Sharon Lurie
Struik Lifestyle
Penguin Random House
Review: Brian Joss
Lurie has published two other books, Cooking With The Kosher Butcher’s Wife and Celebrating With The Kosher Butcher’s Wife. Now in her latest cookbook she adds a kosher touch to traditional braai dishes and other staples at the lunch and dinner tables.
There are 13 chapters including Beefing Up Breakfast, Let’s Zoop It Up, Let’s Meet and Eat, Here Comes The Braai’d and Sweet Endings. There also cooking notes, conversion tables and secret sauces which explains how to make a South African original – Monkey Gland Sauce, to name a few. Some interesting breakfast dishes are Mabele Flashback Flapjacks With Peanut Butter and Banana-Cinnamon Syrup, or Shaksausage on Mielie Meal Toast which is a different on shakshuka. Gila’s Cinnamon Roll Cake is a great way to start the day on a sweet note. There are soups aplenty including Madumbi Soup: madumbi’s grow wild in Zululand and are sometimes available in supermarkets. Another is Carrot and Spicy Chickpea Soup. For the braai (or the stove) is Rib Eye Steaks in Roosterkoek; Monkey Gland Braai Ribs; Glazed Pap and Wors Kebabs; and what I think is a standout: Mojito Inspired Kebabs with fresh mint and herb sauce. Don’t get all excited you don’t need tequila as it is alcohol free. But it has a nice zing to it, thanks to the ginger and red chili flakes, two of the ingredients for the sauce. There’s the Heartbeat of Africa (biltong salad) and Kohl Rabi Slaw, to name two and would make excellent side dishes at your next braai. Veggie Bunny Curry also sounds tempting. And you can find the recipe in the chapter, Menchables – What A Great Bunch. A recipe for Vuvuzela Samoosas is included, probably because it is shaped like one. You can learn how to make biltong in Deli and Street Food as well as the Beefiest Great Gatsby in Town.
Recipes for Amakheke, Township Scones, Bobba Shar’s No Bake Melktert, Koeksister and Malva Pudding With Brandy (Klippies and Coke) will tempt your taste buds. There is also a Gluten-Free and Dairy Free Carrot Cake.
A Taste of South Africa with the Kosher Butcher’s Wife will be a useful addition to your collection. Although Lurie uses only kosher cuts and kosher products. In any event products such as flour, milk, butter, sugar and spices carry the kosher stamp. The meat is a different problem but you can use non-kosher meat which won’t make a difference to the recipe or taste. Except for the Macon (a bacon substitute) Flavoured Popcorn.
