Winter warming treats.How about some Buttermilk Rusks?

The humble Buttermilk rusk....a staple in any South African home, locally and abroad.

Always best when homemade!
I have to disagree with a statement in the latest TASTE magazine......"It's better to buy than to make......" I say, it is better to bake than to buy! Nothing beats the wonderful, welcoming aroma of freshly baked rusks drying out in the oven. This is the aroma that childhood memories are made of.

 Most South African families will have their favourite version of this crisp ,crumbly and crunchy "beskuit", or rusk.
In 1761 there is reference made in a recipe book, De Volmaakte Hollansche Keeukenmeid to rusks being baked by ladies of the Cape for the sailors of the Dutch East India Company.

Ingredients for the buttermilk rusk recipe.

My version of this traditional South African treat comes from my aunt. Thank you Aunty Olive, I bake these in your honour. 

Herewith the recipe:

2 kg Self -raising flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
500g butter
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 eggs
3 cups buttermilk
Cake flour for kneading
Oil for greasing

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Sift together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream the butter, best at room temperature, until soft and fluffy.
Add the sugar and vanilla essence. Continue to cream until the sugar granules have dissolved.
Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed butter mixture. To prevent curdling, add a spoonful of the flour mixture with the addition of each egg.
Finally, add the buttermilk and beat to a smooth mixture.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and work into a soft dough. 
Knead the dough with extra cake flour until a soft, smooth dough is achieved.
Roll the dough into golf ball sized balls and place in a greased roasting pan, one next to the other.
This mixture will produce enough dough for two large roasting pans.
Bake in preheated oven until well risen and golden brown in colour.
Remove from oven and turn out onto a board. Break the rusks into portions. 
Break each portion in half again to form smaller rusks.
Return to the oven at a reduced temperature of  50 degrees C. 
Dry the rusks until crisp. Allow at least 4 hours.
Cool and store in airtight containers.
Watch them disappear!!!  
 
 

Creamed butter and sugar mixture with eggs and a little added flour to prevent curdling.

Rusk dough rolled into balls neatly packed in roasting pans.

Well risen and lightly browned, the rusks are nearly ready to be parted.

Individual rusks, crisp and crunchy....ready for dunking in a good cuppa!

Hearty meals for Winter. Let's start with Hungarian Goulasch.

There is nothing better than warm, nostalgic memories to help one decide what to prepare for dinner or a family get together.

All it takes is something to stimulate one's senses..... a special aroma, the sight of a sought after ingredient, an advert to conjure up a memory....... a photograph of a memorable vacation...... a snippet of music to awaken a distant memory.... and so on......

Whatever it is, special memories make special meals!

Any good meal starts with great, fresh ingredients. Here I have fresh parsley and chives from my garden.

 Just for a moment, let me take you for a trip down my memory lane.... These are the memories that triggered my desire for this comforting Hungarian Goulasch. Firstly, a visit to Austria as a schoolgirl left me with warm, comforting memories of  flavourful stews served in cosy restaurants and welcoming cafe's.
I also fell in love with apple strudel, goulasch soup, Wiener schnitzel and real hot chocolate served at ski resorts.....

Secondly, as a young student I worked at an Austrian Tavern , Groot Constantia Tavern on the Groot Constantia Estate in Constantia until my accident in 1984.
Here, the chef used to prepare the most delightful Goulasch served with homemade spätzle....... I have only happy memories of carefree days enjoying the freedom of being young and able bodied........

And  so, whenever I decide to prepare Hungarian Goulasch, my taste buds and my mind takes me for a vivid trip down this wonderful memory lane of life, loving life, travel, learning to live on a tight budget,being a student and generally growing up.

The ingredients for this memorable meal are actually quite simple.

 Looking at the traditional Goulas(c) h or Gulyas De Boeuf a' la Hongroise recipe..... "a way of stewing beef spiced with Paprika or Hungarian red pepper"......  I have added a few
of my personal favourite ingredients, such as garlic, green peppers, mushrooms and fresh herbs.

Be patient, as it will take time for a good Goulasch to cook to perfection.

.

