Our guest today: Aysa Safal
Today we had lunch with Aysa Safal. The person who changed our lives. The woman who made all of this possible. Many moons ago she made Mauritz walk into the ocean and willed him out of the west coast waters with a lobster in one hand. Our honeymoon. She also made him pack a whisk, an egg and a small bottle of olive oil in the camping gear. She was the one that spurred us on till we had that perfect mayonnaise. And she must have watched and winced at our lack of decent clothing.
Today we wanted to remember her smells, her influence, her love. We wanted to celebrate the huge impact she had on Mauritz's tastebuds. She is the one that made sure that I stay out of the kitchen. Also that both our children show a keen interest in being curious about food.
Our family wanted to give thanks to her open hands, her life, her dedication to food and her kindness. And the only way to do this, was to have a kind of wedding. A big celebratory Cape Malay wedding under the trees.
Starter table (and this cloth used to be curtain once!) |
Hannes and Helen's starter feast... |
Another day: Aysa’s selling school shoes to Big Bill Brown in his class. Mauritz stayed in the shadows. He didn’t like this boy. He watched how Bill’s mother pulled up her nose as Aysa slipped the shoe into the boy’s foot. So gently. Aysa did not flinch when the mother snorted. Aysa smiled. Her headscarf was orange that day, like the sun, so bright, she pulled at it, closed her eyes as if saying a prayer. And then Big Bill Brown’s mother bought the shoes and rushed out, her lips thin. Aysa said nothing when she took Mauritz by the hand, and led him out to the alley, where they could have lunch. She had packed three plates. On each she packed roti, dhai, tomato sambal and veggie rice.
"Run along, give this one to your dad, then you come listen to a story...”
Mauritz copied her way of eating. He had never tasted masala before. Or fresh coriander. Not roti and definitely no chilli. (We are in the deep 80’s folks. In a dorp in Apartheid South Africa) He smiled as he ate, too shy to ask Aysa anything.
Aysa opened a world to The Chef. A world he never knew existed. Aysa didn't leave any recipes, but she left a curiosity. One that he continues to explore. She left an open heart, without any fear. And this made Mauritz fearless when it came to food. (Most dishes today were cooked from the delightful Kaap Kerrie and Koesisters instead.)
The book we cooked from... |
Zenobia's boeber and custard biscuits... |
The boeber was warm and comforting, like a huge hand knitted blanket in winter. The tamarind sweets had a perfect brown pip in the middle, and sweet, sour and tangy stayed on our tongues for the rest of the afternoon.
We smiled as we thought of Aysa over coffee. Aysa was just Aysa. We bowed to her. We said thanks for this idea of marriage. A modern marriage between yourself and someone who lights your fire and then enables you to keep doing what you are doing.
Translation of a few words:
Kopdoek - Head scarf
Big Bill Brown - Dr Suess uses this name for the class bully in I wish that I had duck feet
Kastrol - pot
Dorp - Rural Town
For some extra spice:
Most of the recipes today are from Kaap, Kerrie & Koesisters by Fatima and Gadija Sydow Noordien. They have a TV show too. Watch a preview here
Zenobia is reading this book. We are all waiting in line to read it too. Go buy your copy! Khamr: The making of a Waterslams by Jamil F Khan
And go buy this laugh a minute book too, written by Yusuf Daniels: Living Coloured (because black and white were already taken)
This song plays regularly in our household: Weskaap by YoungstaCPT and the Ganja Beats
And an old one, but a good one: Brasse van die Kaap: Sit jou hande op
This is absolutely beautiful. Merle, you are a wonder writer. Mauritz, you are a wonder chef. All of you are simply wonderful. Ek verlang my mismoedig na julle... And I am so jealous of the amazing food you all had. Wow!!! I sorely lack words to describe how I experience this blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Come visit us!
DeleteI don't need to leave my house to be elsewhere, amazing as always Merle. My mouth watered for Boeberš¤¤
ReplyDeleteA wonderful marriage of food with experience. The contextual encounters and memories move the heart and the food is the perfect metaphor. Thinking about introducing this kind of blog into a Literature curriculum!
ReplyDeleteLovely Merle!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Claire! It’s all to you and Fred!
DeleteLovely, touching story Merle!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Glad it reached you
DeleteFabulous Merle. And yum! I need to get into the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThanks Trish dear! It was such a lovely lunch!
DeleteHmmmm... ❤️
ReplyDeleteLove this Merle