Dig it!
Author: Scott Attfield
Published by RANDOM HOUSE STRUIK
This beautiful, colourful book is a practical, no-nonsense guide to gardening in South Africa. It is ideal for new house owners who want to put their own stamp on the current garden, need to establish a brand new signature garden or for those home owners who want to revamp their existing garden. The pages are filled with useful ideas and everything one needs to know about planning a garden, preparing the soil, choosing plants, planting and caring for a garden and how to make a garden more water-wise and environmentally friendly. Plant finders for sun/shade, colour, style and indigenous plants are also included to help narrow down one’s selection no matter what style of garden is chosen. The other nice thing about this book is that it is written in a straightforward manner, with easy-to-follow-text and no difficult terminology that one doesn’t understand.
About the author: Scott Attfield lives in Cape Town and is a full-time landscaper. He enjoys being in the garden and getting his hands dirty. This book (his first) is hopefully the first of many to come.
One lucky reader can win one copy of this useful book, click here to enter!
Filmer’s Spiders
Authors: Martin R. Filmer revised by Norman Larsen
Published by RANDOM HOUSE STRUIK
To most of us, these creatures are what nightmares are made of and in some cases it is true because some species are extremely creepy and others extremely poisonous. And no matter how much we wish that they didn’t exist, they do and it is better to know what you are dealing with when you find a spider in your home. This book is an identification guide that contains photographs, descriptions and information on all 63 species of spiders found in South Africa. The spiders are grouped into web-living, ground-living and plan-living categories. Each family is categorised by the spider’s lifestyle, habitat, size, behaviour and venom potential. For those species whose venom is potentially dangerous to man, the effects and recommended treatment of bites are discussed. This A5-size book is ideal for people who love camping and the outdoors and also a must-have for anyone living in an area that is infested with spiders.
About the authors: The late Martin R. Filmer had a keen interest in wildlife from his early school days. When he discovered the world of spiders, he turned to literature to increase his knowledge and soon realised that this subject had sadly been neglected and he made it his mission to make information on this intriguing animals more accessible to the general public.
Norman Larsen devotes most of his time to the study of spiders, but has knowledge about everything from tiny arthropoda to large mammals. He is also a very skilled photographer.
One lucky reader can win one copy of this useful book, click here to enter!
Tastes of Africa
Author: Justice Kamanga
Published by RANDOM HOUSE STRUIK
Africa must be the continent with the most diverse cultures and traditions and that is what makes it truly unique and something to be celebrated. Justice Kamanga does just that with his very delicious cookbook! Tastes of Africa takes the reader on a gastronomic safari, exploring the tastes and textures of indigenous African cuisine as well as dishes that have been influenced by foreign settlers to the continent from Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The recipes are easy to prepare and he has kept the ingredients simple and easy to get hold of. It emphasises the rich mixture of flavours, colours and aromas that is typical of African cuisine. The cookbook contains beautiful, delicious photos and is ideal for people who love to have theme party or may own an establishment with an African look and feel. Recipes include starters, fish, meat, vegetarian dishes, desserts and bread and will make any guest feel African at your next party.
About the author: Justice Kamanga attended the School of Catering in Malawi and was thereafter appointed head chef for the US Embassy in Lilongwe. He later moved to South Africa and worked as head chef of the Italian Embassy and also attended the Cooking School at the Pretoria Technikon.
One lucky reader can win one copy of this useful book, click here to enter!
Know your spices
Herewith a brief description of the spices that you often find in the kitchen:
Where do the spices in my kitchen come from?
- Mexican: cayenne pepper, chilli-powder, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, garlic-powder, jalapeno peppers.
- Italian: anise, basil, crushed red pepper, fennel, garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, sage.
- Chinese: Chinese 5-spice, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger, sesame seed, white pepper, whole red chilli’s.
- Thai: basil, cilantro, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger, mint, turmeric, whole red chilli’s.
- Greek: cinnamon, dill weed, garlic powder, mint, onion powder, oregano, paprika.
Everyday spices
Cinnamon is a spice that contains aromatic essential oils and is used as a condiment and flavouring material. It is said that it helps the body to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Coriander is a spice and the plant is also known as Cilantro. Both the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are used in cooking. It is believed that it provides relief from insomnia.
Black pepper is produced from the green unripe berries of the pepper plant and is the most popular and widely used spice in the world. It is used to season all kinds of savoury dishes. It is believed to improve digestion and relieve constipation.
Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many curries providing them both colour and flavour. It is a blood purifier and is said to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Ginger root has a strong aroma and flavour. It is used as a spice to add a fresh taste to many dishes and also in making teas. Helps to lower cholesterol and is used relieve a sore throat.
Curry leaves are highly aromatic and commonly used in Indian cuisine. It is also known as sweet neem leaves. It is used as seasoning in India and to make chutneys and in curries. It is said that curry can help prevent premature grey hair.
No comments on this post yet.