Best served with sour cream or Bulgarian yoghurt topped with freshly chopped chives or parsley.

Serve on a bed of cooked pasta or homemade spätzle.

Top with sour cream or Yoghurt and herbs. Bon appetit! 

Herewith the ingredients required to prepare a traditional Goulasch with a Heidi twist!

Saute 2 large onions in olive oil. I also added two diced green peppers and a generous teaspoonful of chopped garlic.
Add 1.5 Kg of lean beef, cut into cubes to the pot. 
Season with salt, pepper and 60 ml of paprika and a sprinkle of cumin to the mixture.
Brown the meat then cover with beef stock, a glass of red wine ( optional) and one can of tomato puree. Simmer until the meat is soft and tender. At least 2.5 hours.
After 1.5 hours  add 4 freshly quartered tomatoes and 4 diced potatoes.Cook until tender.
At this point one can  thicken the sauce with some flour.
Just before serving, it is optional to add one punnet of sliced white or brown mushrooms for an earthy touch....although this is not traditional!
Serve on boiled potatoes, pasta or homemade spätzle with sour cream or bulgarian yoghurt and freshly chopped chives or parsley.
Bon appetit and enjoy with a glass of Red wine from Groot Constantia. www.grootconstantia.co.za

And so to end this trip down memory lane and to pique my taste buds for another trip to Europe, let me share some more of my favourite images from last year's trip to Paris, Lods and Lausanne with you.

Just to set the Continental scene..... a classical  pavement  Cafe in Paris provided immediate shelter for us during a summer rain shower . 

Only in Europe.... bright, neat window boxes ....  add a welcome splash of colour to city dwellings in Paris.

When dining at a traditional French Wine shop or Trouquets, one was allowed to order food with liquid refreshment. Initially, Cafe's could only serve coffee or wine! Meals served in the Wine Shops were excellent as they were simple and honest. This is where the likes of  Boiled beef or Beef  Bourguignon would be prepared the traditional way.

And so we move to the country for a historical trip to view rustic architecture through the ages. The Musee des Maisons shows all the facets of rural Comte architecture with 30 rebuilt houses. All reconstructed using bygone techniques and materials. All the furniture, kitchen equipment and gadgets give one a feeling of Comte countryside living.

Back into the herb garden in the country ...... a herb garden to dream of......... with the blue garden shed! Also part of the open air museum in Nancray showing traditional kitchen gardens and orchards.

And finally we look at the architecture in a suburb outside of  Lausanne, Switzerland.  Now this is a lot closer to where one would expect a Hungarian Goulasch to be served!

Until next time....stay warm and cosy in the kitchen!

Behind the scenes at home......a user friendly kitchen.

Herewith a sneak peak inside my sanctuary at home........my kitchen! ( My bedroom is out of bounds.....not for the public eye!)

Being paraplegic has its own challenges, but when we look at our own homes, we need to know that we can relax, be at ease and be comfortable working in an accessible and user- friendly environment created and designed to suit our individual needs.

Actually the latest terminology is "universal design ", meaning design to suit everyones needs throughout life. 
"The design of products and environments to be usable by ALL people, to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialised design." Ron Mace 1985.

Counter height is 80 cm with total clearance beneath the counter to allow for freedom of movement. Maximum reach is 60 to 65 cm.

 

 

The Galley layout of our kitchen allows easy movement from one side of the kitchen to the other. The  mobile trolley allows us to be flexible with work areas.

Note the open area beneath the sink. Large sliding windows opens the kitchen to the garden and allows sunlight to stream into the kitchen. The pull out ironing board is a great feature as well.

The gas hob with open area under the counter and the mobile trolley make up the key cooking area.

Lever control and mixer on the tap makes it easy to use with limited hand function.

Sliding doors are a must on kitchen cupboards with sliding shelves inside the cupboard. Also note the open area under the desk and bookshelf. I must admit, it is actually used for the dog bed!

"Universal design = design for human diversity, social inclusion and equality." Design for All Europe 2008.

 
 

Our "Room with a View"...... never a dull day in our kitchen. We spend hours sitting here watching the birds.... from dawn till dusk, we always have some entertainment!