This Little Light of Mine

Greetings from Zambia!

As you may have read on my facebook page, we are experiencing frequent 'black outs' due to "load shedding" here in Zambia.  What is load shedding?  Load shedding is a measure of last resort to prevent the collapse of the power system country-wide. In Zambia we are hydro-powered.  Due to low rain falls during the 2014/2015 rainy season, the water levels are low which has a direct impact on powering the country. Therefore, we are on scheduled loadshedding to conserve our source of electricity which may not be replenished until the rainy season which begins in November!

I know many people who have no idea when there power will be cut so taking a shower, cooking, washing clothes, charging a cell phone or computer, saving any work completed to ensure it is not lost when wifi goes out, and so on -- all of these things must be done as early as possible in the day to ensure you have finished everything before an unexpected power cut.  Can you imagine the stress of not knowing when or for how long your power was going to be cut?!  This is also impacting businesses.  Restaurants are closing early due to lack of power. Dairy products are not kept well in small grocery stores with no generator leading to wastage.  People are unable to work in offices with no generator causing them to miss deadlines or find a hotel lobby to sit in simply to work. One of the main sources of income which propelled Zambia forward is copper.  The mines have also been impacted by power cuts causing the mines to lay people off or close all together, even if temporary.  Recently I was in Chingola, a town in Copperbelt almost a 5 hour drive away from my home in Lusaka.  Chingola used to be full of life, beautiful homes, prosperous Zambians enjoying life in the town which used to be referred to as the cleanest town in Zambia.  Today it is almost a ghost town.  Quiet streets.  Abandoned homes. Dirt / unpaved roads.  Dark streets throughout the evening due to the lack of power.  None of this helps the stability of the local currency, the kwacha, which fluctuates daily.  Long term one can see how load shedding would impact Zambia economically. 

I am one of the lucky ones.  My power cuts are scheduled and do follow the schedule for the most part.  Usually the power goes off Monday - Friday between 10 - 1030pm.  Then it returns the next morning about 530-600am.  On the weekends there is usually power all day!  The power normally goes off at night between 1100pm - midnight.  If the power company deviates from this schedule then my landlord will cut on the generator for up to four hours. On the weekends when the power is cut if I am not ready to go to bed then I go out to a nearby bar or restaurant to meet with friends until I am ready to return to my dark home and go to sleep.

But if you know me, you know I found a way to PARTY IN THE DARK!  Last Saturday I decided to host a ladies night at my home -  "Load shedding:  Cocktails and Candles, a Ladies Night."  I provided the finger foods as well as the cocktails.  I simply asked each woman to bring a candle for us to light when the power was cut.  My friend, La Donda, even brought glow sticks which proved to be entertaining while sitting and sipping in the dark! 

This little light of mine ... Im gonna let it shine!

Saran's flower

Chola's ring and petals

La Donda's crown

THE FOOD

La Donda brought an amazing fruit platter with Amarula fruit dip which consisted of cream cheese, amarula and brown sugar!  It was so delicious!

Ashleigh brought red wine cupcakes.  They were chocolately and MOIST!

While the guests waited for the hot hors d'oeuvre I provided a cheese and cracker variety with olives:

The hors d'oeuvre were a labor of love!  I did a lot of baking for the first time.  I ran out of pre-made puff pastry and had to make more from scratch.  Ladies who bake -- I salute you!  Below you will find photos of the delicious food I made with love as well as the recipes!




Sriracha Palmiers

For my Sriracha Palmiers, I used the following recipe: http://www.puffpastry.com/recipe/61479/sriracha-palmiers.  The only difference is I made the puff pastry homemade (see below). These are so light and fluffy.  The perfect appetizer!  They also
go very nicely with soup (think dipping goodness)!




Steak Tarts

For my Steak Tarts I marinated the flank steak in Black Label beer for 4 hours.  I have also used Guinness which gives the meat a very nice flavor as well.  After marinating, I slowly simmered the steak in butter, more beer (1/2 bottle), Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Worchester sauce and sazon.  Once the meat was done I drained and put to the side.  For the puff pastry I rolled the pre-made dough on a lightly floured surface and then cut into 24 squares. I molded the squares into pastry cups by using a mini muffin tin.  I baked at 400F for 25 minutes until golden brown.  I then filled the pastry cup with gorgonzola cheese on the bottom, then placed the steak and finally topped with sweet caramelized onions.  By far my favorite dish of the night!




Pesto and Italian Cheese Flat Bread

For my Pesto and Italian Cheese Flat Bread I also used my homemade puff pastry crust.  Once flattened I spread extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic on the dough.  I put in the oven on 400F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Once cooled, I added a layer of asiago cheese, then a layer of homemade pesto (recipe found below) and then a thick yummy layer of fresh parmigiano cheese. 
Then I baked on 350F for 10-15 minutes until cheese was nicely melted.  I suggest serving this warm.




Spicy Beef Turnovers

For my Spicy Beef Turnovers to make the filling, I used lean ground beef.  I added finely chopped carrots, spring onions, Worchester sauce, minced garlic, sazon, chili powder and 1/4 cup of tomato paste.  I drained the meat once fully cooked.  On a lightly floured work surface, I rolled out  pre-made puff pastry which I cut into 20 squares.  I then spooned about 1 tbsp. meat mixture into middle and folded the best way I could -- there were three shapes! haha  This part was labor intensive! Make sure to moisten edges with water and seal with a fork.  I then baked them on 400F for 25 minutes until they were golden brown.  I served with sweet chili sauce.

The recipe I used to make the puff pastry can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Puff-Pastry-2/

The recipe I used to make the homemade pesto can be found here (minus pine nuts): http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/

It was really a lot of fun and a nice way to catch up with some of the wonderful ladies I have met since moving to Zambia and to wish one friend safe travels as she moved to London the very next day (miss you already Mardieh)!