The American Patient

As I mentioned the other day, Jim has been feeling quite poorly with a horrible head cold since his return from Ethiopia. Now we all know how horrid it is to feel stuffed up with a sore throat and a cough and I don’t mind looking after him but I do wish he would stop going on about it and take heed of advice when it is given!

Maybe it is the nurse in me who just expects a patient to behave like a patient!

He has refused to spend the day in bed. Instead, spluttering all over everyone at work (whilst telling them how awful he feels). He has been asking all week ‘what can I take to get rid of this’

Now as most of us know there is nothing better than hot tea, Panadol and sleep for a day. At the beginning of the week I did do the right thing and ask for a list of symptoms in order to make a decision about medication -

‘Do you feel congested?’
‘No’

‘Do you have a runny nose?’

‘No’

‘Do you have a cough?’

‘No’

‘Do you have a headache?’

‘No’

‘Do you have a sore throat?’

‘Yes’  
Hurrah finally something tangible I can grasp hold of! So off I go to the chemist to see what they have in store. Of course it is exactly as I have predicted – rest and home remedies, but I do pick up some super strength LemSip powders ‘tea by any other name will taste as sweet’ (sorry Will Shakespeare).

To give him his due he has got worse over the week working it all out of his system. Yesterday evening I arrived home to find him fast asleep on the lounge after taking a dose of cough suppressant with a sedative in it. At last it has made him stop and rest, if nothing else.
SO now I can do my real nursey thing – cover him with a blanket, light the fire and prepare supper – the chicken pie which I started to prepare last night, and finished off with mash potato and 20 mins inthe oven. The dogs both come in, investigate the inert body on the lounge and settle down to guard their master.
When I come in with supper and wake him he is shocked to realise that it is dark outside – it is nearly 8pm and he has been asleep for 2 hours.

In need of a bit of unsedated adult conversation, I make him a mug of my father’s lemon, honey and brandy (we used to love having this when we were children, I think I used more brandy than my father did) rather than the LemSip and I settle down with a couple of fingers of something 12 years old. We just manage one episode of ‘Hamish McBeth’, the 1996 BBC series we are working our way through, before the eyes start to droop.
An hefty dose of cough mixture and he sleeps like a baby for the first time all week.
Thank God for drugs. I am definitely stocking up to be ready for next year! 

     

Yummy Food for a Chilly Day.

It is a miserable morning here in Nairobi and I started off in style by locking my keys in the car when I went to get my take away coffee on the way to work. Thank goodness for men who carry spare keys and rush to your aid!
Last night I surprised myself by getting through most of my list for using up this weeks vegetable supply and as it is such a miserable day there is nothing better than to share my cooking with you. especially for those of you in the southern hemisphere who are still experiencing winter chills.

This is a guide for simultaniously preparing a CHICKEN PIE (which we will eat tonight), CHICKEN STOCK and POTATO AND LEEK SOUP.

First up peel and chop about 10 large potatoes, place in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil until soft.
At the same time chop about 8 leeks (from the garden if you have them) and fry in a mixture of butter and olive oil (the oil stops the butter from burning) add some dried sage. I used dried as it has a stronger flavour so you dont have to put as much in. Cook the leeks until they are soft and slightly coloured.

Whilst you are waiting for the potatoes, pull the meat of a cooked chicken carcas (I used the left overs from our roast dinner the day before) and place it in the bottom of an oven proof dish. Put the carcases in a deep non-reactive cassarole (I use my lovely purple Le Creuset). Do not add skin or excess fat.

Put aside some of the potato and leeks for the pie.

 FOR THE SOUP - put your cooked potatoes and leeks into the electric blender in small batches with just enough vegetable stock to make a smooth liquid. Put back into the pot and add salt, pepper and seasoning to your taste.
If you are eating straight away add more stock until you are happy with the consistency (I sometimes add a glass of white wine as well but this is up to you.)
If I am freezing the soup, I leave it nice and thick and then add more stock when defrosted. If nothing else it saves space in the freezer!

FOR THE PIE  - on top of the chicken add a layer of fried leeks. Add salt and pepper and a carton of cream and mix all together. Take the potatoes that you have reserved and mash them with milk, butter and salt and pepper. Pile the potato on top of the chicken and leek mixture. You can freeze it at this stage.
If eating straight away, dot the top of the potato with some butter and put into a hot oven to heat through and brown the top.

FOR THE STOCK - to the pot with the chicken carcases add - a couple of carrots chopped, one chopped leek, about 250gms of chopped mushrooms, a fresh bouquet garni (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme is my usual, you can add bay leaves if you have them), salt and pepper. Add cold water to cover the chicken. Put on a slow heat and allow to simmer for several hours. You may have to skim off the fat as it rises to the top. Strain the stock through a fine sieve or muslin and allow to cool. freeze in 500ml batches.

