Archive for November, 2011

The summer holiday season is just around the corner and many children have already begun to think of variants on the “are e there yet” theme, while adults plan how best to fit everything that is required for a top notch holiday into the boot of the family car. Dads and Moms are also scouring the Internet for the best BBQ tips to make that first braai into an occasion to remember. There are a number of different common sense BB tips and hints that will not only make the summer braais more fun, but will also allow families to get the most out of their braais, without any extra mess and with a minimum of fuss and bother.

Firstly, when packing the braai don’t forget all the extras that you’re going to need to handle all that delicious food correctly. Make sure that you pack the braai tongs, spatula, long handled forks and other accessories that you’ll need to prepare that perfect braai. As far as BBQ tips go this one is possibly the single most important as it goes without saying that when you hire a fully equipped holiday home for the duration of the summer holiday you can be sure that at least one essential piece of kit will be missing from that kitchen draw.

Some other common sense BBQ tips include making sure that the gas cylinder is filled prior to leaving the house. Although you can always fill it when you get to your destination the amount of holiday makers at some of South Africa’s more popular destinations means that gas shortages can quickly become a reality. Also make sure that you’ve packed all the accessories that you need to use with the gas braai. Breakfast is not going to be a fun outdoor experience if you’ve left the skottle at home.

Each and every aspiring outdoorsman and woman fancies himself or herself as something of a gourmet chef. Very rarely ill you find a South Africawith access to a Cadac skottle and a gas cylinder willingly handing over the tongs to another aspiring culinary artist. Each and every one of these people has their favourite braai recipes which they ache to try out on a different group of family and friends when those long summer evenings settle onto the Highveld or hen the ocean breeze starts to sigh over the sands and the sun sneaks below the horizon. Give these braai masters half a chances and their interpretation of any one of the many classic braai recipes will find its way onto the gas BBQ.

Braai recipes today bear only a faint resemblance to those enjoyed only a few decades ago. Gone are the days he the most inventive braai recipes were those that called for Ostrich instead of the obligatory lamb chop and wors. Today braai recipes take in a wide variety of different foodstuff, including seafood, vegetable sosaties and even foods like pizza. In fact many of the braai recipes that can be found on the pages of the best selling recipe books would not even have been considered proper faire only a few years’ ago.

The braai recipes of today take into account the changing lifestyles of many South African’s ho are actively searching for recipes that feature leaner cuts of meat and more healthy options. Most of these outdoor enthusiasts know that there’s nothing wrong with a good steak, but might prefer that it b accompanies by a salad, or even some freshly cooked vegetables. Fortunately n cooking methods and the id availability of different fittings and accessories for today’s gas braai means that many chefs are choosing to cook delicious meals that will satisfy even the most health conscious or traditional guest.

If you had to approach any South African nature lover and ask him or her about the most essential piece of camping and picnicking equipment they possess it’s almost certain that they will answer that it’s the skottle and the unassuming blue gas cylinder that has allowed South African’s from every walk of life to enjoy the summer sun and evenings filled with the laughter of friends and family for over 60 years. A short history of the Cadac BBQ would encompass all the laughter and fun that have characterised the Cadac experience for generations ofSouth Africa’s.

The ubiquitous blue cylinder has become part and parcel of the South African fabric and it would be unthinkable to have an outdoor experience without the gentle hiss of a Cadac gas BBQ in the background. A history of the Cadac BBQ would tell of the many people who have memories of a childhood filled with long summer days and the smell of cooking ors or the sight of the sun peaking over the horizon as eggs and bacon sizzle on the skottle and the beach towels are packed for the days’ excursion and Mom calls to the kids for the daily application of sunscreen and hands out the peaked caps.

The history of the Cadac BBQ is not one of dry days on a chalkboard, or pages in the history books. It is a history built from the memories of the millions of South Africans who have made the small blue Cadac gas cylinder part of their lives and the sound of laughter combined with the smells and tastes of potato salad and ors rolls. The history of the Cadac BBQ will not be found in any library, but rather in the memories of the long days of summer and the mist filled early mornings when each day as filled with the promise of an African day.