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JANUARY 2015Fab!Fab!

Red roses, romance and gestures anddeclarations of love will be the order of the daywhen the month of love makes its annual returnnext month. Love will be in the air on Saturday 14February when St Valentine’s Day will becelebrated across the world. The Overberg,Stellenbosch and Helderberg offer a variety ofromantic opportunities for you to make yourloved one feel extra special this year. So insteadof the customary bunch of roses, teddy bear orsweet treat, why not take the special person inyour life to one of the areas’ many wine farms fora romantic sunset picnic, a fine dining experienceat its top-class restaurants or a beach stroll undera sky of glitsy stars?

LOVEis in the air

HERMANUS/HELDERBERG/STELLENBOSCH

LOVEis in the air

Try theTikkaBoys’wildebeestfillet

A recipe that is of special significanceto Ultimate Braai Masters Yusuf Sujeeand Stephen Mandes must be the farethey preparedat Sossusvlei in theNam­ib­Naukluft National Park.The theme for the eight episodes of

the Ultimate Braai Masters 2014 com­petition was venison and teams wereput to the test of their creative abilities.The Tikka Boys succeeded in going

through to the next round with their wil­debeest fillet served with pumpkin frit­ters, glazed beetroot and pickled car­rots.Their dry rub recipe is very versatile

and can be used for all sorts of tendercuts.Beef fillet would work well as a re­

placement for their winning wildebeestdish. Enjoy!

DRY RUB) 20 g cumin seeds) 20 g coriander seeds) 20 g fennel seeds) 10 g sugar) 10 g course salt) 5 g crushed garlic

METHODRoast all the seeds till fragrant, crushalong with sugar salt pepper and gar­lic.Generously spread thedry rubover thewhole fillet (400 g) and leave to ‘cure’for about an hour or two.Sear the fillet in a hot pan or over hotcoals to get some caramelisation.Wil­debeest is best served medium rare.Carve the fillet to serve.

FRITTERS) 300 g roast pumpkin puree) 10 g ground cinnamon) 20 ml honey) Salt and pepper to taste) 3 whole eggs) 200 g flour) 150 ml milk

METHODSujee andMandes never had the luxuryof a food processor in the desert but atThe Restaurant at La Vierge in the Hem­el­en­Aarde valley, they combine allthe ingredients to a smooth lump freebatter.

Heat a frying pan over medium heatwith a little oil, shallow fry the batterto make little fritters. Fry till goldenbrown each side.Lay on a paper towel and lightly dustwith cinnamon sugar.

PICKLED CARROTS) 100 ml white wine vinegar) 100 ml water; 100 ml sugar) Thinly shaved carrots

METHODHeat up all the pickle ingredients, justtill sugar is dissolved.Pour the pickling liquid over the carrotsand allow cooling.

GLAZED BEETROOT) 3 or 4 large beetroot) 30 ml white wine vinegar) 40 g brown sugar) 40 ml water

) 5 g roast cumin seeds

METHODRoast the beetroot covered in foil in anoven at about 180 till soft. Peel whilestill warm.While the beetroot are roasting, com­bine all the glaze ingredients in a potand reduce to a syrup consistencyOnce that’s all done, slice the beetrootand pour the syrup over.

The Tikka Boys, Yusuf Sujee (left) and Stephen Mandes (right), South Africa’s youngest winners of Ultimate BraaiMasters, with the show’s host Justin Bonello. PHOTO: COOKED IN AFRICA FILMS

2 HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCHFab! NOVEMBER 2014

Campingprovidesoodlesofaffordable fun, sometimesnotMARK STUART

I get more excited than a five-year-oldaroundChristmastimewhenloadingmytent and camping gear into the back ofthe bakkie for a camping trip.

Although I’ve done this umpteen times it alwaysgets my heart pumping fast and my imaginationrunning wild.The joy of pitching my tent in a perfect campsite

and thenexploring thecampsite, surroundingsandnearby town is a new adventure every time.Inmymind, toomany people go overboard and

hi­tech when buying a tent and other necessarycamping supplies.My wife and I have been camping in tents for

more than30yearsandhavenarrowedour camp­ing equipment down to the minimum, without for­saking any comfort.We have “experimented” with many tents over

the years, small, flimsy and cramped to finally big,solid, robust and comfortable.Wehavecampedat the footofmountain ranges,

at the coast and alongside rivers and in forests andexperienced extreme heat, cold, rain and gale­force winds, but have loved every single moment.Once, while camping alongside the Great Brak

River in the Southern Cape with our then teenagedaughters, our braai fire was doused by a heavydownpour of rain.We quickly moved inside our tent and decided

to make spaghetti bolognaise on our gas stove in­side the tent. We had all we needed for a greatbig pot of spaghetti bolognaise and had a greatmeal while the rain poured outside.Our children, now grown up, still have great

memories of that evening.While on one of our first camping trips, near

the Knysna Heads, we returned from town afterbuying supplies to find that our tiny two­man tent

had been flattened by wind and rain and ourclothes and sleeping bags were drenched.We bundled the tent into the car and quickly

found some cheap self­catering accommodation.During another camping trip on a small wine

estate near Tulbagh, the wind was so strong thatit blew our two­man dome tent on top of us whiletrying to sleep.Some of these experiences were not always that

much fun at the time, but we will never forget them

and have always made the most of every trip.The great thing about camping is that it is still

very affordable, loads of fun and you often meetlike­minded campers.We are extremely blessed in the Western Cape

with a plethora of amazing campsites to choosefrom – many only a short drive away.So what are you waiting for?Google camp sites in the Western Cape, pick

a site, pack your tent and gear and go camping.