Give the chicken carcases, stock vegetables and any other extra scraps to the dogs who are frantically scratching at the kitchen door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My constant companions in the kitchen - my Darwin crocodile pot mitts, I love them. OK yes sometimes I talk to them :-)

chicken and leeks waiting for the potato top

stock ingredients waiting to go on the heat

 

Bon Appetit! Please ask if you need more explanation. Or if you have any additions to the recipes please let all of us know! 

 

Updates on the garden produce

I have just been reading through a few of the old posts and realise that I have to bring you up to date on some of our projects. Jim was away in Addis last week and returned on Friday with a sniffle that has developed into a full on head cold so I am getting to practice my bed side manner for a few days. NOT that he is one to stay at home, it has been a battle to get him to slow down on the work in the evening but today I really have had to insist he goes home early from work rather than coughing all over the place. His voice sounds like he has been smoking for his whole life!

The weather has been very tempramental. We planted out our cucumbers about a week ago when it was warm but have lost the lot to a cold snap. Surprisingly, the tiny tomatoes which I were sure would not even fruit are slowly ripening. Bosco and Bernard planted them in a moveable box with handles so they can be 'put to bed' in the relative warmth of the shed overnight and then moved out during the day.
The lettuce plants that I left to go to seed are starting to flower so I am going to have to read up on how you actually harvest the seeds. Some plants the seeds need to be dried, some you can use straight away.
Our avocado's on the window sill are growing weeds (they do take along time to sprout), the plums and lemons are not even producing weeds.
When I made the visit to my cousin about a month ago I picked up my animal pots that she had been baby sitting for me. They have steeled into the herb borders and are just starting to sprout with the seeds that Lil put in them.

It is just after 4pm in the afternoon now and I am about to head home. The leeks and potatos are waiting to go into the pot as are the tomatoes so I have a full but relaxing evening ahead (after sorting out the patient!). I bought alot of coriander on the weekend. When you ask for 2 bunches in the supermarket they are hardly enough for one meal, when you ask for 2 bunches at a farmers market you get enough to start a Thai restaurant so I am going home to make Maggie Beers' delicious coriander pesto using the bottle of Ver Juice that Helen brought me from Australia.

The raspberries have finally been planted out - 4 plants in all. I am guarding them carefully, there are about 4 fruits coming - so exciting!

These are our little figs. The baboons love them and I have not minded too much up to now as I have not had enough to preserve. But now I have found several recipes that use them so I am waiting eagerly for the next crop and then we will be dining on 'Quail in a fig bath'.

 

Swahili Summer Kenya on JFMKT

A quick word about the ETSY.com icon at the right hand side of your screen. If you click on this it will take you directly to the Swahili Summer Kenya Shop on ETSY.com A direct line to a wonderful work of exotic jewelry from all over Africa!

Not ot mention all the other beautiful shops on the site. You will spend many happy hours looking around.

 

my beautiful business card designed by the very talented Harriet Stanes

Pasta Mama!!

Pasta is one of my favourite things to eat. it can be very easy - just cheese or bottles sauce, or as fancy as you can make it with lots of cream and seafood or made into intricate ravioli shapes.

I have owned a pasta machine for years and.....this weeks' confession is -

I have never actually used it for making pasta until very recently. (they are very useful for rolling out fondant icing)

My friend Anna and I had been trying to make a pasta making date for months. We had several other friends who wanted to join us but there was never a date to suit all. In the end we finally made a date and just hoped others could come.
So come the day we are 4  and 4 children on a Sunday morning, gathered in Anna's kitchen. Two pasta machines to hand with bags of flour and a basket of eggs, a couple of beetroot and some spinach for colour.

100gms of flour to one egg yolk is all you need. Very simple in theory.
The flour is in mounds on the bench in front of each of us and we carefully seperate our eggs and plop the yolks in the middle of the flour. This is where the fun began. Trying to keep everyone 'light of fingers' as they bring the flour into the eggs is not easy and I have visions of my old home economics teacher getting very frustrated when I was making scones at the age of about 14. Eventually we have balls of dough which are starting to look and feel as silky as the photographs. We then try and put the colour into it. This takes alot of work and some of it does look a bit streaky (especially the green) but who cares, we all agree it is ours and we can make it how we like!

