Koe'sister
Issue 3 2021When shared with family and friends, food transcends beyond its textbook definition. Smells, flavours and preparation are connected to family history – passed down from one generation to the next through storytelling. Across social statuses and racial lines, every family has a recipe (or two) that they cherish. Family recipes tell a story. They connect you to people, places or memories. Koe’sister magazine goes one step further, celebrating these recipes through heritage stories.
in this issue
karima brown
20 May 1967 – 4 March 2021 “Happy 2021. My wish for all of us in the LRSB group is good health, prosperity, love and unbridled joy. May you soar to new heights in this time of global uncertainty. May we stay true and never lose our compassion, empathy and love for humanity. To social solidarity. And in our case, cooking, baking and breaking bread with family, friends and Food Fairies. May our plates overflow with friendship, food and fierce love of sharing and caring through good food. Love and light y’all.” – Karima Brown’s message to fellow LRSB group members Find Karima’s lentil curry and chicken noodle soup recipes in the Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book (order via annakem@mweb.co.za), and read her sourdough journey in the launch issue of Koe’sister (mosadionline.com/online-store).…
from the editor
I’m a Noord-Kaap-kind. Keimoes, the dorpie I grew up in, is a green oasis on the banks of the Orange River (also known as the Gariep). Well, its banks are green. The rest of Keimoes looks like the semi-desert it is. The summers are searing and in winter the cold creeps into your bones. Once, the preschool’s bus driver dropped me off a short distance from home and it didn’t occur to me to put on my shoes. I walked home barefoot in the scorching summer sun and arrived with blisters on my feet. My mum soothed them with a cool, white liquid from the glass bottle in the fridge, our ointment against the inevitable Keimoes sunburn. I also remember the summer Mamma sat me down at the table on the stoep…
your voices
SUNDAY BEST FOR THE AEROPLANE Ingrid Thompson I remember my parents’ first overseas trip in 1965. Back then you could walk across the tarmac, almost all the way to the stairs onto the plane. The only thing separating the travellers and the non-travellers at D. F. Malan Airport was a low metal barrier. Some friends brought gift baskets wrapped in colourful, crinkly cellophane as going away presents. They were enormous and contained dry and fresh fruit as well as chocolates and could not go on the planes. Thus those of us who were among the non-travellers got to share in the going away too. For their flight, my mum wore a dusty pink suit with three-quarter sleeves, a brooch and a pair of brown suede shoes which I still have. Let’s not forget the…
ode to an air fryer
1 IT’S HEALTHIER, QUICKER AND SAVES ELECTRICITY “I use it every day and for everything that can fit into it. Schnitzels, meatballs and more. In winter we also use it to braai meat and sausage. Everything takes less time than in the oven and it saves electricity, because it heats up immediately. Cooking in an air fryer is much healthier if I have to go by all the fat that collects at the bottom.” Vanessa Merlynn Fortuin Willemse “I have one and it’s a godsend. I use mine instead of the microwave to defrost items and reheat cooked food. I also make kale fries and broccoli fries. Yummy. I love the cooking speed – it’s a great investment for anyone with time deficiencies. Meals are ready in no time.” Anthea Cameron-Ayuningam “I can…
love triangle
Much as we love samoosas, not many have attempted making them at home, largely because the process can be a little daunting. Yet, once you’ve done it, you will have a new appreciation for what a labour of love it is to make this deep-fried deliciousness. Those who’ve been there, done that shared their samoosa-making secrets and stories with the group. PRODUCTION LINE Mariam Peters My family used to make our own pur (the sheets of dough used to make the samoosa strips or velle, in Afrikaans). It really was a family affair; two aunts made the dough, my one cousin and I rolled the balls and a third aunty rolled out the balls into saucer-sized flat circles. Then my youngest aunt began the easiest job – brushing each layer with oil, sprinkling them…
flop-proof & easy
I have been making lemon meringue since I was a teen. My recipe comes with tips I gleaned from Bob Hope’s recipe (yes, that Bob) that was published in Reader’s Digest magazine. While there are those who prefer shortcrust pastry, fellow LRSB Facebook group members Carmen Siologas and Anita Shaw have tried tried my recipe and confirmed that it was easy and that their lemon meringues were a success. The recipe is a mengelmoes of different recipes. The base comes from a fridge tart I received from a friend in primary school, the filling is from the label of a Nestlé condensed milk tin with improvisation on my part, and the meringue is Bob Hope’s. TIPS 1. Always use a glass or metal bowl to make meringue. Plastic will retain traces of oil and…
