North African Lamb Stew

This is a supremely easy recipe and takes almost no time or effort to make. It's great to pop in the slow cooker in the morning to be ready at the end of a workday, and is actually quite healthy. Feel free to increase the spices if you like or if you don't have them all in your pantry, use what you have and make it your own recipe!

1 lb lamb or goat stew meat
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 c water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
6 oz baby spinach

Trim lamb of excess fat. Place it in a 5-quart slow cooker. Mix oil and spices into a paste in a small bowl, then use it to coat the lamb. Toss well. Top with the raw, chopped onion.

Bring tomatoes with their juice, water and garlic to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over the lamb and onion. Cover and cook until the lamb is tender, 5.5-6 hours on low (or 3.5 hours on high).

Roughly mash 1/2 the chickpeas with a fork, then stir all chickpeas into the stew along with the spinach. Cover and cook on high until the chickpeas are warmed through and the spinach is wilted, 5-10 minutes.

Serve over couscous - whole wheat if you're feeling healthy. Delicious!
Serves 6-8.

African Cats - Movie review

The second big cats movie of the year arrived on the big screen this Earth Day. African Cats follows the lives of a lion family and a cheetah family in the Masai Mara. You can expect spectacular close ups of animals, beautiful scenery and stunning, slow motion river crossings; not just of wildebeest and zebra, but also predators.

This is a Disneynature production, so it is rated 'G' and is meant to be more appropriate for children than the unsparing view of big cat life found in the National Geographic production 'The Last Lions', released in February. 'G' rating aside, there is violence - and while most of it is offscreen, there are some intense scenes that include kills. The movie relies on edge of your seat action and drama to keep the audience engaged but misses some of the magesty that we saw in The Last Lions.

Samuel L Jackson does a nice, but unremarkable job narrating, and that is where most of the darker parts of the movie are described, rather than being shown directly on screen. The music does a nice job of conveying what the filmakers want you to feel at a given moment, but doesn't really evoke Africa.

If you want to enjoy scenery and close ups of African game, this is a good movie. It's also potentially a good family movie and is appropriate for most ages (and a good way to get your 'Africa fix'). If you want a more stark and intimate look at the lives of lions (sparing no emotion), I'd suggest The Last Lions.

Photo courtesy Gretchen Healey

Summer 2011 Gorilla Trekking

Time is running out to secure your gorilla trekking permits for dates in summer 2011. Explore our Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas trip, take a group trip, or we can customize your gorilla adventure. Remaining permit availability and dates are as follows:

Rwanda

June 2011
1st = 40
2nd = 30
3rd = 30
4th = 25
5th = 40
6th = 6
9th = 2
10th = 8
11th = 3
12th = 3

July 2011
23rd = 1
24th = 1

August 2011
4th = 3

There are no permits left for September.

Uganda is slightly less limited, however many dates are already sold out - especially in July and August. September still has good availability. Permit availability changes daily, so book your trip quickly to secure your spot for this magical wilderness experience!

We are also pleased to announce that there is now a new gorilla group open for trekking in the Kisoro/Clouds Lodge area. The group is called 'Mishaya' and it currently has 9 members. In July 2010, the second ranking Silverback called 'Mishaya' broke away from the main Nshongi group, taking 8 other individuals with him.

Photos courtesy Gretchen Healey

Banana and Meat Stew

I had this dish the first time I visited Tanzania. I was skeptical when I was told I would be having banana and meat stew for lunch, but I'm a firm believer in trying everything once. This recipe will make you try it once, twice, then three times, then again...

Banana and Meat Stew
adapted from Cooking the East African Way
by Constance Nabwire and Bertha Vining Montgomery
Serves 4-6

1lb beef (preferably grass fed), cut into cubes
2c water
2 onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp oil
2 medium green plantains, or 4 small green bananas; washed peeled, sliced and placed in a bowl with cold water (I'd use the plantains unless you're getting your bananas from Africa!)
1c coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Place the meat and water in a pot and simmer for an hour. Saute the onion and tomato in hot oil in a large skillet until the onions soften and take on some color. Add cooked meat, plantains and coconut milk. If the coconut milk does not cover the meat, add some of the meat stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently until bananas are cooked and the meat is tender. If you are using regular bananas, add them 15-20 minutes before the meat is done.

