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boerewors pap chakalaka

@Tyrus this is my first time making south african food. someone gifted me boerewors, which is that coiled sausage. pap is a white corn polenta made into a creamed texture, the rice substitute over there. chakalaka is like a mix veg stew sauce.

Intriguing, the S. African by Tekebo would surely know more about this cuisine...his name begins with a B as I try to recall, it'll come to me after I hit send. The sausage at a glance looks like a mix of pork and beef, I'll find a recipe and make a batch. Call it a challenge of curiousity.

The grouting process is a one step application, the make-up of the grout itself has the character of a seal within itself and that is why it is sold alone. Using a syringe for the application never entered my mind when I was manuvering through the venting, I simply applied it to the area and worked the grout into the affected area with a bare finger. The grout has a soft enough texture, it's workable, but unfortunately doesn't have a long life span in the tube...it will harden after a peroid of time, but not within the time frame of use. I've used the grout when the KK was cold for small spots on perodic visual inspection time and again, however my KK up to this point has always been undercover by roof and fabric so it's not a frequent experience. I would think Dennis's grout techs would be applying the tiles to a cold KK beforehand, from there I believe they're cleaned and then cured in a kiln. So yah, I believe cold is ok, and don't apply any sealer, it's unecessary and could be detrimental.

One of my favourite meals to cook on the KK is paella. Especially since moving to our new house, which has an induction cooktop. Steel paella pans are never perfectly flat, so induction cooking is a pain. And then there is the mess. Cooking a paella outdoors, over fire, is one of life’s great pleasures. And that’s all traditional paella was- a rice dish cooked over fire in a pan. Having spent some time in Valencia, I’m well versed in traditional paella- and often make a traditional inspired dish with chicken, green beans and sliced Roma tomatoes. At other times- I go maximalist. Tonight, with my parents visiting from interstate, was maximalist. Chorizo, chicken thighs, baby calamari, prawns and mussels with Roma tomato, saffron, spicy smoked and sweet pimenton, fresh rosemary from the garden and green beans on top. My friends always complain that I say that each iteration of a dish was the best ever. They have a point. Nevertheless this was the best paella ever- smoky, spicy, redolent of the aromas of fresh seafood and herbs, the bitter crunch of the soccsrat from the bottom of the pan. Sharpened up with a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon over the top. Heaven.

one of the last cool evenings to do cold smoking.. maldon salt cultured french butter salmon