Wild Animals

Having grown up in South Africa I often tease people about all the wild animals I had in my backyard growing up – aka “Out of Africa”.  The truth is a little different.  In the suburbs of Johannesburg as a child, the scariest animal was probably a chameleon!  I remember being told that the locals feared and respected it because it had the power to change color.

Later in Natal we did have vervet monkeys in the trees behind our house.  The biggest challenge was stopping the dogs chasing them, as if cornered, were told they could disembowel a dog.  Fortunately, never had any issues and I love seeing them jumping from tree to tree.   

There were a number of poisonous snakes, and I can tell a story of walking in a private game park and jumping away from a 10 foot black mamba – that WAS truly scary and could have been lethal. 

 

Then a move to the suburbs of Boston, MA – a little rural I admit, but regularly I have to chase white tailed deer away from my flowers, and have seen coyotes, foxes and of course the one moose!  In Maine my friends have had bears eating from their bird feeders!

So, USA is more wild than Africa!

Biltong and Mrs Balls

It is interesting how the food you grew up with stays with you as a major part of who you are.  Especially when stressed people reach for familiar, comfort food, and that really does vary all over the world. Comfort foods always have that element of nostalgia.  I guess there are 2 categories - snack foods versus a meal. I don't think of ice cream or peanut butter or Buttermilk Fried Chicken or "goulash"...

Most South Africans can tell you that that they miss biltong, bobotie and of course Mrs Balls chutney (which is essential in the bobotie and other curries). Hey I just found out I can buy it on Amazon - who would have thought!

http://www.mrsballschutney.com/History.html

And of course biltong - always miss it.  I tell friends it it like jerky, but honestly that is being rude to the wonderful taste and texture of biltong.  It is dried meat and I was always partial to the ostrich which is a little drier than the game biltong. As wiki says, biltong is salty not sweet like jerky which is definitely the appeal to me.  Why would you sweeten cured meat?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong


As this image says "bledie lekker"...very good!