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!!!

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!!

Pass this on to anyone who grew up in South Africa who may need a break from their “grown up” life!

Take care,