The Karoo Cookbook /compiled by Rose Willis photography by Ryno (first published 2008)
From the earliest days of South Africa's history, food has set the social scene in the Karoo. It was a treat, a reward, and a way to welcome guests and bid farewell to friends. Karoo food is as limitless as the land - vast, diverse, all consuming. And like the land, the cuisine captivates visitors, enticing them back time and time again to experience the culinary delights.
Karoo lamb is famous the world over for its delicious flavour and tenderness, and visitors to the region, even from the earliest days, make a point of trying out this speciality. Today farms supply every need as far as fresh or dried fruit are concerned and the small stock farmed throughout the Karoo provides a tasty range of mutton, lamb and goat. Pork, poultry and beef help ring the changes and venison and ostrich cater for those who are watching their waistlines.
Karoo kitchens are redolent of roasting lamb, venison, pies, hearty casseroles, or coffee, rusks and fragrant home-made bread, and their doors are always open to welcome friends, family and visitors to share in this bounty. The rich tradition of Karoo cuisine and hospitality dates back to a time when there were no hotels in the area and travellers were welcomed into homes to bring news to these isolated areas.
The collection of recipes in The Karoo Cookbook portrays this region's diverse social fabric and, while some dishes such as Mutton Bredie and Venison Stew are rooted in tradition, others like Beef Fillet with Anchovy Stuffing or Karoo "oysters" with Wild Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce are as modern and adventurous as tomorrow.
The recipes in The Karoo Cookbook have been gathered from those who live (or have lived) in and love the Karoo. These warm, hospitable people all enjoy entertaining and have generously contributed their recipes so that others may bring some of the magic of this place into their own homes.
Something about the author:
Rose Willis's great love for the Karoo began in the 1980's, when she and her husband, Wally Kriek, bought a house allegedly designed by Sir Herbert Baker for Beaufort West's first magistrate. It was in great need of TLC, but it had a mountain almost in its backyard and a huge, farm-style kitchen. Rose, a city girl, had never lived in a dorpie before, but the Karoo allowed her to indulge her dual love of historic research and cooking. She discovered that this was a world where townspeople and farm folk easily shared recipes - and the stories behind them - so she began collecting these taste treats, which led to the publication of this book.
After the death of her husband in 2003, Rose moved to Bloemfontein to be closer to her family. She has not lost touch with her beloved Karoo and still publishes Rose's Round-up, a monthly newsletter she created in 1990 to promote the area. Rose now serves on The Free State Archives Council, is president of The Town and Country Ladies Group and also teaches English to pre-school children.
Source : The Karoo Cookbook /compiled by Rose Willis (2008)
