New subscribers and everyone else, get your eBook at the Freebie link below.

Would you believe that I have never eaten prawns? Well, that is about to change as we will be holidaying in Mozambique towards the end of May, and I hear that Moz is prawn country! Anyway, I found some prawn recipes hidden away on my computer, scroll down to the recipe section and take a look.

The FunkyMunky Herb eBook is now available, scroll down for details.

Find a Florist Click Here

I happened to find this really nice Blog, please click on the link below and go browse around.....

Following with thanks from Brian at Kitsch'n'Zinc

KFC

It was 20 years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play and it was 65 years ago this month that a recipe scrawled in untidy handwriting on a raggedy piece of paper launched a fast food dynasty. At a roadside diner in Corbin, Kentucky, Colonel Harland Sanders perfected the blend of 11 herbs and spices for his " finger lickin' good chicken " and through all those years the recipe has not only remained a secret but perhaps has spawned a thousand other items on menus all over the world all described as the chef's " secret ". In most cases that's what they should remain, the chef's secret, because they taste so fowl ( Kentucky joke ) but in the case of the Colonel's chicken no-one who has ever tasted it, prepared correctly, with clean oil, with fresh chicken at the right frying temperature and not scooped out of the warming cabinet, no-one with any tastebuds could deny that it tastes absolutely stunning. The problem as always, is not the recipe or the process, it's the bloody idiots entrusted with interpreting it.
For years the good Colonel trusted no-one and carried the secret formula around in his head and the ready made spice mix in his car but eventually he asked his secretary to run off a copy on the photocopier. As the company grew and changed ownership the secret recipe remained a secret and to this day only a handful of KFC employees know the full recipe although the company refuses to divulge who they are. Two companies supply the herbs and spices but they don't even know each other's identity never mind the formulation which they both contribute to.
Putting the hype on one side there really is a reason why the chicken tastes so good but like all good magicians KFC do a very good job of diverting your attention away from it. The seasoning mix is very easily replicated, in all likelihood it consists of salt, pepper, monosodium glutamate, sugar and trace elements of other dried herbs and spices, possibly 11 in total, possibly not. The real secret lies in a tumble brine system leaving enough moisture on the chicken pieces which after dusting with a mixture of flour and the secret spice mix, creates an uneven batter not unlike tempura batter and finally a special pressure deep fat fryer which cooks the chicken evenly and quickly. This is one piece of equipment which has never made it into the domestic kitchen thus ensuring that when you try to make Kentucky at home it always turns out to be a disaster, undercooked on the inside, dark brown on the outside. Don't bother even trying, rather get a copy of the production schedule at the local KFC and ensure that your hunger pangs coincide with a fresh batch coming coming out of the Henny Penny pressure fryer. Happy birthday to one of the most successful recipes ever invented which will forever outsell some of today's lulus like sardine ice cream and beetroot carpaccio. 

Compare. Buy. Fly. See who's really the cheapest! Book tickets Click Here or see banner ad to the right.

At some time or another we have to prepare appetizers for our guests. Right click here to download an eBook full of great ideas! Right click here to download a handy unit converter.

The FunkyMunky Herb eBook is now available. 48 popular herbs, descriptions and uses with photos. Immediately available, will be emailed to you. Only R50 , send me an email for payment details.

I'm very impressed with what I've read so far. What I really like is that your book is a combination of medicinal and culinary advice, unlike many other herb books I've read.
And the format is great - thanks very much. I have an ambitious project to make a herb garden this year - so your section of herb gardens will come in very handy - Shelagh

Total Eclipse of the Moon coming up: There will be a total eclipse of the Moon late night Saturday March 3rd, visible from all of South Africa. The eclipse starts at 11:30pm (on the 3rd), and ends 3:11am on March 4th. The Moon will be totally eclipsed from 00:44am to 1:58am. 

The UK Lottery never pays less than £3 million every Wednesday and Saturday (± R43 million) with frequent rollovers. You can get your ticket securely by clicking here.

But that's nothing!! The Euromillions Jackpot has has been as high as £ 120 million !! That's roughly R1,740,000,000!!! You can't win it if you're not in it, so click here and get a ticket!

My Recipe CD has now been updated and now includes 50 Recipe eBooks as well as 8 Bonus eBooks (4 eBooks on making, marketing and selling crafts for profit) Click here to take a look and also download your free Low Fat recipe eBook (that works out to about R2 per recipe book! sheessshhh!)