Then the machines come into use. This is the really fun bit - rolling, rolling and folding and rolling again - except my machine does not seem to want to play the game, one of the rollers is not moving. In the end we use one machine for the rolling and the other just for cutting into strips.
Soon we have lovely little 'nests' lined up on the bench and we are acting like new mothers looking at their first child, we are so proud of our achievment.
The children have all had a turn at helping with the rolling and cutting and are keen to start eating.
Anna has started to make the sauces. Nothing too fancy, we want our creations to be the star attraction.
There is an enormous pot of boiling water and the pasta nests are dropped in one by one for a few minutes. 'Oh dear' they are coming out rather paler than they went in especially the beetroot pink, vegetable colours are not water fast!

As we all start eating there is silence until the first 'yum' escapes from a full mouth.
There is plenty for everyone to take home. We all agree that it has been a well spent Sunday morning.

Yesterday Helen and I were discussing what we should try next. I have recently purchased a macaron kit.. I always buy then at the airport when coming out of Paris and figure they should not be so difficult. Helen is keen but suggests we should have another pasta class to refine our skills a bit. Maybe we will do ravioli. everyone is just returning from the long holidays for the start of the new school year so it will be a great excuse to catch up on the past few months.

My pasta machine has been relegated to the scrap metal box in the shed. Jim tried to fix it so it ended up in bits. He did find the problem but could not mend it properly. Oh well, maybe next time I should spend a bit more than $10 at Aldi's bargain table.

 

Pasta Queens - me, Anna, Helen and Joanne

 

our creations

 

'yum'

the serious business of rolling, cutting and forming nests

the real judges of quality and yumminess - Ella, Florian, Mea and Lianne

best buys and Christmas cooking!

My Saturday mornings are becoming a bit of a ritual. My wine class was cancelled today, which means we cannot go away next weekend but I am enjoying not having to rush off in the traffic.
After a slow start I have just finished at the organic market in the grounds of Talisman Restaurant. All you Niarobians who are out and about get your selves down there for some great buys.

My first find was beautiful rubarb that is going to go in the bottom of creme brulee (I get to use my kitchen blowtorch!); soup is heavy on the menu this week with carrots (and ginger with a touch of orange juice), potato and leek (trying to use up our abundant leek crop before they go woody, and tomato and basil which can be taken warm or cold. I use my own home made stock, vegetable or, if the dogs don't get to the carcas first, chicken (it means having roast chicken at least once a week but that is not so much of a hardship for us, it is one of our favourite meals)

I also found some artichokes which I love and have been trying to grow from seed for months now. The lady who had them is going to do the hard work for me and will bring the plants when they are ready. So exciting to think I will be able to have my own plants in the garden.

The pineapple is destine for the Christmas baking fest! I am going to try and do my own glace fruit so I can make my mother's beautifu stain glass window cake.

Not just thinking about my stomach, I also found a marigold plant that will be going into the veggie garden to distract the bugs from the fruit and vegetables.

I am now sitting in Dorman's drinking coffee having just stocked up on a weeks worth of amazing bread from The Bake Maker stand which is here in the Karen shop. The fragrance of fresh bread coming from the bags is overpowering and I am so tempted to start eating it now!

Getting back to Christmas, I have been thinking for a few weeks now I really must get started on my fruit mince, pudding and cake. They are so much better if they have time to mature for months (and benifit from a regular nip of brandy or sherry sprinkled over). Having lived in the tropics for so long and moving around with work, I have never been able to plan to far ahead with my Christmas cooking but now that I am settled in a climate that is condusive to keeping cakes etc long term without them going mouldy I am determined to get ahead and not be burning the midnight oil the week before Christmas. We have a lovely cool dry cellar which will be perfect for hanging the puddings.

Well, having had my saturday morning treat it is time to hit the traffic.  I am so looking forward to seeing Helen this afternoon. She and the family have been traveling with her brother's family for the school holidays and just arrived home yesterday. Although it does mean no more blog readers in Cambodia or Thailand, hopefully there will be a regular reader in Dhubai now, Adele.

Domestic Goddess

The highlight of our Home Economics class year, when I was in hgh school, was making and decorating a cake to enter in our local annual show. I can't remember ever being interested in the baking displays when we visited the show. When we visited the big Royal Agricultural Society show held in Sydney at Easter every year my parents would head straight to the massive pavilion that held the regional produce displays. My Godmother worked for the Rice Board so that was usually the next stop. As a teenager and then living in Sydney our interests lay more in the cattle sheds checking out the good looking boys who brought their cattle and sheep down for the show.

The year that it was our classes turn to enter in the cake decorating, I must admit, I was rather nervous. the baking bit was fine, the decorating was not. In the end my pale green cake with pink briar roses looked fine, except that when I went to view it some of the flowers were broken. However, I remain exceeding jealous of my best friend Alison who received a certificate for hers!