Enjoy!

Le Quartier Français does it again

Le Quartier Français has been included, for the 7^th consecutive year (and 8^th year overall), in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants.

This year saw the Tasting Room, the only South African restaurant included in the 2011 Top 50 Restaurants, placed 36 overall and best restaurant in Africa & The Middle East.

Two other South African restaurants -Rust-en-Vrede and La Colombe – were recognized and included in the S.Pellegrino World's Top 51-100 Best Restaurants rankings; reaffirming our belief that South Africa, as a food destination, continues to impress on a global scale.

An extremely proud Susan Huxter, owner of Le Quartier Français, was delighted by her team’s success and aptly summed up what this achievement means:

“Seven consecutive years in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant rankings is an unbelievable accomplishment. An award like this is not something that just happens, it really highlights the fact that Margot Janse, her team and our front of house staff are constantly working on The Tasting Room experience; it shows that this is a culinary space that never stagnates. Every year phenomenal new restaurants enter the global market resulting in a level of competition that is intense, and the pressure to wow with every bite is higher than it has ever been. Even with all this pressure Margot remains true to her love – South Africa – and her passion, food that delights but never at the expense of its childlike wonder.”

Le Quartier Français is a luxurious Relais & Châteaux country inn situated in the French Huguenot valley of Franschhoek, in the Cape Winelands. The Auberge offers eleven unique en-suite Auberge Rooms, three Grande Rooms, two Petite Garden Suites and two deluxe Auberge Suites (with splash pools), which open onto a rose-filled central courtyard and swimming pool. For the ultimate in luxury, there are four state-of-the-art suites, The Four Quarters, overlooking a private pool and sun-splashed deck.

Want to visit? Check out our delicious 'Gourmet South Africa Honeymoon' itinerary. It's not just for newlyweds!

Photos courtesy Le Quartier Français

Sanctuary Chichele Presidential Lodge reopens!

On Wednesday 13 April, His Excellency Dr Kenneth Kaunda visited Sanctuary Chichele Presidential Lodge to officially re-open the property after an extensive refurbishment. The lodge was originally built in the 1970s for Dr Kaunda, the first Republican president of Zambia, as his private retreat in the South Luangwa National Park.

The opening ceremony was also attended by other dignitaries including former First Lady and now Deputy Minister of Tourism Vera Tembo, The Honourable Minister of Eastern Province Isaac Banda, His Royal Highness Chief Makumbi and Timothy Mushibwe, Chairman of the Zambian Tourism Board, along with members of the local media.

During his speech, former president Dr Kaunda thanked Sanctuary Retreats for the significant investment made in Zambia and the role they are playing in promoting tourism in the country. He emphasised that tourism is critical for the development of the local economy in Zambia as it provides employment for local people and assists in the fight against HIV and Aids.

His Excellency also had time for a game drive in the valley where he spotted plenty of wildlife including the notorious Chichele pride of lions on a buffalo kill with their three small cubs, before ending the day with celebratory sundowner drinks on the magnificent Chichele Hill.

Stay tuned to the blog as we will have a trip report in May that includes this newly reopened lodge!

Can Can Chicken

This recipe comes from our friends at Zuka Lodge in the Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa. It's the perfect dinner to serve under the stars.

Ingredients
Serves 8

4 chickens
4 tbsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
4 cans of your favorite beer
4 bay leaves
4 cinnamon sticks
20 ml coriander seeds
4 red chillies
4 tsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp Dukkah Spice Blend (you can find commercially prepared Dukkah in speciality stores. If you're unable to find any, stay tuned to a future blog for a Dukkah recipe).

Season chickens with salt, pepper and olive oil. Open cans of beer. Drink a mouthful of each (or I suppose you could pour out the equivalent!) and divide bay leaves, cinnamon, coriander, chillies and cumin between the 4 cans.