Hello Peter,
Just to let you know that I received my recipe CD today in the mail and I'm over the moon about it.
I'm going to spread the word to others to order copies too. It's most certainly worth every cent..........
Thanks again,
LC

Glenacres Superspar sends out a really nice newsletter full of super recipes. To subscribe, click here and send the blank email. 

Another really yummy dessert:

BROWN PUDDING

½ cup apricot jam
2 tsp bicarb
½ tsp salt
½ cup margarine
1½ cups flour

1. Melt jam and margarine and stir in the bicarb
2. Allow to cool slightly and add the remainder of the ingredients, mixing well
SYRUP
2½ cups water
1 tsp ginger or cinnamon
1 cup sugar

1. Combine all the syrup ingredients together and bring to the boil
2. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into boiling syrup and cook for 10 minutes
3. Serve with custard or ice cream 

Go take a look at my Wacky Sarmies page, there are some great sarmie ideas!

Hi Peter

Wow, after reading some of the sarmie combinations on your site I realized how tastes differ ... to say the least ... but interesting though. Here are some of my combinations:

Fillings for 2 Slices health, nutty, whole wheat or just plain brown bread - buttered:

1. Thick layers of nutty peanut butter on both slices and in the middle: lettuce, grated carrot with a dash of lemon and grated apple.

2. Cold potato, boiled in skin and sliced, thick mayo on both slices and generously sprinkled with pepper - salt to taste.

3. Peanut butter & banana

4. Oxo, Marmite or Bovril with Apricot Jam, sliced tomato and pepper.

5. Mashed pilchards, finely chopped onion, hot Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper to taste.

6. Tomato, garlic, & calamata olive paste on both slices, with layers of sliced onion, mushroom and avo, generous layer of grated mozzarella cheese, topped with hot paprika and sprinkles of sunflower, sesame and poppy seed. Grill until cheese has a light brown tint, place plain buttered slice bread on top, leave to cool - or keep sarmie open and copy toppings on both slices.

... and here's the weird one ... only my husband's favourite ...

1. Fresh, buttered toast spread with Oxo, Marmite or Bovril. Prepare ProNutro the usual way, with milk and sugar, add generous amounts of the cereal on the prepared toast and .... enjoy, I guess!

2. My favourite is Milo [powder form] on fresh white bread with thickly spread butter.

Ok, that's my contribution.

Regards & good luck trying the ProNutro Toast!!

Loraine

Source: Sunday Times

1942:  Germany is defeated at El Alamein, the Americams defeat japan at Midway,  Barry Hertzog (SA Prime Minister) dies, Bing Crosby sings White Christmas.    

This dates from the 1890's and is from a book titled  Cape Cookery, Simple Yet Distinctive.

Porcupine skin

Remove quills, scald and scrape the skin to remove the hair. Remove the skin, and lay it in salt and water with pepper till the next day. Boil the skin in fresh water and cook till quite soft. Cut into neat pieces and broil them over a charcoal fire, serve with butter and sliced lemon.

Nature is wonderful. I envy the jobs of the game rangers and their wealth of bush knowledge. I have often wondered where one can read up on all the interesting facts. I would like to make this a regular feature of this newsletter, if you are able to contribute or would like to comment on the contribution below, please email me.

Ever wished you had a camera for that magic moment? Click here! 

The size of the bird is very large, pale whitish to buffy with strongly contrasting blackish wings and tail. Last row of upperwing and underwing coverts usually have black spots. The back is mottled with broad streaks and there are a pair of blue bare patches on either side of the crop

Fairly vocal at nesting colonies and carcasses, grunts, squeals, cackles and hisses

Found in South Africa, Botswana. Namibia except dry west coast, southern Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique

Habitat - Mostly mountainous country but also open country and escarpments

Habits - Highly gregarious at all times, roosts and nests on precipitous cliffs which are white from droppings
Soars out 2-3 hours after sunrise to forage over wide area, often well away from mountains Aggressive at carcasses

Food - Carrion and bone fragments

Breeding - April to July
Nest : A sparse platform of sticks, brush and stems, lined with grass
Clutch :1 Egg
Incubation : About 57 days
 

Do you have family and friends all over the world? Does it cost you a fortune to buy and mail gifts to all of them? Why not buy one Recipe eBook and email it to everyone! Just think about the savings on postage! For my selection of eBooks (and CD's) just click here.

Afrikaans Newsletter

Subscribe to my Afrikaans newsletter
 

Potjiekos recipe

Another new feature, from now on I will feature a potjie recipe with each newsletter. For those of you who are not familiar with a potjie (cast iron three legged pot) you may use a dutch oven.