My skills in cake decorating have developed over the years with the help of books and a few essential pieces of equipment.
A couple of years ago I offered to make Mea her 8th birthday cake as her present and it has sort of exploded from there. The lady dinasor (made from a bunt tin) with cardboard wings tail and neck/head was really very pretty. Her wings moved as if she was flying and when cut she disgorged all sorts of Haribo treats from her belly.
Now, each year I have to think of more impressive creations and as she and Ella get older rather more sophisticated, I imagine.

Serena's 1st birthday beehive and then her 2nd birthday train brought on a rush of requests for 50th cakes.
The biggest order yet is a sandcastle fantasy for Kaya and Mark's wedding in December. I am a little nervous about all that icing in the tropics in December but it is going to be so much fun.

I did for a short time consider going full time but I think I would rather just do it for friends, the stress would be just too much (and it drives Jim nuts when I am up beyond midnight trying to get things finished).

Serena and her train

The beehive

Ella's butterfly

Mea's cat modelled on Ginger

The original dinasor

Jamie's delicous maple syrup cake (Nigella recipe - yum)

Mea, Ella and Lianne's cake this year. A flashback to the pale green and flowers with addition of gold leaf!

Many facets of life

Following my wine appreciation class on Saturday, I picked up an old MSF friend who is working for a month or so here in Nairobi. I met Yann and his wife Sandrine when we were working together in Liberia in 2005. We have stayed in touch since despite not having been on mission all together since. They have welcomed me 'home' after several missions on my return to Paris.

After years of working for MSF, my last mission, finishing here in Kenya about June last year, I still follow to some degree what is going on in the humanitarian world especially the regional MSF teams and I must admit I was more than please to hear the announcement last Friday that MSF is at last, after the murder of 2 staff and the kidnapping of 2 expats that were held for 18 months, pulling out of Somalia for good.
I only heard about this when my good friend Denis, who works with the Somalie mission based in Nairobi, called me as he was surprised I had not called him. My answer of course was that now, as an everyday resident of Nairobi I was not privileged to the information, I have to wait and read about it in the papers like everyone else.

It made me realise how much my life had changed in the past 12 months or so and how much my focus has changed. I mean we can't avoid or ignore totally, what is happening around us but you do have to   be able to get on with normal life.
Yann had not been sure of his visit to us until late on Friday and he had to rush back on Sunday afternoon to take a handover from someone going on holiday. I used to be at work at 0700, eat lunch at my desk and never left before 6pm - later if I had to take phone calls with my boss in Paris. Now, not that my work is any less important, I try to get to work about 0830, traffic allowing, have lunch with Jim or others from the office, and start to head home about 430pm to avoid the traffic. And I can be pretty sure the phone is not going to ring in the middle of the night with reports of new fighting; arrival of wounded at the hospital or movement of refugees. I share an office which is also used as the meeting room so have a constant stream of people with whom to pass the time of day without my thoughts being distracted too much from work.
It was so nice to be able to offer Yann a break from the hectic and sometimes artificial world  that I used to be so much a part of. We spent Saturday afternoon with our neighbours, Dave and Val, at the christening ceremony of their youngest child. It was held in their garden which ajoins ours. Dave did not miss a beat when I asked if he minded if Yann came with us (I did mention his professional photography skills). Yann's comment when I mentioned our plans was that it would be so nice to take photos of a healthy child for a change. I think sometimes when you are so involved in the aid world you tend to forget that there is a significant percentage of the local population, black and white,  just getting on with life the same as anywhere else in the world.
I seemed to spend the rest of the weekend planning meals and feeding people, which as you are all aware is something I love doing. I did stop and wonder once or twice, what he thought of my 'new'life. The thing is though, it is not 'new' it is just another part of me which has not had a chance to shine over the past 10 years or so (mainly because I was always so tired!). The MSF Head of Mission, the Aboriginal Child Health Nurse and the Remote Area Nurse are still all in there somewhere, otherwise I would not be me, and it does not mean one of them will not take their turn as the dominant personality again. But for now I am content to put in my hours at the office and the escape home; have time to be able to say 'yes' when a girlfriend suggests we meet up for lunch; or go away for the weekend with out having to worry about my phone being out of range or measuring the miles just in case I have to rush back to Nairobi. And of course I have Jim, so leaving home for work is much less attractive.
So I am happy to be able to offer friends an escape and a short rest from their stressful lives as others did for me over the years.
Our next visitor should be Fraz when he comes out of South Sudan.

Ceremony time, Milingimbi Island, NT

Vaccination campaign, Zalingei 2005

The Coordination Team, Darfur 2008

 

My namesake, Catherine Baralpawuy, named after myself and my Aboriginal sister, Sandra Baralpawuy. Her father, Sammy, is our brother. Sitting on my front verandah at Milingimbi.  

The end of the week- hurrah!