Place the cans on a baking try and 'sit' a chicken firmly on each can. Roast in a preheated 375 degree oven or grill for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and rub with mustard and Dukkah spice blend, then cook for 25 additional minutes at 325C.

Rest the chicken for 10 minutes. To serve, split the chickens in half, pile on a platter and sprinkle with more Dukkah spice.

Visit the boma in the photo yourself and try some of the cooking directly from Zuka Lodge. Give us a call to start planning your own customized South African safari!

Photo courtesy & Beyond Zuka Lodge, recipe adapted from A Kitchen Safari

March Mara Game Report - part 2

Thanks to our partners at Governor's Camp in Masai Mara for this March game report.

Rhino lived up to their reputation and were ever elusive. Our drivers were patient and persistent however, and amazed many guests with their uncanny ability to almost sense where these prehistoric beasts were. Various individuals were seen but memorably, towards the middle of the month, three were found together - mother, calf and adult male. The adults were mating! Watch this space in fifteen month's time!

Towards the middle of the month we were treated with a douse of extremely welcome rain! The whole Mara seemed to take a deep breath and change into a new gear. The Mara River rose almost immediately and very soon a different pattern of animal movement became visible. Cheetahs, for which fairly large distance had to be travelled previously, were seen much closer to our camps. This is most likely because of there suddenly being a greater availability of food for herbivores and their subsequent decrease of movement. Less prey movement meant less large predator movement and thus a relatively safer environment for less robust predators such as cheetahs.

More water meant a better deal for elephants and indeed, a large number (in big groups as opposed to the smaller family groups of February) is still to be seen around the marshes. The African Green Heart tree is still bearing fruit and there is still a group of elephants that visit the camps regularly to take advantage of the shorter grass and Green Heart fruit. A little more work for our watchmen to keep us forewarned and a marvelous sight for all!

An interesting phenomenon brought about by the rain is the slow return of the Loita zebra to their residential area. As conditions improve the attraction of home draws them south and east of us. Many of them had been caught on the "wrong" side of the Mara River and, amazingly, a crossing of some seven hundred zebra and - fourteen giraffe - was seen on the 29th of March! Only one poor little zebra was caught by crocs.

Photos courtesy Samuel Kiplangat and Kate McLellan

Kathy Wojcik joins AAC

Kathy Wojcik has joined the safari specialist staff at Africa Adventure Consultants. With 25 years of experience as a leisure and cruise travel consultant with American Express Travel, she brings to AAC a wealth of experience and passion for her work. She has traveled to 65 countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

On her most recent safari, Kathy visited Amboseli, Lewa Conservancy and Masai Mara where she was thrilled to encounter many species of animals and birds—the big cats being a special favorite. She enjoyed her first camel ride at Lewa—she recommends wearing padded biking shorts if you have them!

Kathy also is an avid outdoorsperson, enjoying many of Colorado’s hiking trails, and loves tending to her organic flower and vegetable gardens. She welcomes your inquiries and will be happy to discuss your preferred travel destinations.

The Vision of Wangari Maathai - movie review

This movie review was generously shared with us by the Sierra Club's Green Life Blog.

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai (2008)

Limited screenings and available on DVD

Wangari Maathai has worked since the 1970s to promote democracy and women's rights in a culture that's traditionally repressed both. Her success is all the more remarkable when you consider that the groundswell of change and empowerment she inspired came about through such a seemingly simple act: planting trees.

Born in British-ruled Kenya, Maathai came to the U.S. as part of the Kennedy Airlift, the same program that brought Barack Obama’s father here for higher education. Some alchemy of new confidence and a perspective that offered possibilities beyond those she saw in her home country brought her back to Africa, where she began a tireless, often perilous, campaign to realize her dream of a greener and more just world.