Curry Neck of Mutton Potjie

30 ml cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 kg neck of mutton, cut into slices
3 medium onions, chopped
250 ml water
500 g whole baby carrots, peeled
500 g whole baby potatoes, peeled
20 ml sugar
10 ml mild curry powder
5 ml turmeric
125 ml milk

Heat the oil in the pot. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown a few pieces at a time. Remove and set aside. Fry the onions until tender. Return the meat to the pot. Cover the meat with water, replace lid and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the carrots and potatoes and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. 
Mix the sugar, curry powder andturmeric with the milk and add. Simmer for another 15 minutes and gently stir through once. Add more water if the potjie becomes too dry and simmer for another 15 minutes. 
 

2010 World Cup Poll

Here are the poll results from both my English and Afrikaans letters, Click here for English and here for Afrikaans results. The questions were the same in both polls. The difference in results between English and Afrikaans speakers is interesting.

Some senior jokes:

A senior citizen said to his eighty-year old buddy: "So I hear you're getting married?"
"Yep!"
"Do I know her?"
"Nope!"
"This woman, is she good looking?"
"Not really."
"Is she a good cook?"
"Naw, she can't cook too well."
"Does she have lots of money?"
"Nope! Poor as a church mouse."
"Well, then, is she good in bed?"
"I don't know."
"Why in the world do you want to marry her then?"
"Because she can still drive!"

************************************************************
Three old guys are out walking.
First one says, "Windy, isn't it?"
Second one says, "No, it's Thursday!"
Third one says, "So am I. Let's go get a beer "
************************************************************
Morris, an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical.
A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple of days later, the doctor spoke to Morris and said, "You're really doing great, aren't you?"

Morris replied, "Just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'"
The doctor said, "I didn't say that. I said, 'You've got a heart murmur; be careful.'" 

***********************************************************

He didn't like the casserole
And he didn't like my cake.
He said my biscuits were too hard...
Not like his mother used to make.
I didn't perk the coffee right
He didn't like the stew,
I didn't mend his socks
The way his mother used to do.
I pondered for an answer
I was looking for a clue.
So I smacked the f ****n s**t out of him...
Like his mother used to do.

Rosemary

I love the smell of fresh rosemary and wish I could grow it inside, but always seem to kill them. One of my favorite things to do is brush a little garlic infused olive oil on a steak during grilling using a rosemary sprig for a brush. Lends a wonderful flavor to the meat.

Popular for its rich pine-like fragrance, rosemary is an excellent accompaniment to pork and chicken. In Mediterranean cuisine, rosemary is most often associated with vegetables sautéed in olive oil, such as zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant. Sprinkle dried rosemary on charcoal when grilling for a delicious, aromatic treat.

A perennial evergreen shrub, rosemary resembles a thick needled small pine, and even has a piney smell. The leaves resemble pine needles, which are thick and leathery, about 3/4 inch long. The upper surface is a dark green and undersides white and hairy. The flowers are small, blue or pale blue, growing in clusters along the branch. The shrub can reach a height of 6 ft outdoors—though, I can never get them to grow this high!

Rosemary has a wide variety of uses outside of the kitchen. Historically, people used rosemary to treat a variety of ailments, such as: depression, headaches, muscle spasms, rheumatism, skin ailments and wounds. It was also burned along with juniper berries in early hospitals to "cleanse the air," as it does have some antibacterial effects.

Please note: Rosemary oil should be used sparingly since over-use can produce poisoning symptoms. Always follow the directions on the container.


White Bean Soup with Rosemary

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup diced country ham
3/4 pound dried cannellini or navy beans
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and ham and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add the beans, rosemary, chicken stock and pepper and bring to a boil.

Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Taste the cooking liquid, and add enough salt so that it becomes slightly salty (the amount needed will vary depending on the type of ham used for seasoning).

Cover the pot and simmer for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the beans are soft.

Purée the mixture in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender. Serve hot. The soup can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated, covered. 
 

South African Languages

South Africa is a multilingual country. Besides the 11 officially recognised languages, scores of others - African, European, Asian and more - are spoken here, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.
The country's Constitution guarantees equal status to 11 official languages to cater for the country's diverse peoples and their cultures. These are: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.

In each issue I will feature one of the languages.

Setswana
The language of the Tswana people is spoken mostly in Botswana, a country on the northwestern border of South Africa, as well as in the Northern Cape province, the central and western Free State and in North West.

