Cowboy ‘Kos’

Featured cook: Tammy from South Africa

Serves 3-4 people

 Ingredients:

• 1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce
• 1 tin Bully/Corned Beef
• ½ bottle plain chutney
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• Two teaspoons fresh garlic
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 green/yellow pepper sliced
• 2 whole fresh large tomatoes
• Black pepper to taste

2 slices fresh bread

Method:

1. Heat some good quality oil in a sauce pan.
2. Once hot add chopped onions, yellow pepper and cut-up tomato. Add the fresh garlic
3. Cook in the fresh garlic and oil until the onions are translucent and yellow peppers and tomatoes have began to cook through
4. Add the tin of baked beans and stir lightly with a wooden spoon
5. Add ½ bottle chutney and tomato sauce and stir all the ingredients together
6. Chop up the corned beef into small squares and add to the cooking ingredients
7. Turn the heat down and allow the mixture to simmer until all the ingredients and flavors have infused and cooked through.
8. Add pepper to taste right at the very end

Toast your fresh bread

Once everything has cooked through, spoon the ‘cowboy kos’ mixture over the freshly toasted bread and enjoy.

Runway fashion meets street fashion and bringing back glamour to the streets!

 “Fashions fade, style is eternal.”— Yves Saint-Laurent

Each year we look at the next trends for the new season, what’s in/out, what’s happening. But sometime we get totally freaked out with some of the designs we see on the runway, and we wonder how it will look on us, whether one can wear it or whether it’s practical.

Pictures by:

style.mtv.com

Io9.com

www.theluxuryspot.com

Truth is, you are the judge of what works for you and how you will look in that particular item. Most designers are fashion forward and futuristic, so what we see on the ramp might not even be something that is in the market at the moment.

I always tell people to start shopping around and see what is out there. Start exploring when it comes to fashion. Explore new stores, boutiques, explore new designs, and go as far as being a trend setter, why not?
In this 21st century one can get away with about anything when it comes to fashion.

Take  a look at the pictures below.  These people sure didn’t care about raising eyebrows and dropping jaws as they walk down the street. At times its really not about the bad fashion sense, BUT how bold you can get/be when it comes to fashion.

Pictures by:

www.refinery29.com

style-soup.blogspot.com

Fashion is all about personal style/taste/comfort and sometimes it’s unfair for people to judge you on what you are wearing on the day, when you know exactly that you didn’t feel like dressing up and looking like a runway model, showcasing some designs. Maybe you had a bad day and just didn’t feel like making a statement on the day…I have days like that too. It’s totally normal to have a wardrobe malfunction at times, you’re not alone.LOL

South African talented designer David Tlale was interviewed by Legit Magazine and this is what he had to share regarding street fashion vs the runway.

“The difference between designing for the runway and the streets is that the runway is all about marketing. l usually meet people who ask where are we going to wear this, the styling is overpowering and it’s also about showing artistic capability. Most importantly it helps people to pay attention to what you are doing. Designing for the streets it has to be wearable, people should be able to wear it more than once hence a lot of focus on functionality”– David Tlale

Pictures by:

Faraitoday.com

www.marieclairvoyant.com

So there you have it ladies and gents..The runway designs are for marketing purposes but you are not restricted at all, you can still wear them whenever you feel like it, but be smart and creative, add your own personal style and taste as well.

Pictures by:

Layersandswatches.com

Elle.com(Ellestyle)

CVC Media

Don’t miss the next blog. Be smart, creative and be a trend setter.

Wana share your fashion trends/tips/ideas..Check our Facebook page www.facebook.com/allaccessafrica

Ndakala and Fried Spinach

 Featured Cook: Caroline from the DRC

Ingredients:

• Kapenta/Ndakala
• Finely chopped onions
• Finely chopped tomatoes
• Salt
• Cooking oil
• Finely chopped spinach
• Mixed herb spice

Method:

1. Soak Ndakala in boiling hot water for 10-20 mins
2. Clean Ndakala well
3. Heat up a pan with cooking oil
4. Add Ndakala to  the heated pan with cooking oil
5. Fry Ndakala till semi crispy
6. Add onions and tomatoes
7. Add salt for taste and simmer till tomatoes are well cooked.

Fried Spinach

1. Heat up a pan with cooking oil
2. Add Spinach cook till natural waters of spinach evaporates
3. Then fry
4. Add onions and spice herbs
5. Simmer till ready

Serve Kapenta/Ndakala with Fried Spinach and Pup/Sadza

Some interesting trivia: Kapenta is the Zimbabwean name for this small fresh water fish; in the Democratic Republic of Congo it is called Ndakala.

                                                                                      Pap (mixture of maize meal and water).

                                                                                Our featured cook,Lady Lee from South Africa

Ingridients

• 2 ½ cups (600 ml) boiling water
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
• 2 ½ or 3 ½ cups (400 grams) Maize Meal
• A knob of butter

Makes 4 generous portions

Method

1. Pour boiling water and salt into a pot with a thick base and a lid. Bring to boil.
2. Add the maize meal to the boiling water.
3. Close the lid, without stirring.
4. Reduce heat. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
5. Taste the mix – that is the raw taste.
6. Remove lid and stir well with a wooden spoon or large kitchen fork.
7. Replace lid, reduce heat and steam for about half an hour to an hour, but be careful not to burn it.
8. Fluff with a fork or wooden spoon a few times during cooking.

Enjoy with homemade Chakalaka, meat or salads.