The Good and The Bad Faces of ManKind

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to two men who personify the good and bad sides of mankind who’s anniversaries are remembered this week Nelson Mandela and Billy the Kid. And in honour of the great South African Statesman this week’s recipes are have an Afrikaans theme, they are Bunny Chow, Safari Eggs andBobotie.

Nelson Mandela is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first ever to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before being elected President, Mandela was a militant anti-apartheid activist, and the leader and co-founder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Mandela went on to serve 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela led his party in the negotiations that led to the establishment of democracy in 1994. As President, he frequently gave priority to reconciliation, while introducing policies aimed at combating poverty and inequality in South Africa. In South Africa, Mandela is often known as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name; or as tata (father). Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades.

Billy the Kid or William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr.), better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier outlaw in the American Old West. According to legend he killed 21 men, but it is generally believed that he killed between four and nine. He killed his first man at 18.

McCarty (or Bonney, the name he used at the height of his notoriety) was 5'8" (173 cm) tall with blue eyes, a smooth complexion, and prominent front teeth. He was said to be friendly and personable at times, and it's been said that he was as lithe as a cat. Contemporaries described him as a "neat" dresser who favoured an "unadorned Mexican sombrero". These qualities, along with his cunning and celebrated skill with firearms, contributed to his paradoxical image as both a notorious outlaw and beloved folk hero.

Relatively unknown during most of his lifetime, Billy was catapulted into legend in 1881 when New Mexico's governor, Lew Wallace, placed a price on his head. In addition, the Las Vegas Gazette (Las Vegas, New Mexico) and the New York Sun carried stories about his exploits. Other newspapers followed suit. After his death, several biographies were written that portrayed the Kid in varying lights.

The full version of this article can be found at www.garfysplaceinfo.blog.co.uk

My first recipe is Bunny Chow Recipe by Alan Coxon, courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk/food

Serves:4 Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 35 min

15ml x Oil
1 x Onion, chopped
1 x Garlic Clove, crushed
1/2 tsp x Turmeric
1/2 tsp x Garam Masala
1/2 tsp x Salt
1 x Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp x Fresh Grated Ginger
1/2 tsp x Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp x Curry Powder
1 x Chilli, finely diced
250g x Minced Beef
2 tsp x Tomato Purée
150ml x Beef Stock
1 x 400g tin of Butter Beans
A Loaf of Crusty White Bread

Heat the oil over a gentle heat, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic followed by the turmeric, garam masala, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, curry powder and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes.

Increase the heat and add the meat, stirring until browned. Add the tomato puree and then the stock, stir and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the butter beans and cook the dish gently on a low heat for about thirty minutes. When ready, cut the bread in half lengthways, scoop out the middle and set aside. Fill the hollowed-out bread with the curry mix and serve.

My next recipe is Safari Eggs Recipe by Jason Atherton, courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk/food

Serves:4 Prep time:10mins Cook time:15mins

4 x Large Tomatoes
4 x Eggs, at room temperature
250g x Soft White or Brown Breadcrumbs
2 tbsp x Chopped Parsley
8 x Rindless Rashers of Bacon
Vegetable Oil, for frying
Salt and Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Cut a slice off the top of each tomato and remove the pith and seeds. Season the inside of the tomato with salt and pepper and set aside to drain, cut side down.

Meanwhile, soft boil the eggs: place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, then switch off the heat and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the yolks in the middle.
Lift the eggs from the water, plunge into cold water to cool, and then remove the shells.

Place the eggs inside the tomatoes and stand in a baking dish with the tomato ‘lids’. Mix together the breadcrumbs and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle onto the tomatoes and bake for 10 minutes. While the eggs are baking, fry the bacon in a little oil in a frying pan. Serve the eggs piping hot with the bacon alongside.

My final recipe is Bobotie Courtesy of Good Food Magazine February 2008.

Serves 6 Prep 30 mins Cook 40 mins

2 x Slices of White Bread
2 x Onions, chopped
25g x Butter
2 x Garlic Cloves, crushed
1kg x Lean Minced Beef
2 tbsp x Madras Curry Paste
1 tsp x Dried Mixed Herbs
3 x Cloves
5 x Allspice Berries
2 tbsp x Mango Chutney
3 tbsp x Sultanas
6 x Bay Leaves

For The Topping
300ml x Full-Cream Milk
2 x Large Eggs

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Pour cold water over the bread and set aside to soak.
Meanwhile, fry the onions in the butter, stirring regularly for 10 mins until they are soft and starting to colour. Add the garlic and beef and stir well, crushing the mince into fine grains until it changes colour. Stir in the curry paste, herbs, spices, chutney, sultanas and 2 of the bay leaves with 1 tsp salt and plenty of ground black pepper.

Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Squeeze the water from the bread, then beat into the meat mixture until well blended. Tip into an oval ovenproof dish (23 x 33cm and about 5-6cm deep). Press the mixture down well and smooth the top. You can make this and chill 1 day ahead.
For the topping, beat the milk and eggs with seasoning, then pour over the meat. Top with the remaining bay leaves and bake for 35-40 mins until the topping is set and starting to turn golden.

“For seventeen days, they are roommates. For seventeen days, they are soulmates. And for twenty-two seconds, they are competitors. Seventeen days as equals. Twenty-two seconds as adversaries. What a wonderful world that would be. That's the hope I see in the Olympic Games.” - Nelson Mandela

Tune into my shows on 6townsradio "The Thursday Morning Show with TheRealTonyc" every Thursday from 10-12 & my Sunday show “UndertheCovers with TheRealTonyc” at http://6towns.co.uk/ It's what your Sunday's were made for.

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/therealtonyc
www.chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
www.chefgarfyinfo.blog.co.uk
www.6towns.co.uk