Keeping things simple and basic and using good-quality equipment when camping will leadto hours of enjoyment and pleasure. PHOTO: MARK STUART

Valentine’sunder the starsSet in beautiful Elgin, the Hope at Paul CluverAmphitheatre will be screening old­schoolclassic Top Gun this Valentine’s Day, with tick­ets costing only R100 each.Watching a film in a forest theatre is not

something many Valentine’s sweethearts willbe expecting this Valentine’s Day, but roman­tics who want to surprise their partners withan extraordinary experience need only buytheir tickets and pack a picnic basket.Guests can bring their own food, although

warm food and snacks will be on sale on theevening.No alcohol is permitted, however Paul Clu­

ver wine will be on sale – along with craftbeer, soft drinks, teas and coffees. Pack blan­kets and cushions to sit on, and bring a jacketin case the air gets chilly.Gates for Top Gun open at 18:00 and the

screening starts at 19:30.After the movie beneath the stars, there are

only twomore opportunities to visit the amphi­theatre this summer season – the HiddenYear’s Festival on Wednesday 7 March willpay tribute to the work of some of South Afri­ca’s foremost struggle artists and the Kids The­atre Festival on Saturday 28 March will takeplacewith a performance of RoaldDahl’s Fan­tastic Mr Fox, as well as the plays Get Krakenand Memory. There will also be fun improv­style theatre and lots of fun and games forthe family.Spreading the love a little further ­ the pro­

ceeds of all Hope Festival events go to NPOThembalitsha Foundation; an organisationthat does tremendous good within the Gra­bouw area and across Cape Town.For more information and to book, visit

Computicket.

Woordfeesverkoopsoos soetkoekMICHELLE VAN DER SPUY

Stellenbosch is reeds sedertverlede jaar besig om verereg te skud vir die jaarlikseUS Woordfees, ’n verheerli-king van Afrikaans en al syverskillende fasette, watvan 6 tot 15 Maart in die Ei-kestad gehou kan word.

Vanjaar se tema, 16 onse, ver­wys na die fees se 16de bestaans­jaar en vier die veelheid en verskei­denheid van die “onse” waarin in­dividue hulself in ’n veranderendewêreld groepeer. Dus net ’n andermanier om eenheid in verskeiden­heid te sê.Feesgangers kan kies en keur uit

’n verskeidenheid optredes, uitstal­lings, boekbesprekings en ge­sprekke wat regoor die dorp gaan

plaasvind.Daar sal ook hope vermaak vir

die kleinspan wees. Die Prinses endie Ertjie, Kinkel en Konkel, Lollosen Tjiff en Tjaff gaan almal tydensdie Woordfees te sien wees.Met optredes deur groot geeste

soosNataniël, LaurikaRauch,Vali­ant Swart en nog vele meer sou ditwys wees om nou al jou kaartjieste koop! Daar is selfs ’n optrededeur een van Suid­Afrika se gun­steling­groepe,MangoGroove, op13 Maart by Neethlingshof.Die Woordfees se kaartjieverko­

pe vaar nie net goed nie, dit is am­per 100% beter as verlede jaar diétyd.Só meen Woordfees­direkteur

Saartjie Botha, die dramaturg enteatervervaardiger wat vanjaardié gewilde fees vir die eerste keerbestuur.

“Ons is baie opgewonde oor diekaartjieverkope, veral omdat onsses dae later begin verkoop het,wat ons ses dae minder gegee hetom ons teikens te haal.”Botha sê kaartjieverkope open in

Desember sodat hulle die maksi­mum hoeveelheid tyd het om soveelkaartjies moontlik te verkoop.Die goeie kaartjieverkope is vir

haar veral verstommend omdathulle nog glad nie volstoommet hulbemarkingsveldtog begin het nie.“Ons is egter ’n bietjie benoud.

Alles wat opgaan, gaan weer af.Daar is net ’n beperkte hoeveelheidkaartjies beskikbaar. Die moontlik­heid bestaan dus dat die groot ver­tonings soos Nataniël en LaurikaRauch s’n vinnig sal uitverkoop.”Botha sê daar is minder as 10

produksies waarvoor daar noggeen kaartjies verkoop is nie.

“Ons sal ’n bottel vonkelwyn indie yskas hou om dit nog te vier.”Die fees se gewildheid is onlangs

onderstreep ná dit vir ’n gesogteFiësta­toekenning vir een van diegewildste feeste in die landbenoemis.Die Woordfees ding met Clover

Aardklop, ABSA KKNK en Innibosmee om aan die begin van Maartmet dié toekenning weg te loop.Om vir die US Woordfees te

stem, SMS F4 na 33690.SMSe kos R1,50 en slegs een

stem per selfoonnommer per dagword aanvaar. Stemlyne sluit 15Februarie.

