People in the Benelux can join us on the weekend of October 20th for an evening with Anton Goosen, the original “Liedjieboer”, who will perform these and many more of his unforgettable songs in a cozy pub setting where everyone can sing along!
QUESTION
Your “Chicken and Yoghurt” Potjie recipe refers.
What is Dried ‘Dragon’ and how/where do I get hold of it in South Africa?
Brian Mann
South Africa
bamann@telkomsa.net
QUESTION
Thanks for a fab web site! I thoroughly enjoy it.
Quick couple of questions for you to rack your brains.
In Ireland we have the same problem as our Kiwi friend (See our Whakatane Boerewors recipe from David Lewis).
The cows here only eat grass and the meat is very lean with little fat. (What else do cows eat? -Ed)
I make my own wors and am battling to get it juicy and succulent. The taste is spot on but the wors tends to be dry. I don’t want to increase the spek content as I am already using 30% spek and I don’t use water at all but only vinegar.
Would water make the wors more succulent (I use 120ml vinegar per 1.5kg wors). Secondly, the recipe I have is for 1.5kg. Is it in order to assume that the wors would be the same if I double the quantities of all the ingredients ?
I look forward to your expert advice.
Allister Erasmus
Ireland
allister_e@hotmail.com
QUESTION
I want to find out from YOU, how do you make a South African pie’s puff pastry
Please lead me from the ingredient to how to make it …
Michael
(We don’t know where Michael is from -Ed)
kk200431790@yahoo.com
QUESTION
I made some droëwors last week and after 4 days most of the sticks at the bottom of the cabinet were with mould.
Mostly at the bottom of the sticks.
I hung a few at the top part of the dryer. The meat of the wet wors is still a bit reddish but not smelly.
What could cause the slow drying and mould only on some parts of the wors?
Eric Mainguard
Mauritius
magesse@intnet.mu
Editor note:
Eric has the Junior Industrial Biltong Drying Cabinet.
QUESTION
I am looking for a recipe to make:
* Garlic flavoured boerewors
* Cheese flavoured boerewors
Do you know where I may be able to get recipes?
Mark
New Zealand
karimark@xtra.co.nz
My sex drive is in my head ……. I want it lower!
By James ClarkeA number of readers have, over the years, sent me snippets related to the easiest of all life’s tasks – growing old. I have scores of them and have been saving them up for a rainy day.
Well, right now it’s pretty cloudy outside, so I’ll hand over to Michael Pohl of motor- cycling fame, Pete of Randburg, Janet Nicholson of Maritzburg, Kas Beyer of Kentucky and others whose names Threnody has long lost.
One story concerns an elderly man, well groomed, smelling slightly of a good aftershave, who walked into an up-market cocktail lounge. Seated at the bar was an attractive elderly woman.
The old man sat alongside her and ordered a drink. Then he said to her, “So tell me, do I come here often?”
An old man said, “Just when I was getting my head together, my body began falling apart.”
One symptom of ageing is that you don’t care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don’t have to go along.
Another is when you’re sitting in your rocking chair and you can’t get it started.
Bob Hope, on turning 70, said, “You can still chase women, but only downhill”. On turning 100 he said, “I don’t feel old. In fact, I don’t feel anything until noon. Then it’s time for my nap.”
I think the truest thing said about ageing is that, inside every old person is a younger person wondering what happened.
Somebody advised that when you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of algebra.
One nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs.
And a fellow in a retirement village said ruefully, “I’ve sure got old! I’ve had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees; I’m half blind, can’t hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take six different medications that make me dizzy; have bouts with dementia. Can’t remember if I’m 85 or 92. Thank goodness I can still drive myself around.”
A 97-year-old man told his doctor, “Doc, I want my sex drive lowered.”
The doctor said, “But you’re 97. Don’t you think your sex drive is all in your head?”
“You’re damned right it is!” replied the old man. “That’s why I want it lowered!”
An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher, she had two final requests. First, she wanted to be cremated and second, she wanted her ashes scattered over Pick ‘n Pay. The preacher asked, “Why Pick ‘n Pay?”
“Then I’ll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week.”
My favourite: “These days about half the stuff in my shopping trolley says, ‘For fast relief’.”
SUPERMAN COP
From the same Kas Beyer comes a story of a Wyoming state policeman who received a 3am call saying a car was stuck in the snow on the outskirts of Casper.
