A South African 4th of July

We spent the 4th of July with my dad, Diane, and Grammy in southern Virginia before being joined by the brothers and collectively going on vacation in North Carolina. While it was hardly an appropriately patriotic meal of hamburgers and hotdogs, potato salad, baked beans, and apple pie, we decided to whip up some South African goodies for the fam. The plan was to give everyone a taste of our soon-to-be homeland.  We served...

Bobotie, a Malay-influenced meat dish involving curry, dried fruit, nuts, and an egg custard topping. I know many of you might be thinking "Eww" but I promise you it is anything but eww. It's heavenly. And, if I do say so myself, I make a fabulous bobotie...a few South Africans in my life have told me so. I use this recipe as a guide.

Yellow rice, the traditional accompaniment. Turmeric gives it the great color, and ginger provides an awesome flavor. We had Mrs. Balls' chutney and Nando's peri-peri sauce, the classic condiments. There was cauliflower too, but that's just because it is delish and it's good to eat your vegetables.

And for dessert, a milk tart with some American stars and stripes flair. If my bobotie is good, my milk tart is crazy good. Someday I'll share the recipe. 

And, in the spirit of the day, we cracked off a couple little baby-firework things.