Lifestyle

Jonno suggests that when building a house don't use steel to support the structure. Steel or a metal frames should be used for farm shedding, barns, etc.

Pig neck has come to me as a major surprise, never before having had anything to do with this part of the beast. Well, let me tell you that this is a magnificent cut of meat. And the sauce! This taste and aroma combination is difficult to equal, never mind beat...

There comes a time in the affairs of cooks when the lemon hits the pan. Hoping for a good-looking, sweet tasting lemon tart, this rugged survivor of many a kitchen battle managed to extract something deliciously edible from the jaws of defeat.

When discussing home constructions with the many folk who phone me, there are always the same issues that come up.

There’s something special about one-pot cooking. This hearty combination of beans, onions and smoked pork belly needs only a wedge of bread to soak up the flavour-rich juices.

Hi Jonno, I saw your outstanding design in the Farmer’s Weekly dated 7 September 2012. It made me think of my plan to build a cultural village on my farm in Gauteng.

I want to build a house for a new employee, an admin manager, in Mozambique. Would you be able to assist with the floor plan design please?

This over-the-top piece of Euro-cuisine has a lot going for it. Firstly, lots of flavours. Secondly, lots of colour. Thirdly, its surprisingly easy to cook. Finally, its a dinner party on one platter. No additions necessary, apart from a crisp, white wine.

Call it what you will, this meatball veld fire with its powerful Indian flavours will bring tears of homesickness to the eyes of KZN citizens exiled elsewhere in this great Republic of ours. Here is great flavour, character-building chilli heat, and an easy cooking all-in-one splendid recipe.

I’ve had a few calls lately from Farmer’s Weekly readers asking whether I can produce any contemporary modern-type homes.

Ben Freeth tells the story of how he and his two sons set out on a fund-raising expedition across the Makgadikgadi salt pans on a home-built go-kart.

Jonno sketches a starter home for FW reader Andre.

Each summer, smallmouth yellowfish migrate up the Kraai River Basin to spawn. Although they make for excellent fly-fishing, we should respect their spawning habits and the river basin, writes Mike Burgess.

Apple pie is the beginning of all fruit-based pies. American songs and movies are full of it. So here, in partial salute to apple pie, we have an apple tart, a tart being a pie without a lid. The pastry is a cinch and the caramelised sugar a new skill just waiting to be mastered.

They say travel broadens the mind. My travels tend to broaden my waistline, which is how I discovered my first tabouleh in Hong Kong (quite a distance from Lebanon!). There are many tabouleh recipes, but none have tasted as good as that first dish...until I got this recipe.

Cathryn from Pietermaritzburg contacted me to discuss the possible options for cost savings in building a cottage featured in a previous issue of Farmer’s Weekly.

Gershom contacted me with regard to an old dilapidated farm house that he had bought just outside the town of Estcourt in KZN.

The magic word here is ‘crustless’ – it promises the beginner cook the capacity to make a killer quiche that will knock the socks off their guests. Quick, tasty and good for you, this dish is a meal on its own for some, and a stunning side dish for my fellow carnivores.

Jonno, I work at a mine in Lesotho, and would like to build a thatched roof cottage from natural stone of about 80m2 to 100m2.

For some people, this writer among them, a meal without chilli or a chilled litre of Tobasco is a tedious and cheerless thing. So here’s another salute to chilli and Africa’s meat of choice, in glorious combination with coconut and crisp papadums.