The policeman found the car with the engine still running. Behind the wheel was a sleeping man with a half empty bottle of vodka.
The officer tapped on the window, startling the driver who, seeing the flashing blue police light and the policeman at the window, shoved the car into gear and hit the accelerator. The car’s speedometer moved up to 60km/ph, but the car remained stationary, wheels spinning, trapped in snow.
The policeman, having a sense of humour, began running on the spot next to the window yelling “Pull over!” The boggled-eyed man obeyed, turning off his engine. He was arrested and is probably still telling his disbelieving mates about a cop who can run at 60km/ph.
Rusks
We all know the Famous Ouma’s Rusks. If you live outside South Africa they are mostly very difficult to come by. So, here are two recipes to make your own Buttermilk Rusks.
It’s so easy, have a look!
But first …… the story of Ouma’s Rusks.
It all began in the year 1939 in the small Eastern Cape town of Molteno (near Burgersfort just south of the Vrijstaat).
The effects of the Great Depression had brought many communities to their knees.
It was at this time that Ouma Greyvensteyn and her friends attended a church meeting where ways in which to help mission work were discussed. Like in the Gospel, the women were given half-a-crown each to use their talents.
Then it came to her – using just one half-a-crown, the time-honoured family recipe and her home cooking talents, she baked her Rusks to sheer perfection and then sold them to the visiting farmers’ wives in the community.
Within days orders were pouring in for Ouma’s delicious Rusks. Today, we are proud of our heritage.
From the humble beginnings of one half-a-crown, this unique, crunchy snack has become a true South African icon, which is sought after in many countries around the world. The ideal treat, that can be served any time of the day, morning, noon or night, and are delicious with coffee or tea.
Did you know that you can get Ouma’s Rusks in six different flavours?: Condensed Milk, Aniseed, Buttermilk, Muesli, Wholewheat and Dunkems Blueberry (whatever THAT may be -Ed).
Here are two recipes. One for normal rusks and one for the buttermilk variety.
Traditional Rusks (Beskuit) – dunk in your coffee…..
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 cups whole wheat bread flour (coarsely ground if possible)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pure almond extract
Method
- Preheat oven to 180-200 degrees(C)
- In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the dry ingredients.
- Combine all the wet ingredients, pour them into the dry ingredients, and stir until you have a soft dough, similar to biscuit dough
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and roll or pat it to about a 1½ cm thickness
- Cut the dough into rectangles about 5 by 10 cm. Bake the Rusks about 10 cm apart on buttered baking sheet for about 25 minutes until the tops are crisping and browning a little
- Now, eat a few “soft” Rusks warm from the oven. Loosely pile the Rusks on a baking sheet and keep them in a 100 degrees(C)oven all day or all night (about 12 hours) to dry.
- The finished Rusks should be very dry and hard. Cool and store in an airtight container. Rusks will keep for a long time.
Buttermilk Rusks
Ingredients
- 1 kg self raising flour
- 5 ml baking powder
- 10 ml salt
- 2 large eggs
- 200 ml white sugar
- 500 ml buttermilk
- 190 g butter, melted
Method
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together
- Beat the eggs, sugar and buttermilk together
- Cut this mixture into the dry ingredients with a knife
- Knead the dough lightly gradually adding the butter while kneading. This will take about 7 minutes.
- Pack balls of dough tightly into greased loaf pans. The balls should reach about 2/3rds the height of the pans
- Bake at 180C for 30 minutes
- Turn out onto a wire rack and break into individual Rusks
- Lower the oven temperature to 100C and dry the Rusks for about 4 hours, turning them every 30 minutes
- Cool on a wire rack and store in airtight containers
Rusks will keep for at least 3 months, but believe me, they won’t last that long!
Click below for our handy cooking converter

Stories from South Africa
|
|
Smoking to be stubbed out in SA
South Africa is one step closer to tightening up its already tough smoking laws, which health department officials say will effectively criminalise smoking. Even outdoor smoking could attract a hefty fine.
The Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill was tabled in parliament this month (September 2006) and is likely to be on the statute books by year-end.
It will bring in massive fines and tighten up loopholes in existing legislation.
Among others, it bans the entry of anyone under 18 into smoking areas.
It also gives the health minister the right to prohibit the smoking of any tobacco product in a prescribed outdoor place “where persons are likely to congregate within close proximity of one another or where smoking may pose a fire or other hazard”.
