Somewhere in Africa

Africa is damned far away. It took the better part of three days to get to our small Zambian bush chalet crafted of local thatch and reeds, complete with a romantic mosquito net and a floor made of packed earth. But it was a great journey by big and small planes, by bus and Range Rovers.

We drove by small villages boasting rondavels and brightly colored storefronts probably left by the Brits from the colonial years. I marveled at places with names like “God Gives Restaurant and Take Away“ and a club titled “Promises and Lies”.

Kids waved at us with shiny coffee-colored faces and toothy grins, adults rode their bicycles with poise and heavy loads, and then all of a sudden we were out in the middle of nowhere, breathing the warm smells of a different existence.

We felt hardly any resentment towards the person who woke us up at a pitch-black 4:45 am, because he always left a pitcher of hot water next to the sink. The mornings were surprisingly chock-full of the most unusual noises, and a handsome man named Special made us a cup of bush tea that we drank by the cozy wood fire. Which we welcomed at 5 am, but by 7 am, it was Africa hot, and by 9 am, all the animals were out of sight.

So bright and early, our cool guide took us single file through the bush followed by an even cooler looking national park guard in fatigues plus gun. We quietly walked by gnarly ebony trees and ancient Baobab trees and snuck up on evil-looking 14 foot crocodiles, noisy waddling hippos, messy elephants and eventually a few real! lions that were so close we heard them growl. My heart was definitely beating faster and louder, but it made me feel very much alive.

We were fed wonderful food: grass-fed beef, fish from the Zambesi river, grilled Boerewors and always spicy chutneys. Clearly, I needed to see the bush kitchen. It was spotless in its humble simplicity, the same hard dirt-packed floor as our hut. The ever-smiling adorable chef who was in all honesty wearing a huge white chef's hat cooked absolutely everything over an open fire with smoldering hard wood. He even baked his perfectly crusty bread in a hole in the ground.

Especially his Bobotie made me undoubtedly gain a few pounds. An indigenous dish from South Africa, to me it reflects some of the stirring African history using ingredients that were brought by Dutch East-Indian settlers and also by the British via India during the colonial era. The lean beef is pleasingly sweet from the raisins and slightly spicy from the aromatic curry and fruity chutney, and is baked under a lush layer of eggs and bananas.

What can I say but I heart Africa.

Bobotie

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 lbs lean ground beef, preferably grass-fed

2 slices of day-old baguette

1 small onions, finely chopped

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup raisins or currants

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons of Mango chutney

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 ripe banana

1 tablespoon lemon juice

sprinkling of nutmeg

4 teaspoons curry powder

Pepper and salt

Preparation:

Soak the torn bread in water until soft and squeeze out excess moisture. Mix well with the ground meat, onions, garlic, raisins (or currants), almonds, chutney and one of the eggs.

Season with salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons of the curry powder and the lemon juice.

Spread into buttered casserole dish (I use my well-seasoned cast iron pan) and bake by 425 degrees in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the milk with the 2 remaining eggs, 2 extra teaspoons of curry and season with salt and nutmeg.

Slice peeled banana and distribute the slices evenly over the meat. Pour over milk and bake an additional 15 – 20 minutes or until set. Serve with additional chutney.