Environmentalism

Tomorrow is World Environment Day. And the theme for 2012 is "Green Economy: Does it include you?"

With that in mind, I will not be doing anything out of the ordinary to celebrate or observe this day. I won’t be switching off lights for an hour, planting a tree, or not using my car. Why? Because in the greater scheme of things, my actions will not make a statistical difference on that one day.

It is all good and well to show how much electricity we save during Earth Hour. The power companies quake in their boots during that dreaded period, not for the revenue they are losing, but for the strain on the system when everyone switches on all their lights and appliances again. With our aging infrastructure it is a scary thing to think of all that power needing to be supplied to all the do-gooders ravenously consuming power after their good deed. The same can be said for advocates of electrical vehicles. They may not rely on fossil fuel energy and produce fewer emissions, but where does the power come from to recharge the vehicle? And don’t forget the carbon cost in manufacturing the vehicles in the first place!

You might think that I have a negative or defeatist attitude to our environment. You are wrong. I do care deeply for the environment, but we need to face the facts that in a third world country we are financially reliant on fossil fuels for energy. It is a lofty ideal to set targets for phasing out fossil fuel use, but are the alternatives economically viable for all citizens? Change is needed, of that there is no doubt, but sensationalised activist promotions are not the way to change the mind of those in charge.

I’m not bashing the earth loving, tree-hugging hippies out there (well...not too much). We need to be smart about how we induce the change in thought on environmental care. Short bursts of solidarity will not change the minds of ‘Big Power Incorporated (TM)’. What is needed is a concerted effort to bring about a new way of environmentally aware living. It may take the form of small steps such as recycling home refuse, using less electricity at home, not making unnecessary trips in the car, conserving water, growing food at home, and educating youth on the importance of, and the pleasures of, a clean environment.

It is a tall ask to bring about change in a household (trust me...ever try sticking to a new eating plan or exercise routine?). People are not inclined to change, to put in extra effort for long term gains. But if we each start to bring about a change in our lives and through example influence others, in time we can reduce our reliance on ‘dirty’ power and bring some change. This will be infinitely better and exemplary than a petition for lower emissions or cutting power for one hour a year.

Who’s with me on this one?

A quick update

My most humblest apologies dear readers for my tardiness in posting here.
(Hopefully that's enough of a distraction)

Things have been quite busy for your local neighbourhood geek - The Wine Show and Grand Designs Expo (both will be blogged about), and fulfilling a dream of starting a webcomic!

With that, I present another shameless plug:
Blink and Wonky: On the Fritz

I invite you all to visit and comment. You can also show your appreciation on our Facebook and Google+ pages.

Till next time...

Variations on a theme

There's a lot to be said for getting together with friends and coming up with new cocktail/drink ideas. The tried and tested certainly is fun, easy and tasty but there is the added thrill of anticipation from daring to experiment and break the boundaries of common drinks etiquette. Of course, you don't have to re-invent the wheel each time - subtle variations are just as fun. For example:

5 ripe kiwi fruit (peeled and cored)
1 tray ice
4 shots of white rum
2 shots of gin
Blend till smooth and serve in 2 martini glasses.

This is not a typical soft-serve style daiquiri but more a fruity slushy drink. The kiwis provide sufficient sweetness to the cocktail and the gin lends a subtle bitter tang. This was a great impromptu cocktail to share with a friend on a warm afternoon with the sun going down and Firefly on the telly.

My other crowning achievement is an original shooter, invented on a crazy winter's night at a cocktail party in the middle of nowhere. Making the best of what was on hand, I made the inspired decision to combine Amarula cream, Mokador coffee liquor and vodka flavoured chocolate balls. Thus was born the Chocolate Mokarula. Over the years the ingredients may have changed but the basic idea has remained the same (for the better I may add). The current iteration is as follows:

In a double shot glass and over a flavoured chocolate ball, add 1 measure chilled Caramel vodka and slowly layer Amarula cream on top. It's a winner every time!

So the point I'm trying to make (which I apply to most kitchen applications) is do not be afraid to break from tradition and formula. Explore and push boundaries and you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Bubbles (of a different colour)

And so, it is inevitable that I finally come to the first of probably many commercial product reviews. Just to clarify - I am reviewing these products in a personal capacity - and I really am using these products, not just sourcing frothy blurbs from around 'teh interwebs'.

That being said...