Via interviews and historic footage, this film traces Maathai's path from her first activist ventures to the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies, where she became the first African woman, and the first environmentalist, to be honored. Facing formidable opposition from government and societal institutions (she was repeatedly assaulted and jailed by government sympathizers, especially during the rule of Daniel arap Moi), she slowly built a coalition of mothers, wives, and sisters who came together to plant trees. In finding a livelihood and sense of purpose, the women of the Green Belt Movement were empowered to stand up to the forces that held them down.

Since its founding in 1977, the Green Belt Movement has planted more than 40 million trees and helped thousands of women earn a living while preserving their natural and cultural heritage. Maathai’s work stands as proof that justice and environmental health are inseparable parts of global well-being — and that one (indomitable) person can change the world.

Review by Zoë J. Sheldon

Reprinted with permission from Sierra Club

March Mara Game Report - part 1

It's been a while since we've checked in with our friends at Governor's Camp in the Masai Mara. With that, here is the latest game report, straight from camp. This report focuses on many people's favorite - big cats.

March started in much the same way as February ended, with dry conditions, hot days and a great deal of animal movement. Vultures and other birds that use thermals seemed to be up and away much earlier, while there was a longer rest period in the middle of the day for the general game. Nonetheless, there was still much to see in our corner of the Mara.

The Paradise Pride of lions split up (although it is unlikely to be permanent) with members moving to either side of the Mara River. This split is probably because of the same animal movement as was seen the previous month and is typical of a pride needing to "broaden their horizons" in order to feed. With six big males to make their collective presence known, it is also no surprise that younger males and some females feel the pressure! This pride is still hunting hippo.

The Marsh Pride seemed settled in the Bila Shaka area and made good use of the Loita zebra and the resident warthogs as their prey. An interesting occurrence in March was the first sighting of four very young cubs. They belong to a female who is associated with the Marsh pride, but who hasn't yet been accepted by the other females. The cubs are believed to be her third litter.

In the walking area the Acacia Pride male lions were still to be seen earlier in the month enforcing their dominance. Towards the end of the month four lucky walkers were treated to a spectacle of no less than fourteen lions moving past them, the young ones gambling and tugging at each other tails while the adults stoically endured the rabble!

Leopard sightings were almost on a par with last month. Seen regularly was a young male near Private Camp. Of great interest was the sighting of a female with a three month old cub near Chemorta. What a privilege to be allowed a glimpse of a very secret and fiercely protected world!

Game report courtesy Governor's Camp, photos courtesy Katie McLellan and Samuel Kiplangat

2004 Guardian Peak Shiraz - wine review

I opened this dust-covered bottle the other night to accompany thyme scented lamb burgers. Guardian Peak is a South African wine produced outside of Stellenbosch in the beautiful Cape Winelands. If you'd rather skip the review and head out on a wine and food adventure to the Cape Winelands instead, give us a call to plan your trip.

Alarmed after reading that it was meant to be consumed within 4 years, I nevertheless soldiered on. Wine almost always benefits from decanting, whether in a decanter or a large glass, and it did so in this case as well. The new-world style wine was perfect with the lamb. It had a faint smokiness reminiscent of Pinotage, but it was subtle rather than overwhelming. It was velvety smooth and had a soft finish with few to no tannins. It has a deep burgundy hue and was made for drinking with food. The winemakers suggested a Cape Malay curry, which would no doubt be delicious, but it wasn't on the menu in my kitchen that night.

If you have an '04 gathering dust in your basement (I expect the vintage to be unavailable for sale at this stage), I'd open it now. It's probably not going to improve further, but you're definitely not too late. Gesondheid!

Photos courtesy Gretchen Healey

East African Cuisine - Doro W'et recipe

Doro W’et (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)

As promised, here is Kate Wheeler’s recipe for the Ethiopian dish Doro W’et using spices from the Savory Spice Shop. Get your own Berbere and more at their retail locations or their online store.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup ghee

• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tsp. dried ground ginger

• ¼ cup Berbere Ethiopian Style Seasoning (see notes below)

• black pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 3/4 cup tomato sauce

• 2 lb chicken thighs, cubed

• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter

• 1 hard-boiled egg per person

Notes: This dish is VERY spicy. If you like it less spicy, just cut back on the Berbere. You can also make this dish with bone in chicken parts with the skin removed. Feel free to experiment with beef, tofu, or lamb. Any protein works!