Well I did not get the Black Forest cake made for work last night and had to sneek in this morning and write a very apologetic email to everyone with promises for Monday, before I could face them!

But I did meet up with my friend Lianne yesterday evening. We both drive home through the park but because of our different routes we rarely see each other, hence, the having to arrange the half way meet. She bought some Raclette cheese for me when she went to Paris months ago for work and we have been trying to meet from the pick up every since. So we did manage yesterday and after over an hour of chatting I got a bit lost on unfarmiliar roads and did not get home until after 7pm. Once I had cooked our supper I did not have much time for baking.
Two cars stopped in the park, when there are no animals around is not a common sight and we had several people stopping to ask if we were ok. They all looked a bit surprised when we said we had just stopped for a chat. For those of us who pass through the park regularly it is 2nd nature to look out for anything vaguely suspicious these days following the murder of one of the beautiful Rhinos that we all see on a regular basis.

 

 

I was very grateful that the sun continued to shine yesterday and I did not have to negotiate the road in the dark AND the rain. THis is what I had to deal with on Wednesday when the weather suddenly turned just before I left work.

 

 

This morning I ventured out into the garden to take a few progress photos.

 

 

Our first apple blossom of the season

hundreds of baby mangoes that will be ready for picking come November

our newest avacado tree that started life as a seed in a yogurt pot on the kitchen window sill.

The icon of all Australian back fences thriving in Kenya - the passionfruit. I had 2 for my lunch today, they taste so much better home grown!

the last of this seasons oranges.

 

 

Happy Weekend! I will be writing my first report of my wine tasting course after tomorrows class. 







random thoughts

Yesterday's 2nd post was due to the fact that I have just sponsored an elephant orphan, Vuria and a Rhino baby, Maxwell who live at Sheldricks. The orphanage is located within Nairobi National Park and the babies go walking everyday in the park with their carers. They each have an individual carer who takes the place of their lost mother although they change around regularly so the babies do not get too attached to one person. Many of the babies are orphaned as a result of poaching. the are all eventually released into the wild after being slowly integrated back into the wild in Tsavo national Park where they are monitored and can be helped if they are not coping or not accepted into a herd.
I have sponsored them in the name of my business Swahili Summer. So if you want to follow their progress you can 'like' the SS face book page and I will be posting the monthly reports there. I can also go and visit them at special foster parent evenings so I will put some photos here are well.

The sun is shining this afternoon but this morning was foggy and wet. It has been raining for about the last 3 evenings and the black cotton soil on our road and in the park has become like an oil slick. This morning just out of the drive I did a complete 180 in the middle of the road before I put the car into 4WD.
The rain may be unexpected but it has given our garden a bit of relief. Everything has sprouted up. The apples and mangos have lots of blossom and the new raspberry cane which I brought home from the vegetable market last week has not suffered from being left in its plastic bag until we decide where to plant it. we are think of getting several more and putting them along the boundary to stop Tarbu breaking through. he likes to wander onto the empty plot next door and from there he can venture forth. We have so many greens in the garden and I have to get busy using the leeks before they become too old and woody to eat.

I am meeting my friend Liane in the park this afternoon. She drives through to and from her way to work at the airport each day (yes the one that burned down last week). We dont often pass but as I had to be very early on Monday we met at the main gate and arraged to have a half way meet this afternoon to catch up. My evening activity is making a Black Forest Cherry Cake. Not having an actual recipe for the construction I am using my favourite chocolate cake recipe, good cherry jam and lots of cream. I dont know if I will find even tinned cherries here, we definateyl dont have fresh. The reason for this experiment is Gladwell, our finance manager at work. Last week she requested the recipe and I have delayed until I cant put it off any longer. So I am doing the test run and will write it down as I go. She doesnot have a very sweet tooth and thought the pear and Almond tart that I took to wotk a couple of weeks ago was too sweet, although loved the lemon cake totally drenched in syrup and full of cream!? After my last experience of driving a cream filled cake through the park I am going to go by the road and leave the construction until I get to work - less risk of having cake all over the car!
I will let you know how I go tomorrow and if it is not too much of a disaster will take a photo.



 

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: A Haven for Elephants and Rhinos

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: A Haven for Elephants and Rhinos

When you have a bit of extra cash think about spending it here to save the life and ulitmately help stop extinction of our beautiful ellies and rhinos.

My secret life

I have just sent off Draft One for Susan to review. To make sure I am on the right track, which can be tricky when your word count is only 200.

Yes, my confession this week is my secret life as a freelance food and wine writer contributing to several lifestyle magazines here in Kenya. My launch into the world of journalism came in September last year when my friend Susan asked me to do a wine review aimed at Christmas quaffing. This led to a write up of my 50^th birthday dinner, which I really enjoyed as I could advertise the guys who had supplied the marquee, tables etc and also my florist Dedan, who I and my cousin have been buying flowers from for years.