‘Does not plan to relax restrictions during the 2010 World Cup’ |
The health ministry is on record as saying it does not plan to relax restrictions during the 2010 World Cup, following calls from the Tobacco Institute of South Africa to be more “open-minded” around smoking legislation during this period. |
The Bill also provides for penalties for failing to protect employees from tobacco smoke pollution, for selling tobacco products in a health institution and for retailers who do not comply with point-of-sale conditions.
In a statement on Wednesday, the health ministry said the proposed age restriction for sale of tobacco would be increased from 16 to 18 years.
This was in line with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ratified by South Africa. 
Children under the age of 18 would no longer be allowed in a designated smoking area, said spokesperson Sibani Mngadi.
The Bill increased penalties so that they would become a real deterrent against contravention of the country’s tobacco laws.
The fine for the owner of a public place or employer who failed to ensure that there was no smoking in a smoke-free area had been increased from R200 to a minimum of R20 000, he said.
The penalty for selling tobacco products to a minor and for failure to comply with regulations on vending machines had been increased from R10 000 to a minimum of R100 000, Mngadi said.
The penalty for advertising and giving away free cigarettes had been increased from R200 000 to a minimum of R1-million.
The Bill also makes it an offence for an individual to smoke in a non-smoking area and the penalty is set at not less than R300.
Mngadi said the proposed penalties were comparable to those in other legislation.
He noted that the fine for selling liquor to a person under 18 was R1-million or five years in prison.
Going home or staying put?
Our article of last month on crime in South Africa caused quite a stir! (Click here to read it again)
We were expecting a stream of protests but instead received a flood of emails and phone calls from people who congratulated us for having the courage to speak up and to point out what is happening.
It is sad that no-one (Absolutely NO-ONE!!) wrote in to defend South Africa!!
In fact the silence from those quarters was deafening!!
We are not a political web site and never will be but what was mentioned (and not only by us) just made very interesting reading.
Unfortunately we cannot possibly publish every mail we received in response to the article but here are a few.
Please note that the views expressed below are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the editor!
I left in 1996 and only went back for the first time in 2003 holiday.
Much had changed, some of it for the better and some for the worse (a lot for the worse).
Last year August I went back on holiday again and the place had deteriorated even more in that short time.
My family live in Sandton and Port Alfred so I still have very strong ties with South Africa. My brother says that Johannesburg has become so bad that he is moving to Port Alfred soon.
I am not surprised that there are the sort of web sites you pointed out in your newsletter.
I will be ordering my 5 kg home biltong dryer (and some spices) over the next few days.
Regards
Richard Strapp
England
strappl@fgwilson.com
Hello Lo,
Today I received my first newsletter from you – many thanks, it was really interesting; I enjoyed your trip to Holland and I hope that your argument with the 18 wheeler did not leave any permanent damage. Thanks for including my article!
About the crime in South Africa – I would like to add my perspective which is a little more optimistic. We are lucky enough to have homes in two countries (Finland and South Africa) and we spend time in both countries. We live in an apartment very close to the centre of Cape Town (in Tamboerskloof, near Kloof Street/Long Street).
We are able to walk to the city centre during the day (I can walk alone during the day) and even at midnight along Kloof/Long because there is such a vibrant night life.
I would not walk alone, I think that would be asking for trouble, but I feel safe walking with my husband.
I admit to having to check over my shoulder constantly; it would be naïve to think that one is really safe. We have come to the conclusion that if we are careful and take necessary precautions, Cape Town (or parts of it) is a great place to live!
I have lived in Africa my whole life (except for coming and going from Finland for the past 13 years) and I am fortunate enough to have not been involved in any violent crime. I can only hope and pray that neither I nor my family is ever involved because I am sure that would change my perspective.
It’s the sea, the mountains, the air, the vibe, the people that draw us back. It is intoxicating and very hard to get Africa out of the system. Europe is relatively safe but it can be so grey and cold.
Lyn Gunell
Cape Town and Finland
lyn.gunell@lynlink.com
I can only say, after signing hundreds of petitions, none of which have altered anything in South Africa, from Mbeki to virtually every minister in South Africa ….
WAKE UP …. you that are still there and talk with your feet.
As one of their politicians put it so profoundly poetically and matter of factly in parliament about crime: “If you don’t like it, pack your bags and leave!” With that sort of mentality what hope in hell do we have?
Leave now, the young that can anyway and walk out of South Africa. Only when the brain-drain has hit home MAYBE something will be done.