Directions: In a large pot or Dutch oven, add clarified butter and sauté onions and garlic until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add ginger, Berbere, pepper, chicken stock, and tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken to pot, stirring to ensure pieces are fully coated, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove a small amount of sauce into a small bowl and combine with peanut butter to thin it out. Then, return everything into the pot. Lightly score the eggs, so that the delicious juice can penetrate, and continue simmering until chicken is done (10-20 minutes depending how big your pieces are).

Serving Suggestions: With injera bread (or tortillas if injera cannot be found) and one egg per person.

Yields: 4-5 Servings If cooking isn't your thing, or you'd like to go straight to the source, give us a call and we'll plan a cultural adventure to Ethiopia for you!

Recipe and photo reprinted courtesy The Savory Spice Shop

East African Cuisine

We are fortunate to have an amazing array of fantastic spices available to us through our local Savory Spice Shop here in Denver. They have enough spices to transport you around the globe when you visit their stores, or you can take a trip through their online collection to get what you need for your own culinary trip to East Africa.

The following article is by Kate Wheeler, the Lead Trainer for the Savory Spice Shop franchisees and who is a wealth of food and spice information. She shares some of this knowledge with us with this article reprint from Indulge in Denver magazine. Special thanks to the Savory Spice Shop for permission to reprint the article and recipe.

I love African cuisine. The complexities of this ancient cuisine come from the many worldly influences based on countries that have conquered the land and controlled the spice routes. Africa is a vast continent with varied flavors and ingredients; because of this we will have to focus on a specific region. In this article I would like to discuss East African foods with a main focus on the mysterious fare of Ethiopia.

Eastern Africa was one of the first Indian kingdoms, controlled for a thousand years resulting in much trade of spices and slaves. As a result, Indian spices like fenugreek, cumin, cardamom, and cloves are widely used. Cloves were brought to the island of Zanzibar where they flourished; which is not where the majority of the world’s supply comes from. Because Eastern Africa was located at the crossroads of the spice route, indentured servants were brought down from India to help build the railroads to help transport goods. These servants brought with them a unique style of preparing food, which has highly influenced modern East African cuisine.

In East African cuisine there is a large focus on chilies. Once they were brought over from the New World it was discovered that they grew especially well in the hot, blistering sun of Africa. There is an old Yoruba proverb that I read in A World of Curries, by Dave Dewitt and Arthur J. Pais, which reads, 'The man that eats no chile is weak; while chile is the staff of life.' Scorching hot capsicums are used to make Piri-Piri from Mozambique, a fiery spice mixture used as a main seasoning and a condiment. The same can be said for Berbere, a deeply flavorful and almost painfully hot blend from Ethiopia.

Traditional Ethiopian curries differ from Indian ones in the fact that they do not use turmeric (a rhizome that makes Indian curries yellow). A similarity between the two is the use of lentils as main and side dishes. One of my favorite traditional Ethiopian meals is a W’et (a curry and stew like concoction) but with fiery additions. My favorite is Doro W’et, a hot chicken stew served with hard boiled eggs. The eggs work to cool the dish down perfectly.

Ethiopian food is traditionally eaten with the right hand. Diners tear off pieces of injera (a sourdough crepe made from teff flour) and use it to pick up pieces of stew, lentils or vegetables. The food is served family style on one platter that is covered with a large piece of injera.

I hope I have inspired you to try this fun and incredibly flavorful food. If you would like to try Ethiopian food before attempting making it, visit an Ethiopian restaurant in your town. Because all the food is served on one platter, you can sneak some of your companion’s goodies and try a multitude of dishes. Have a culinary adventure!

Next week, we will feature Kate’s recipe for Doro W’et so that you may try your hand at this exotic and delicious dish in your own kitchen.

Article and Kate Wheeler photo reprinted courtesy Kate Wheeler and The Savory Spice shop, remaining photos courtesy Africa Adventure Consultants