) Kaartjies vir die US Woord­fees kan by Computicket enwww.woordfees.co.za gekoopword. Vir meer inligting oor diefees besoek www.woord­fees.co.za.

Chris Chameleon sal op 14 Maart sy eersteprente-boek by Die Kaya bespreek.

FOTO: WOORDFEES

JANUARIE 2015 3HERMANUSHELDERBERGSTELLENBOSCH Fab!

Propvol program by vandeesweek se Stellenbosch­wynfeesBesoekers aan vanjaar se Stellen­bosch­wynfees, wat van 30 Januarietot 1 Februarie plaasvind, kan hullegereedmaak vir ’n onvergeetlike wyn­en leefstylfees. Diewynfeesword hier­die jaar by die Coetzenburg­terreingehou. Feesgangers kan die bestewyn, fynproewergeregte, top kunste­naars en aktiwiteite kom geniet.SENSASIONELESOMERKONSERTEVan Suid­Afrika se gewildste kun­

stenaars tree op by die uitmuntendesomerkonserte wat daagliks aange­biedword. Toegang tot die vertoningsis ingesluit by die wynfees se ingangs­fooi. Riana Nel, Jannie Moolman enCorlea Botha se stemme smelt saamop een verhoog vir ‘n musikale kalei­doskoop op Vrydagaand van 20:00– 22:00.

Auriol Hays en die virtuoso instru­mentele groepSterling EQ is Saterdagaan die beurt. JeremyOlivier sal Son­dag met sy kitaar en sielvolle balladesfeesgangers vermaak, voordat Kahn(Parlotones hoofsanger) die verhoogneem.‘n WERELD VAN WYNMeer as 350 wyne sal tydens die

naweek te proe aangebied word. Disdie idealegeleentheidomjouwynken­nis te verbreed.Baie van Stellenbosch se vooraan­

staande wynmakers sal persoonlikdaarwees omhul wyne bekend te stel.Etlikeboetiekprodusente sal slegsSon­dag hulle wyne te proe aanbied. Aldiewyne is by Pick n Pay sewynwinkelte koop.GOURMET-LAANOntdek die rede agter Stellenbosch

se status as kulinêre hoofstad vanSuid­Afrika by die Gourmet­Laan.Gewilde plaaslike restaurante soosWild Peacock Emporium, Blaauwklip­pen, Eaglevlei, Clos Malverne, Spieren Bistro13 (Stellenbosch Vineyards)gaan‘n feesmaal van fynproewerge­regte aanbied. Elke restaurant sal sykenmerkende gereg aanbied met ’nspesifieke wyn.EKSKLUSIEWE PROELOKAALPick n Pay SmartShopper kaarthou­

ers kry die geleentheid om spesialekos­en wynkombinasies in die proelo­kaal te geniet. Verskeie wynmakersbied daaglikse sessies aanwat die ge­heime agter perfekte kos en wynpas­maatsverklap.Hierdiebekroondewy­ne word aangebied saam met proeporsies wat die beste eienskappe vandie wyne na vore bring. Sessies duur

30 minute en kan 40 persone akkom­modeer.PRET-AKTIWITEITEProbeer ‘n paar aktiwiteite eie aan

wyn. Daag jou vriende uit in druiwe­trap, vaatjierol en botteloopmaak­kompetisies. Die vroue­pretstap opSaterdag, 31 Januarie ten bate vanborskankerbewustheid. Die 5km­roe­te is oop vir almal en vind deur diestrate van die Eikestad plaas. Berg­fietsliefhebbers kan inskryf vir die18kmMomentumMTBGrape Ride opSondag,1Februarie.Deelnemersaandie pretstap en bergfietsrit kry gratistoegang tot die wynfees, maar moet‘n glas koop om wyn te proe.KINDERKASKENADESDie jongspan het meer as genoeg

om hulle besig te hou by die spesiaal­ingerigte Momentum Health Kiddies

Area met ‘n Klouter Kabouter pret­park, gesigkuns en ‘n kreatiewe hoe­kie. Daar is ook springkastele en op­blaasbane vir groter kinders. Toege­wyde en gekwalifiseerde oppasserssal aan diens wees om na die klein­span te kyk, sodat ouersmet ‘n gerustehart die fees kan geniet.BESPREEK NOU!‘n Beperkte hoeveelheid kaartjies is

daagliks beskikbaar. Kaartjies kanaanlyn bespreek word by www.web­tickets.co.za teen R170 per volwasse­ne. Toegang vir kinders tussen die ou­derdomme van 3 – 17 is R60 en kin­ders jonger as drie kry gratis toegang.Besoek die fees se webblad bywww.stellenboschwinefestival.co.za.Volg die wynfees op Twitter @StellWi­neFest of Stellenbosch Wine Festivalop Facebook.