Next came cook book reviews, reviews of gourmet suppliers around town and recipes. Most get used, a few don’t make it to the final print but it is all good fun.

A couple of months ago I did an interview with my friend, Neil, who owns a catering company, The Creative Kitchen and is the Chef at the Aero Club restaurant. A very enjoyable morning was spent visiting Neil at home, drinking coffee and learning about his early career. In the end he pulled out the pans and made his fried courgette slices for us to nibble on. Then we had to photograph the recipe that was going to accompany the article. One Friday afternoon I arrived at the restaurant and Neil whipped up his special Ratatouille. Of course, being a French dish, we had to have a glass of wine and then just to finish off, his excellent cheese cake and apple pie.

This most recent article is a person favourite. Not just because I am in the process of my Wine Appreciation Course but also because it is great to be part of helping Kenyans to understand wine and how to enjoy it to the max with really good food that complements rather than just chucking down the nearest ‘headache maker’ glass after glass. I was asked to attend a Spanish wine and food pairing at the wine bar where I am attending the course and hosted by the Spanish Sommelier, Juan, who is taking the course. I had to sit up the back as the extra person but did not feel out of it as the majority of the group consisted of my friend Devan and 11 of his chums, several whom I know. Unfortunately, as it was such short notice, Jim could not be accommodated but he spent the 2 ½ hours in the lounge bar with one of his pilots who was staying with us, enjoying the Australian red that I had recommended. I sent a couple of tasters out to him of the wines that I thought we might purchase.

We had delicious tapas that had been specially chosen to complement the wines and I was so surprised at how careful pairing really does influence the flavour of each.

 

So not just do I get paid to enjoy good food and wine but also to learn. Which will hopefully also improve the content quality of my articles in the future.

My next wine class is on Saturday and we are starting on grape varieties. I had to delay my attendance due to a memorial service last Saturday. I have told Susan that I will be bringing my wine appreciation experience to you all in as much glorious technicolour as blogging can provide and suggested that I also somehow transform this into an article as well. She has asked me to put in an outline.

Maybe Australian Gourmet Traveler or Vogue needs a full time food writer in East Africa – I can but dream…. 

 

Neil in action!

The resulting dish

 

 

 

And a photo that should have gone up yesterday (we turned off the engine to save fuel!)

Everyone here talks about the traffic alot, don't they..................

Yes we do simply because we spend so much time sitting in it! If you don’t want to sit in the traffic you drive to work at 0500 and go home about 2200 - anytime in between you can be guaranteed a slow trip home.. or to the shops.. or that meeting that you just can’t be late for.

The comment came from the relative of a friend, visiting from UK. There were several of us sitting in the bar at the Aero Club watching the line of traffic on Langatta Road come to a standstill, the only solution really was to have a gin and tonic and wait for the worse to pass.

It is not all bad, being stuck in the traffic. Especially on Langatta Rd, the route most people take home. The shopping for instance. Kenyans are nothing if not opportunistic and they take full advantage of three of four kilometers of potential customers.

The Langatta Road sellers offer a multitude of wares that any bored driver will find irresistible.

The fruit and vegetable sellers come out in force – oranges, tangerines (Jim’s favourite), peas (as hard as bullets and already sprouting), tomatoes, passionfruit, grapes from Egypt and anything else that happens to be in season.
The boys with bottles water do a brisk trade especially in the hot weather, 50/= will get you an ice cold bottle. Or warm if you prefer as many Kenyans do.
The sugar cane seller will peel and cut you a bag of chunks to chew on – it looks as if it has been snowing as everyone spits the remains out onto the road.

After refreshing yourself you can move onto the hard core offerings – maps of Africa; posters teaching you the alphabet and how to count; hats; scarves; CDs and DVDs, all the latest releases; loofahs;  baskets; national flags; covers for your passport or drivers license; towels and children’s toys; kitchen utensils; newspapers and telephone credit.

Wares get passed in the drivers’ window, everyone in the car has a look and then it gets passed back out whilst the haggling goes on. If the traffic starts to move the vendors run along side rather than risk losing a sale. Their sales pitch is well practiced and often the only way to avoid it is to wind up the window. 

The one I have not quite worked out yet is the man who appeared last week with a metal hat stand – no hats attached – I mean, it is not exactly a spur of the moment buy.

