My 4th Anniversary Hub - Posted 2 Days After my Anniversary

Well I do need to introduce myself, I am Just_Rodney, I am a "FOODIE", I do not profess to be a chef, I am not a chef, I am a plan ordinary cook. Nether I am not a celebrity nor am I married to some one rich and famous, I am just an average Joe, plain and simply, an ordinary cook. Therefore when I publish my large and ever growing collection(s) of recipies, I will not be invied to The Harpo's to have a on on one with the grend lady, to help launch my book to every laptop, pc or tablet. Alas my name would not become an overnight succeess.

I might add that my very loyal fans on these hubs, would at least give me some sales, which would be great.

Do not get me wrong, that is not why I am here, not for the fame, not for the incoming derived from adsence, it at this stage would not cover my internet costs, let alone supply my parrots for a couple of weeks, I am here for the fun of cooking, writing about it and doing some photographs.

There thats said it --- SO lets get on with the show!....

My love of food and cooking began when I was about five years old, as a wolf cub in 1^st St. Mary’s Cub/Scout Troop way in 1955, this was in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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I started cooking on open wood and coal fires and in the outdoor camp kitchens. Years later as I gained all Proficiency badges in Cooking, I seemed to spend more time amongst the pots and pans instead of some of the other activities.

Cooking Sausages on an open fire.

For my first proficiency badge either as a wolf cub and or a boy scout test for my arm badge.

Light a fire and cook some sort a sausage, we used boerewors (farmers sausage).

Conditions of lighting a fire, we could only use natural material and were allowed only 2 or 3 matches. We went through to one of the nearby picnic grounds where lighting of fires was permitted.

So after a verbal description of what and how to proceed, as well as all the safety precautions that were involved.

So we started of, preparing collecting building and having sufficient material to keep the flames going for the prescribed length of time. As most of us were doing the cooking of a piece of meat part as well, that the fire would be last long enough to do the cooking as well.

I passed the fire-lighting section having only used one match, Then set about the cooks section. The aim was to cook a piece of meat properly. So yours truly carefully placed a piece boerewors then started to cook the sausage on a fire with the flames about 5 inches high.

Sitting down on a largish rock with my boerewors held comfortably about 3 inches above the flames, this was as I had observed being done by my older brother one a month or so before me.

Tragedy then struck, as suddenly a blanket of flames wrapped itself around the boerewors and consumed the heated fat which had started to drip from the now blackened sausage. Boerewors incidentally in those days contained at least 25% fat. The result was that with the added fuel, the flames shot up higher, and it burned the boerewors, releasing more fat, and burned burned burned. In a very short space of time my piece of boerewors was 'done'.

On inspection of this offering, the judges, a huge thumbs down,! As the skin had shrunk causing the filling to bulge out at each edge, the entire piece was nearly charcoal on the outside and coldly raw on the inside.

My second attempt, I held the boerewors up even higher, the flames again did their thing, I hastily withdrew the meat, waited for the angry flames to subside, then return it to its position above the fire, this cycle went on for what seemed to be for hours.

Result! Again, another burnt offering, however not as bad.

Finally, after my fourth attempt, I presented reasonably cooked piece of boerewors, a bit too pink in the center, with outside still a bit blackened, it was however edible.

After all of us had finally achieved an acceptably as well as an edible cooked sausage/boerewors, this phase of the Proficiency was then signed off.

The fires had by now reduced to embers, we were then informed and demonstrated by the invigilators, that this was now the correct time to cook the sausages, steak, chicken or whatever type of meat.

This love of food and cooking continued throughout my youth, and I spent many an hour during the good old Rand Easter Show days (this was Johannesburg's premier Agricultural Show), in front of the Nestlé’s and other food and appliance stands, soaking up hints, tips and other bits of culinary information.