Somewhere in a parallel universe, a sensible career choice led to me being decked out in chef’s whites, working efficiently in a professional kitchen, knowing what I was doing and possibly showing other people how to do it.
Instead, I was docked marks in my home economics GCSE exam for casually blowing bubbles through a cheese grater. For hygiene reasons apparently, although I beg to argue as I’d not finished washing it yet. So whilst my friend continued to catering college and a serious of good career choices I opted for random time killing with a sewing machine at art college to avoid the antisocial working hours that would have faced me in the hotel or catering industry.
I often wonder what would have happened if the butterfly effect had flapped the other way in a few places of my life. Who else would I be instead?
There’s bleach blonde haired Sybil Fawlty version of myself quietly running a West Country hotel.
Skinny Parisian moi, had I done that French module at university and stayed there. She wears Agnes B t-shirts and probably smokes cigarettes with camels on the packet.
Incense wafting feng shui practitioner? (She didn’t last long)
There’s the dead me too, the one who didn’t ask questions of dismissive medical staff in the maternity unit nearly four years ago. I think about her now and again ever thankful that the me I am in this existence is more assertive.
But tonight I find myself folding spring rolls in the back of a professional kitchen, a glimpse of how my working life might have started. I love the practicality, no computer, buried out the back whilst someone else deals with the customers. Disappointingly no chef’s whites either!
Tonight the customers are us. I am one of around eight bloggers invited to a dinner at South African restaurant, The BBar in London’s Victoria hosted by South African Tourism. No free lunch for us today, in groups of two or three we’re summonsed out to the kitchen under the watchful eye of sous-chef Chris to each assemble a course of our meal.
Sensibly intending to get the hard work out the way lest wine overcome us later, I join Helly from Fuss Free Flavours and Michelle from Greedy Gourmet to put together 84 bobotie spring rolls. The mince filling is already made but we’re painting spring roll pastry sheets with egg and roll them up neatly before deep fat frying.
Aiming to make 28 rolls each we work out and rather than labour over them one at a time. We multi-tasking ladies soon have a production line of four at once resulting in nearly fifty spring rolls within ten minutes. We’re being competitively fast but I laugh that I could never do a job that required me to do the same thing so many times on a daily basis. It’s the reason I haven’t launched a cake business.
Chris is very surprised. For first timers he’s very impressed. We’ve worked faster than people there who get paid. Which makes us eminently employable in a professional kitchen apparently. My wrists would probably rule me out from this. When it’s my turn to tip the bundles out of the deep fat fryer, I limply wave the basket at Chris and ask him to do it for me! He has no idea how terrified I am of deep fat fryers. Perhaps this is an indication of how well I’d have done in my would be catering career?
Less swiftly than our asbestos fingered teacher, we plate up the rolls on slates with little gem leaves, mint, marinated cucumber and a serving spoon of Mrs HS Balls’ Chutney, a South African favourite.
Next door after photographs we enjoy our spicy rolls – if I ever get over my phobia of deep fat fryers I would definitely make these.
Opting to “cook” first means we get to sit back and enjoy the other two courses undisturbed; springbok with spinach, sweet potato and a cranberry jus features delightfully tender meat similar to venison but less dark and gamey. Like many other game meats, springbok is very low in fat. I’d be low fat too if I spent all my time running away from lions.
Dessert is a traditional South African Malvapeoding, a sticky warm sponge made with apricot jam. Here it’s served with vanilla ice cream made from custard infused with rooibos tea.
To finish our evening we were served springbok shooters – a shot glass filled with layers of green creme de menthe and cream liqueur amarula.
Despite having two dear South African friends, the country’s cuisine is largely unfamiliar to me. Probably the only South African dish with which I was previously familar was the boerewors as sold by my local butcher, East London Sausage Company. Boerewors are the spicy South African answer to hot dogs, char-grilled over an open-flame then typically placed into a bun and covered in mustard and tomato sauce.
With barbecue – or braai season nearly upon us, I will definitely be grilling some boerewors in my garden this year and I was delighted to learn more about South African food. For more South African recipes you can plunder the archives of the lovely Jeanne at Cook Sister and also check out Michelle’s version of Malvapoeding at Greedy Gourmet who have published recipes including:
South African Melktart recipe (Cooksister)
South African Klappertert recipe (Cooksister)
Malvapoeding recipe – marshmallow pudding (Greedy Gourmet)
Beef meatballs in curried banana sauce (Greedy Gourmet)
So who or where might you be in a parallel universe? Have you ever had a taste of a career you nearly had?
With thanks to South African Tourism. For further information about holidays in South Africa, visit www.southafrica.net Pictures not credited to myself were taken by the photographer used by Publicasity.
Very thought provoking post about where our choices take us.
Thank you Sally!
An extremely thought provoking post and brought a tear to my eye. Working in a bank was considered a good career prospect by my family, but I can’t count! I was always (still am) intrigued by the crossover science and creativity of hairdressing and could have gone down that path. It’s only because I wanted to stick with my friends and have a laugh that I went on to study A-levels, then someone suggested university… It was all a bit random, really. Now I work in children’s publishing and wouldn’t (couldn’t?) change it for the world.
