Sue's promise, "I'll give a short explanatory talk about ancient history, jealousy and a golden
rhino", lured a full house to her home for the March book club meeting. We were treated to a short introduction to the enigmatic Mapungubwe, which, over a thousand years ago, was a great African Iron Age kingdom where the famous golden rhino was dug up in 1933. Archaeological research continues there to this day. Early in 1995 it became a national park, and in 2003 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.(Click here for more.)
The reason for this introduction, was the appearance in Sue's pile of books of Zakes Mda's fabulous new book, The Sculptors of Mapungubwe. (Click on the book's thumbnail in the column opposite for a review.)
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First, you have to get past Sue's cat ...
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in order to choose some of these exciting books to take home and devour.
And speaking of devouring, two recipes of Sue's yummy offerings follow ...
Jane’s Smoked Snoek
Pate
Blend:
Snoek 250 g smoked, crumbled, (remove skin and bones)
250 ml low fat cheese
Half small onion finely chopped
2 t tomato paste
250 ml low fat cheese
Half small onion finely chopped
2 t tomato paste
Black pepper, herbs
Add about 100-125 mls cream, to desired consistency
Fold in and refrigerate
Add about 100-125 mls cream, to desired consistency
Fold in and refrigerate
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Mix:
2 green apples,
peeled and chopped finely
200 G dates,
chopped
1t bicarb
1 cup boiling
water
Cover and leave
to stand until just warm
In large
bowl, beat until creamy:
125 G slightly
softened unsalted butter
1t vanilla
1 cup castor sugar
Beat in 1 large egg
Fold in:
180 G flour
Then apple/date
mixture, (including water)
Bake at 180⁰ for 45-50 mins, in springform tin, greased and lined, (I
just used spray n cook)
While cake
cooking, make the topping:
Heat the
following until well mixed and sugar has melted:
30 G butter
¼ C milk
¼ C soft brown
sugar
1/3 C shredded
coconut
When cake has
baked for the 45-50 mins, remove and cover with topping, then return to oven
for further 30 mins
Remove from tin
when cold.
