Cape Malay Cookery Course

Cape by Design Tours took some inquisitive tourist cooks to Zany's cozy kitchen at her home in Bo- Kaap, Cape Town, to learn the art of Cape Malay cuisine.

First we learned how to make and mix a Masala for different dishes and then we proceeded to cook.
For starters we made Chilli Bites or Dhaltjies, as they are known in the lingo. Made with pea flour, spices and some chopped fresh veggies like peppers and cucumber. We deep fried them and they came out plump and crispy, just delicious.
Not many South Africans know how to make Samoosas and we found out why...it's tricky. The art of making a Samoosa is not in the filling, but in folding the pastry into a triangle several times over. Then you deep fry it, till the pastry is golden brown. Crunchy on the outside, spicy and soft on the inside, wonderful!
By comparison the chicken curry and yellow rice was easy. When we savoured our tasty meal it was all the better for having helped create it.  
Join Cape by Design Tours for one of our culinary home cooking experiences!

Elephants don't only do this in the movies, they do it right here in South Africa!

Walking with Elephants

Recently I visited an Elephant park near Knysna with some German tourists and we walked with the elphants, holding their trunk. We also had the chance to get up really close to them and touch and rub them. It was a remarkable experience for me, having often observed elephants in the wild and having a huge respect for them. Their skin is really rough but really sensitive at the same time.