Month: January 2010

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and I still open doors, ma’am

there is a god standing here with no coffee!

During the 70’s, I worked in New York City which was — very frankly — not as nice as it is today. It was during a period of time in which there were a number of women professionals that would search every man’s gesture and speech for clues of his hidden suppression-of-all-women agenda. For a guy like me this was fun times.

I worked as a marketing guy for a very buttoned up straight laced firm just beyond grand central station. Fortunately or unfortunately for me, I was plagued with all the manners of another time and place. I would open doors for women, say ‘yes ma’am’ and add all the pleasantries that symbolize all sorts of monstrous things to very insecure women. Eventually I got used to the change in civility, but I couldn’t resist ‘tweaking’ a few of the more offended. I would usually arrive early to work ( by 7am) and obligingly opened the door for one woman who then refused to cross the threshold… I was amused and this was very dangerous to amuse me. So from then on, I would open the door with a flourish and bow very deeply to everyone’s delight … or maybe, just the men laughed but it was great fun. Today, fun times are still always abundant.

My family and I have all enjoyed the Stargate series on television with space travel, the over-the-top bad guys and the wonderful cliché’s. One scene contained something for me: the bad guy (Ba’al) washed his hands and said to his female slaves, “there is a god standing here with wet hands.” Lovely! Not long ago, when our local coffee shop was filled with what one might like to call ‘tough women’… you know the type: short hair, lots of cats and a perpetual snarl. I stood up and said ‘there is a god standing here with no coffee!’ Laura — on cue — ran ‘obediently’ with my coffee and the reaction of the women present was delightful…. but to the men, I was a god. Laura loves to tell this story with a smile.

Sometimes, I feel that the world is far too filled with a bitterness and too little fun. This is so unnecessary as men and women inescapably need each other. Besides, we all need a good chuckle…. and we all need to laugh a lot more…  and — yes — I still open doors, Ma’am.

Roger Freberg

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bake a cherry pie for national pie day

I am sure that the words ‘trifle’, ‘flummery’ and ‘whipped syllabubs’ pass smoothly from your lips… but do you know what they are? These can be found in a wonderful new book entitled the  ‘City Tavern cookbook’ that recreates many of the standard dishes found in colonial America. What is surprising is not the fusion of French, German and English cooking, but the variety of spices that might be unexpected in this time and place, such as ‘curry.’ ( check out page 179 for a ‘West Indies Curried lamb that is as extraordinary as it is tempting)

Much wisdom can be found in this cookbook, here is a quote from President John Adams on the after effects of an imported table wine:

“I drank Madeira at a great rate and found no inconvenience in it!”

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Madison and Adams were all fond of apples and cherries and their recipes and those of others close to them are very intriguing. The recipe for a ‘buttered apple pie’ ) not included in this wonderful book is similar to my own… the apples are sliced and pre-baked.

What better way to celebrate NATIONAL PIE DAY than to recreate one of these wonderful pies. I have known Laura for over 40 years and until today did not know that she loved cherry pie… all these years I would enjoy them alone thinking she preferred an alternative which was also prepared. Tomorrow I will make Laura a cherry pie.

I will say that the bread pudding recipe was a bit boring but the anise biscotti sounded delicious!

Happy National Pie Day 23rd November 2010!

Roger Freberg

PS. CLICK here or on the picture of the pies for my recipe page

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denningvleis or denning meat stew of south africa

Tamarind is sweet and sour but always wonderful

Tamarind is something very commonplace in Indian cuisine and in a variety of drinks around the world and is loved for it’s sweet and sour taste. It is also found in a famous South African dish called ‘Denningvleis.’ It is one of those dishes that all South Africans claim as their own, but with all the cultural tweaks giving to this culinary marvel, it is truly a ‘fusion’ food.

Denningvleis has an interesting history where the meat of choice had been water buffalo. Today, it depends on where you go, but lamb is always a safe bet. Laura isn’t a real fan of lamb, but I manage a mixture with pork that always seems to please her. The trouble is that today I am back on a strict Jenny Craig schedule to lose a bit of the Christmas cheer.

Here’s my friend  Michael Tracey’s ( the AfriChef) recipe should this strike your fancy as much as it does mine!

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“Denningvleis (literal translation Spiced Meat)

Ingredients:
3 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 large cloves of garlic crushed.
5 allspice.
6 cloves.
2 bay leaves.
1 green chilli finely chopped.
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.
1 KG (2 ¼ pounds) fatty mutton
2 tablespoons seedless tamarind.  (If you can’t get tamarind use
Lemon juice.)
1 cup boiling water.
1 teaspoon full grated nutmeg
Salt to taste

Method:
Fry onions in oil in a large saucepan until soft add garlic, allspice
cloves, bay leaves, chilli and pepper.Layer meat on top of the onions
Close saucepan with a tightly fitting lid and allow to simmer for
13 — 40 minutes.

Soak tamarind in boiling water.  Allow to cool.  Pour through a sieve.
Pressing all the juices through with a spoon.  Pour tamarind liquid
over meat and sprinkle with nutmeg  Season to taste and simmer for 10 — 15
minutes.  Serve with freshly — cooked rice.
This recipe will serve eight hungry people.

AfriChef Micheal Tracey sell a recipe e-book containing 266 African recipes.
You can find it on http://www.africhef.com for only $11.95

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Roger Freberg

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the truth was written in the past

two steps forward one step back

The book entitled “Atlantis the antediluvian world” was received as ‘fact’ when the book was released in 1882. Kings and heads of state reviewed with awe the tale of Atlantis, and with the recent discovery of Troy and the continued exploration of Egyptian antiquity, who could blame anyone from being captivated? We often don’t admit to being hoodwinked which is why you seldom hear about this book, but it is fun to read!

Which brings me to a curious point, one of the things that are quickly vanishing out of libraries and large private collections and into the hands of many everyday people are thousands and thousands of books. If you haven’t been to a library recently — and few have — there is one thing missing… books!  Personally, I am not sad to see the library go the way of the dodo. Libraries are the clerics of an ancient technology.

However, the challenge we have today is sifting through the interpretations of others and never seeing the original source. If you don’t read the original books, you might believe  that Abraham Lincoln’s overriding passion wasn’t to free the slaves. You might not be aware that many believe he was influenced by an account of the capture and slavery of a seaman in North Africa in the early 1800’s.

By building your own library, you can see for yourself what people thought about their times and the people in them. Just as any good chef will own hundreds of cookbooks ( although there are those who won’t admit it!), how can you really know your field if you have not read their founding books?

Find something you enjoy and buy some books!

Roger Freberg

PS. Laura has started her own  Psychology Library