 

As 7pm approaches and it is still just light outside, Tara and I decide to brave the road. Better to be on the way home than sitting around.
I get out onto the road without even having to give way to any approaching traffic and even manage to get into third gear. Three minutes and I am past the turnoff to Uchumi supermarket; still moving steadily I pass the half constructed by-pass at 7 minutes, and come to a standstill. But not for long, we continue at a steady crawl in first gear. I make it to our major landmark, the Army Barracks in 16 minutes (my all time records are 5 mins to over one hour). I text Jim to let him know my progress. His answer comes just as I am approaching the park gate ‘great, I am leaving now’.

Now on a single lane things slow down but keep moving. I reach the corner and turn into Magardi Road and surprisingly, I get up into 4^th gear. I clock myself as I reach the barrier on our road – 58 minutes! Pretty good doing in anyone’s language.

 I text Jim again to let him know I am home. His reply ‘Well I was leaving half an hour ago but now I really am.’ He makes it home in 52 minutes!      

Of Ridgback dogs and other fancy things...

Today I am visiting my cousin Lil on her dairy farm - 13 acres in the middle of suburban Karen (the area that used to be the farm of Karen Blixen of  'Out of Africa' fame). Even people who have lived here for years are amazed when they hear that there is still such a farm in what is fast becoming a suburb of 1/4 acre plots.
Anyway, I have to think carefully about what to wear today. Something acceptable in the office but also for going to a farm. Now this is not because I am going to be trapsing around in mud and cow sheds. The cause of my dilemma is seven, Yes 7, Ridgebacks who I know, from years of exprience, will greet the car and myself as if they have no seen us for a millenium! So, canvas knee length skirt (thick enough to resist those claws) and boots, finished off with my New Zealand possum fur cardigan just to dress it up abit.
I don't visit as often as I should since moving out to Jim's place. It is not 'on the way' as I don't even go into Karen shopping as much since moving post office boxes and banking closer to work and as you can imagine an unannounced visit can cause mayhem.
Lil's first generation of Ridgebacks were quite grown up when I first met them and she used to bring them in the old Range Rover to met me at the airport. They used to cause a stir at the taxi stop at the arrivals terminal when they jumped down and had to be rounded up.

This current generation and I go way back to when their mother was pregnant. They were born a few days before I came down for a break from working in Darfur. Eight tiny dark furred, blind squirmy bundles and a very proud mother greeted me. Lil had already given them names to suit, some which have stuck others have not. Four went off to other families and four decided they would rather stay at home! From when they were about 6 months old I was living at the farm and then visiting several times a week and going to obedience school (the jury is still out on how effective years of training has been). It doesnot matter how long I am away for they always remember me and get so excited. I have been face-to-face with them through the windscreen when, in the frustration of not being able to get in the door they jump on the bonnet of the car.
This visit today though has been well planned and as I drive in Lil is in control with a stick. I hurridly try to wind up the window but not before Hera has her nose and paws well inside. She has always been my favourite and we are best friends. She is not the smartest of the bunch but loves being loved and is so gentle with my cousin's Sam's children when they come to visit.
Once I do get the window up and Lil is back in control I remove my cardigan, just in case! Lil spots my tights but I assure her they are old and will be covered by the skirt. SO the door opens and I am engulfed, with lovely dirty paws and slobbery kisses until a few minutes later they calm down. I am covered in mud and my hair is all over the place but who could be cross at such a greeting full of joy! Jim's pick up has suffered not just a few scratches which I will have to try and polish off before he sees them.
The reason for my visit is to pick up pot plants that Lil has been baby sitting for me between houses. We finally manage to get them into the back of the pick up and go inside for a cup of tea and catchup.
Darney, their mother has gone, and they are starting to get grey around the muzzles at nearly 8 years old. They have excelled at our local Kennel Club shows (with international judges) despite their behaviour at home. They have been joined by their off-spring and hopefully will be around for many years yet to cover me in kisses and mud!   

Morning greeting through the bedroom window

A dangerous tail in action in the sitting room

Resting after an exhausting greeting

Darney resting in the shade whilst Lil and Jim do preflight preparation before she joins us on a flight to the coast

New puppies

One of the most exciting things I have done yet!!

Last night, after almost one year of planning and quite a bit of fussing about, I finally hit the 'open shop' button on my ETSY.com shop. My friend Tara and I then shared a glass to celebrate and I have spent more time than I should have this morning telling everyone about it on my face book page and the business face book page 'Swahili Summer'.
 If you like browsing around super quality arts and crafts ETSY.com is a great site to visit. It is a site for people who want to go one step further with their crafts and hobbies - a great spring board into the world of retail.
I am ever amazed at the huge number of such talented people out there. You also get to interact with others registered on the site who have similar interests to you and you dont have to be a seller to join. This morning I have even located several other Nairobi based sellers after joining a couple of discussion groups.
I have been producing jewelry using African beads for about 6 years now. I have sold at markets both in Kenya and Australia and the face book page has been up for about one year. ETSY.com is my first foray into the serious world of retail
SO if you have a spare hour or so, do take a look at the site and please do drop by and take a look at Swahili Summer Kenya. And if you are a regular on face book give us a 'like' at Swahili Summer to follow the progress of the growing business.
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Just to tempt you further here are a couple of my favourite pieces