The problem with those that remain is that the rapes, murders and pillaging that is going on only happens to others and not to them. Heaven forbid that they will eventually become a statistic as well.
Show me anywhere in Africa where life has improved since independence. Get real and face the fact that the four odd million of you that are left will never change the inevitable slide into third world chaos.
Dream on but look to the north and show me anywhere where they are better off now.
I don’t bear malice to my former beautiful country but have accepted that it now belongs to the majority and it not the country I once knew any longer. If you want to stay then you must be prepared to put up with the mentality and the pain, suffering and heart ache that comes with it.
For those who think I am being over-critical; I import over five million Rands a year of South African foodstuffs as does Springbok Delights in Sydney so we still support their economy even though we don’t live there any longer.
Fred Ericsen-Miller
Cape to Cairo(Springbok Foods)
Box 506
Wembley, WA 6913, Australia
springbok2@hotkey.net.au
www.springbokfoods.com
Smart Woman!
Wife vs husband
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, “Relatives of yours?”
“Yep,” the wife replied, “In-laws.”
Words
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day … 30,000 to a man’s 15,000.
The wife replied, “The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men …
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, “What?”
Creation
A man said to his wife one day: “I don’t know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time”.
The wife responded: “Allow me to explain. God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!”
Who does what?
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said: “You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don’t have to wait as long to get our coffee.”
The husband said: ” You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.” The wife replied: “No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.”
Husband replies: “I can’t believe that, show me.”
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says …… “HEBREWS”
The Silent Treatment
A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 am for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, “Please wake me at 5:00 am.”
He left it where he knew she would find it. The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 am and he had missed his flight.
Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn’t wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, “It is 5:00 am. Wake up.”
Men are just not equipped for these kinds of contests.
God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece!
Snippets from the papers
Gogga left in the cold by cricket bosses
Paul Adams last played a Test for South Africa two years ago. He turns 30 in January, an age at which spinners are entering their prime. Yet the chances of him representing his country again look very slim.
Full Story …
Toothless Sharks run ragged by Cheetahs
The Free State Cheetahs’ dominance over the Sharks extended to eight matches when they out-thought, out-muscled and out-played Dick Muir’s team in Saturday’s one-sided Absa Currie Cup semifinal here.
Full Story …
Bulls make it five in a row after WP win
The Blue Bulls proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are South Africa’s premier domestic rugby team when they produced a near flawless game of rugby to feature in their fifth consecutive Currie Cup final after beating Western Province 45-30 at Loftus on Saturday.
Full Story …
Cape Town’s Fields of Dreams – 2010
John Comitis has a bold, ambitious vision that he believes will leave the Western Cape with a lasting legacy once the 2010 World Cup has packed up and left our shores. Rodney Reiners speaks to the Ajax Cape Town boss about his dream.
Full Story …
-Where can you watch rugby on TV?-
Click here to find out where in most countries!
Let’s hear from you too!!
|
|
Come on, let’s hear from you too!
Many people subscribe to our newsletter and many more are joining every day. They do so because they enjoy reading it and they like to hear from people in other parts of the world.
They would love to hear from you too!!
Why not put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!), and tell us about anything interesting. About life in your part of the world, what you do and how you live. Perhaps something that happened to you.
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.
Of course it does not have to be about Biltong or food. Anything that is of interest is welcome!
Share it with other people around the world!
Boerewors (Europe only, sorry people!)
We have had lovely weather in September and the Boeries has been flying out of the door. 
We will keep ample stock this coming winter 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.
You too could have some real South African Boerewors on the braai next time!!
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 € 7.95 per kg!!
top
Droëwors for the UK and Europe!
|
|
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!
After our special pricing promotion was announced last month all droëwors was sold within a week! We are not back to our normal pricing of € 39.00 per kg and you can still get it at € 24.00 per kg.
Droëwors travels well and posting is an ideal option.
We can mail it to you in Europe and the UK via priority mail in minimum quantities of 1 kg.
See all the mailing rates by going to www.boerewors.be
Interested? Give us a call or email.
The Braai season is over in Europe (except for some diehards!) but there is always the Spring and Summer of 2007!!
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!
Together with the lamb we will treat you to a big pot of curried potatoes 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.
The barbecue season is almost over but there is always next year.
Start planning now for the Spring and next Summer!
Remember that we are doing these functions only during weekends.