Setswana was the first Sotho language to have a written form. In 1806 Heinrich Lictenstein wrote Upon the Language of the Beetjuana (as a British protectorate, Botswana was originally known as Bechuanaland).
In 1818 Dr Robert Moffat from the London Missionary Society arrived among the Batlhaping in Kudumane, and built Botswana's first school. In 1825 he realised that he must use and write Setswana in his teachings, and began a long translation of the bible into Setswana, which was finally completed in 1857.
One of most famous Setswana speakers was the intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator and writer Sol T Plaatje. A founder member of the African National Congress, Plaatje was fluent in at least seven languages, and translated the works of Shakespeare into Setswana.
• Home language to: 8.2% of the population
• Family: Bantu Language Family
• Varieties: Related varieties include Sekgalagadi in Botswana and Shilozi in Namibia and Zambia  

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.

Crime

Although the Government "persuaded" FNB to drop their campaign against crime, you can still send a letter to Mbeki, just go to this website and do your thing!  http://www.dearpresident.co.za
 

Recipe Requests

Looking for a specific South African recipe? Email me and I will do my best to find it for you!

Add your suggestions to my Elephant Stew and Wacky Sarmies recipes.
 

Featured Website

Every issue I feature an interesting website with South African links.
 

Lapalala Wilderness, in the mountains of the Waterberg 3½ hours from Johannesburg, is a privately-owned nature reserve 36 000 hectares in extent. 88 kilometres of clear, natural rivers run through bush-covered hills and craggy ravines.

The Recipes

BBQ prawns

fire and a grid to braai on
sprig of rosemary, lavender or fennel
fresh raw large or tiger prawns
wooden skewers, soaked overnight in water
lemons or limes, sliced
Method:
Light the fire well in advance. When all the flames have gone, add sprigs of herbs to create aromatic smoke and deter insects. Meanwhile remove the heads and shells of the prawns, and the black vein that runs down the back. Wash them in cold water. Thread prawns onto wooden skewers. Place a layer of lemon or lime slices on the braai grid and lay the prawns on top. Turn over the skewers after about 2 minutes. The prawns are cooked when they are pale pink with browned edges. Eat immediately.

Grilled prawn kebabs

Ingredients
80 ml olive oil
30 ml chopped fresh parsley
15 ml chopped fresh thyme
15 ml chopped fresh coriander leaves
3 spring onions, chopped
salt and black pepper
24 large raw prawns, peeled and deveined
4 baby onions, halved
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 bunch spinach, cooked
250 ml cooked rice
1 lemon

1. In a large bowl, toss together oil, parsley, thyme, coriander, spring onion, salt, pepper, prawns, baby onions and red pepper. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. 2. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water overnight. 3. Remove prawns from marinade, reserving liquid. 4. Chop cooked spinach finely, mix with rice and heat through. 5. Cut lemon into thick slices and cut each slice into quarters. Thread prawns, onion halves, red pepper and lemon on to each skewer, alternating the ingredients. 6. Grill kebabs for 2 minutes each side, brushing frequently with reserved marinade. 7. To serve, place spinach and rice on a serving platter and arrange kebabs on top.

Masala prawns

30 ml olive oil
5 ml coriander seeds
30 ml masala
250 ml coconut milk
5 cm fresh ginger , cut into matchsticks
36 prawns, heads removed and cleaned
mint leaves to serve
coriander leaves to serve
basil leaves to serve
spring onions, sliced to serve

Method:
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add coriander seeds and masala. Cook for a couple of seconds. Add coconut milk, ginger matchsticks and prawns. Simmer for 4 minutes until the prawns are cooked through.
Serve with a salad of mixed herbs and steamed jasmine rice.

Peri-peri prawns

20 large prawns, cleaned but leave the tails intact
1 ml peri-peri
5 ml paprika
2 ml ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 ml lemon juice
65 ml olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange the prawns in a flat plastic or glass dish. Mix the spices and garlic and sprinkle over the prawns. Sprinkle with lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper, and marinate for 30 minutes. Thread the prawns onto skewers if desired and grill for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the meat is pinkish. Serve immediately.

Prawn curry

45 ml curry powder
250 ml water
400 g coconut milk
2 medium potatoes, diced
100 g cauliflower, cut into florets
500 g peeled, deveined medium-sized prawns
15 ml garam masala
fresh coriander sprigs, to garnish

1. In a saucepan, combine curry powder with water and bring to a simmer. Cook gently until sauce reduces and thickens. 2. Add coconut milk, potato and cauliflower. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15 minutes. 3. Add prawns and simmer, stirring occasionally, until prawns are cooked through, about 15 minutes. 4. Stir in garam masala and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve on a bed of steamed rice. 

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Email me:  peter@funkymunky.co.za