There are many cappuccino in a sachet products out there - most suck, but there are some instant foam fans out there - frantically stirring a hole in the bottom of their mugs. I personally don't care for instant coffee cappuccinos - so why this particular lead in? Dear readers, I humbly present: Laager Rooibos Cappuccino!

Cappuccino tea! Yeah, you heard me - lovely silky, slightly fake milky, frothy tea. Rooibos tea. Rooibos tea that tastes like Red Tea products sold at coffee shops. Good tea, healthy tea, tasty t (Ok, I've just had a lie down and I'm ready to continue).

Vegetarian readers will be pleased to know that this product, for all its chemically induced bubbly bliss, is veggie friendly - in fact, it was a vegetarian friend who first introduced me to this instant cuppa. She immediately went up many places in the Friend Rank Ladder (TM)! And unlike the coffee equivalents of yore (again thanks to the wonders of food science), you do not have to send dogs into a frenzy from the rapid and rabid metallic scraping of spoon on cup to generate the foam in the tea - it just magically appears.

There are numerous reports on the benefits of Rooibos tea - it is an antioxidant, caffeine free, Proudly South African, and all-round good guy tea. Many people do not like Rooibos tea. Many people need a kick in the head! I was raised on Rooibos. My gran was a fan and poured it down our throats from the time we were wee waddling babes. For many years this was the only tea I knew. Now I have come to know the pleasures of many other varieties of tea, though Rooibos will always hold a special place in my heart. A heart hopefully healthy all thanks to Rooibos.

Blame Canada!

So after a long couple of weeks and carrying a sleeping pill hangover (first pill I found that only kicks in 12 hours after taking it), I was in no mood to cook up a storm. Rummaging through the fridge and pantry, I came across the following: oven-bake fries, biltong, cheddar, and instant white sauce. Then it hit me. The proverbial bolt from the blue - poutine!

I was introduced to the concept of poutine through the musings of the loveliest lady of Firefly - Jewel Staite (drool).

Now for the uninitiated, poutine is a work of art. A base of french fries topped with bacon bits and cheese curds, all liberally smothered with gravy - or in other words - a heart-attack on a plate! Now while I didn't have the exact ingredients, I love experimenting and putting a new spin on established concepts. So herewith my own South African interpretation of that beloved Canadian heart-clogger: Poutine!

Although I do feel that a variant of the original needs a new name. Any suggestions for a local poutine?

Link the Loot!

So once again I am a year older. Time to celebrate and ponder on the year past, the year to come. More accurately though, time to have drinks and good food with family and friends and be amazed at how people will ignore your requests to not buy presents and present (haha) you with such insightful gifts you can't help but love them more.

Some of the pressies I'll be playing with in earnest soon are my new coffee grinder, a head-to-head battle between my old wine aerator spout and new decanter, and in May, a review of Kinect Star Wars (oh yes - besties are called such for a reason!).

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be clearing counter and cupboard space for the new additions.

Nice and slow

There is one appliance, I have decided, that I will never be without in my kitchen - ever! My lovely, trusty, sometimes dusty slow cooker. Seriously people, this little contraption has changed the way I approach winter cooking (who am I kidding, summer cooking too).

I've always been a fan of casseroles and stews but couldn't be bothered to get them done on the stovetop because I would invariably burn them. Why not use the oven you ask? Well apart from my single deep oven tray (that's mainly used for oven baked chips) I have no oven friendly crockpots. Enter the slow cooker (cue fanfare).

There really is nothing quite like waking up in the morning to an apartment smelling of delicious stew. It really is an Olympian feat of self control to stop oneself digging in for breakfast. Or if you're somewhat less of a masochist, you fill it up in the morning and come home from work to an apartment smelling of delicious stew. Pure bliss.

As lazy a cook as I am when I'm by myself, this has been an absolute pleasure to work with these past two years. Throw everything into the pot, top up with stock and forget for the next 4-8 hours. It doesn't get easier than that. So far I've used it for the ubiquitous stews and casseroles, samp and beans, and to expedite the preparation my most absolute favourite dish in world - dhal gosht!

I'm no expert (yet) at the finer nuances of slow cooker seasoning. There have been some horrible experiences with peppery stews, tannin heavy and herb laced casseroles. The one thing I have learned from the past two years, is that less is more. Slow cooking requires a delicate touch and subtlety when it comes to mixing flavours and spices. A heavy hand can ruin hours of anticipation.

There is more I have to experience with my slow cooker - pot roasts and pseudo-tagines for example. But as the mornings start getting colder and the leaves start falling, I think I'll stick to the tried and tested. Soups up!