 

The case for organic growing

We all want the best fruit and vegetables! I realised long ago that to achieve this in Kenya the best way was to grow your own and have full control over what goes into the soil and onto the plants. However, this was not achievable for me until about 2 1/2 years ago when I moved into a house with a large private garden and an enthusiastic gardener/askari. With Michael's assistance my vegetable patch was soon feeding myself, friends and providing the work kitchen (we cooked lunch daily for about 15 staff) with a wide variety of vegetables. The odd slug in the salad was a small price to pay for the sense of achievment felt knowing we had grown everything ourselves and with only the help of our own compost and the odd bag of chicken poo! The pride on Micheals face when he brought the produce into the office to present to Peter the cook was irreplacable.

Since moving out to Kitengela the growing process has been a bit more of an uphill battle. Convincing Jim's staff that we can grow without lots of chemicals is just now starting to have effect. The soil is also very different, we have less rain fall and have to be careful with our water supply. The soil has started to benifit from our own compost, the odd pat of buffalo poo and crop rotation/resting. We have had a few disasters but we keep learning from our mistakes. Bernard is learning and is enthusiastic although he has other duties so in my view there is never enough time devoted to the garden.

I have now found a backup plan - The Nairobi Organic Growers Market has been going for some time in various locations. I had been once several years ago and was not so impressed. However, after reading something last week (and having some very poor quality imported fruit from our local green grocer) I decided to try again. Come Saturday morning - cold, dreary and rain threatening, I loaded the car with baskets and set out for 'Talisman', a restaurant in Karen, that hosts the markets in a field next door. I was very early but as the vendors where all just setting up, I got first choice.  I was so excited. Everything had been picked just that morning, all so fresh looking and soil still on the roots! I bought the best strawberries I have ever had in Kenya and used every single one - no throwing out the squashed ones on the bottom of the punnet.  Avocados that were just the right degree of softness for Jim to make guacomole that day and sooo much taste.
The growers are all very knowledgable on their produce and I have made a date for Bernard to visit one of the farms and earn first hand how we should be working our plot. I went home with two overflowing baskets (not a plastic bag in sight!) full of produce that will last the whole week rather than being sad and wilting in the bottom of the fridge by Wednesday

We had friends for dinner on Saturday evening and it was so wonderful to announce that all the fruits and vegetables had either been grown in our garden or come from the organic market.
I was telling my friend Susan about the menu I served and she has requested my Boeuff Bourguignon recipe, so here it is -

BOEUFF BOURGUIGNON
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1.5kg chuck, flank or skirt of beef, cut into large cubes
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
50gms plain flour
1 bottle red burgundy (750 mls)

300ml beek stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
200gm smoked lardons
250gm button onions
250gm button mushrooms
 

Heat the oil in a heavy casserole. Brown the meat a few pieces at a time on high heat. Once all the meat is browned, add chopped onions and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove the pan from heat and sift in flour. Mix well to absorb all the remaining oil. Return to heat and slowly add the bottle of wine and the stock stirring constantly. Bring to the boil. Return the meat to the casserole with tomato puree, herbs and seasoning. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours.

I have done this both in the oven and on the stove top and both work as well. The meat will not suffer from longer cooking. When I started cooking on Friday evening I did not have any home-made stock and too late realised that I did not have any stock cubes, so I put in the wine and water and other ingredients, cooked for an hour and then once cooled put the dish in the fridge overnight. Next day when I had the stock cubes I crumbled these in and slow cooked for about 4 ½ hours.

About one hour before serving  -  Fry the lardons until they have release some of their fat. Add onions and cook until they are browned all over. Add to the casserole. Add some butter to the frypan and fry mushrooms until just brown. Add to casserole. Stir to combine and cook for about another 30 minutes.
The French market
Jo Harris and Fran Warde

delicious pineapples which will have to wait until next week as I had no hands left to carry!

the perfect avocado

Just picked!

 

 

   

Photos as promised

The storks dancing together

The evening snack

 

Listening to my idle chatter

Our beautiful Rhino  - how can anyone ever think of harming these lovely creatures?

 

The old boy with a broken horn

Irene in charge of the pot

Helen adding the vital spices

The three cooks

Shampain and Tarbu where they sleep every night - not cold enough for a fire last night

Black and White striped velvet bottoms

Someone finally looking at the camera