Yes I agree that at that age it’s hard to see past the socialising and put it in context of the rest of your life. I didn’t want to work in a restaurant because I’d have been working evenings all the time but noone ever pointed out that I’d a) get nights off and b) be able to run my own business c) have a professional skill that would be very useful. Careers advice back then was lousy… I don’t know whether it’s improved or maybe it’s because teenagers don’t listen!!!
… funny how you came back round to the cookery part though isn’t it!! Me too – although I loved GCSE Home Ec & wouldn’t have dreamed of blowing bubbles, I now think I may have to go and try it out!! It’s great to be an adult & finally make your own choices!!
Great post! Delish food!
Here’s to life & what it makes us!
x
Bubbles through a box cheese grater…. hours of fun!!
Hi, Just found your blog via Twitter….not sure how I got to you! Anyway, I’m so glad I did. Your writing style is fresh and you talk about food…how could I not be interested?! Look forward to reading through previous blogs and new ones as they come along. Great experience for you to go into a professional kitchen – looks like you all did an amazing job, food looks amazing 🙂
Thanks! Glad you stumbled in!
This reminds me so much of me and how I’ve wafted around between fads and careers and think I’d probably be an excellent chef if I could be doing with the anti-social hours. Briliantly entertaining, and your light hearted, yet thought provoking asides actually make me feel quite happy and thinking that it’s ok to be a wafter!
Looks like you had amazing fun, and the food looks delicious! The only S african food I’ve tried is Billtong (erg, chewy). I do hope Chris the chef didn’t shout at you a la Masterchef! x
Having been subjected to the Masterchef duo in this post below, I can indeed vouch that this was much more laid back!
http://blog.maisoncupcake.com/masterchef-cookoff/
Oh wow, you brave brave soul! Even if you didn’t know what you were letting yourself in for after not reading the email properly or even watching the show (lol)!
I eat Nutella on my toast every morning and love to bake, so will definitely be trying out your macaroon recipe! Yum. x
Such moving “ifs of consciousness” post and a fun evening too, I learnt so much, one of the thing I did learn is that professional kitchens are not for me but I am with you on blowing bubbles.
x
I would like working in a professional set up as an occasional thing but it would drive me mad all the time! Lovely to see you that night!
I read your heading and nearly fainted. I thought you sneaked in and out of SA without us knowing. I was kind of relieved when I read further. We have a beautiful country and the foodie/blogging scene is so exciting at the moment that I think it justifies a trip here. I would love to be your tour guide!!
If I manage to visit I’ll be knocking your door!
Great post Sarah – loving your new look hair. Do you have a fear of deep fat fryers from watching Spooks I wonder? Docked marks for blowing bubbles – how mean. Just look at you now!!
I always think this is a fascinating topic – different paths chosen. I could have been a speech therapist or a casting director perhaps but went a different way.
Oddly enough, one of my friends, Helen who you see putting the lettuce out alongside me did cite that same scene from Spooks whilst we were there. Lisa Faulkner wasn’t it?
PS the hair was total mess that day, am amused people like “the new look”!!!
As a South Africa living in England I read this with great interest. I’m a huge bobotie fan, I’ve never had it in a springroll before, sounds devine!
We braai at least once a week(yes, even when its snowing – my husbands insists he will not lose his roots) a few weeks ago I made(and blogged) Heston Blumenthals Boerewors Burgers, fantastic recipe.
Thanks for promoting South African food 🙂
Love this post Sarah – I love playing the “what if” game 😉 Glad yo asked questions!!
So sorry I missed this evening – I had so been looking forward to it until life got in the way. Thrilled that they gave you Springbokkies to drink – I LOVE them!
The springbokkies were very cool… and I’m glad I asked the questions too although being a skinny French chick in Paris would have been good too!
Oh…glad you’re a butterfly effect lover too. Like my husband and I love all the glimpses of you.
And afraid of deep frying? How? Why?
The spring rolls look especially delicious.
Just scared of it being so hot! It spits and burns! But I love the food that comes out… maybe if I had a proper deep fat fryer with a lid… no hang on, that would encourage me to eat deep fried food, perhaps not a good idea!!
I am terrified of deep fat friers as well! (Your spring rolls look great!)
Sarah, first of all your haircut is stunning! This is the perfect haircut for a gorgeous you no matter what career you choose! And you were born to cook but thank heavens you don’t do it professionally because I would so miss your writing! Now THAT is what you really should be doing! I love reading your posts!
What a lucky experience and it looks fabulous! The food looks great! Springbok Spring Rolls? Yum! And I want to try making that dessert. Now that I have been to South Africa I am a huge fan and want to learn the cuisine as well.
Oh Jamie! You are too kind although it does amuse me people like the mussed up hair when I think it needs recolouring and was total mess that day. Glad to hear you like my writing, it means a lot from you. Xx
Hi Sarah, Felt like you were writing to me. I have been tossing and turning in bed for about ten years. Now finally doing something in food. Not exactly what I have a PhD in but loving it.