A steamy cab ride in NYC

— Roddy Louther takes us on his travels and offers a South African’s take on what makes us happy.

Happiness is as easy to pin down as an eel in butter. A walk through any bookshop shows the massive industry built around its elusive nature. From self-help manuals to Swami spirituality — takes on happiness differ from author to author.

Friederich Nietsche, the German existentialist offered a bracing new take on personal suffering, misery, anguish, distress, hardships, difficulties, and setbacks. These, he proclaimed, should be embraced by anyone seeking happiness. Much like our body’s intolerance to physical pain serves to protect us from harm; these experiences guide us toward happiness.

Nietsche bemoaned biblical responses to hardships. Religious scripture, he said; dulls the pain of suffering and with it, the energy needed to triumph over adversity. If you’re a timid person, the Bible offers; “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” If you’re broke; “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” He also regarded heading to the pub for a pint as a disastrous response to adversity. Silly man.

He believed that happiness does not come from escaping troubles, but from cultivating them. Hence he lamented his own loneliness and was tormented by the fact that women found him repulsive. Yet he cultivated the opposite sex’s revulsion by growing a truly hideous moustache.

I know how he felt. Not many more things in life make us happier than the reciprocal attentions of the opposite sex. It does wonders for the soul. Some time ago, I attended my cousins wedding in Atlantic City. She married Randall Cunningham, a famous NFL quarterback. Donald Trump popped in, I shared a table with Evander Holyfield and chatted with Jazzy Jeff. Later that night I miraculously won $4,000 at the roulette tables.

Back in magical New York City, I swaggered through Macy’s, splashing out on DKNY, GAP and Gucci, pimping myself up like Huggy Bear. It was a time of great happiness for me. I was young and single.

One night, I went to see the Brit funksters, Incognito. Nervous and alone, I felt out of place amongst the hip NYC party set. Then from across the floor, I saw a young woman staring at me. When our eyes met she smiled alluringly. She danced alone; every time she flung coils of golden brown hair around her stunning honey coloured face, they’d get caught between her plump red lips, and I would die just for a moment. She came over and introduced herself as Esmerelda. I bought her a drink and we danced, and danced.

Later, during a steamy cab ride she told me her life story. She was from the Cape Verde Islands and had just gotten her green card. When finally we said our sad farewells, I couldn’t help feeling I had lost a future most extraordinaire.

A day later, on an eight-hour layover in Lisbon, I found myself on the pier where intrepid Portuguese explorers cast themselves adrift upon dark oceans of uncertainty to colonize new territories and discover a route to India around the Cape of Good Hope. I thought about the madness of it all, then realized their apprehensions were no match for the promise of adventure, riches and a sensational Roghan Josh in faraway Calicut. I was grateful, for had they not colonized Cape Verde, I’d not have had that unforgettable night in NYC.

Two days later, I was back in my office — displaced from my lovely dream back into a familiar loveless, luckless existence. But as so often happens — we decry our own lot as pitiful and wish for better, oblivious to the lessons around us. This realization struck me when our tea lady Doris, brightened my office with a glowing smile. Doris’s day starts at 4h30 am and ends at around 11h30 pm, yet she radiates iridescent happiness. A warm, humbling hug followed and I felt as if I was being exorcised.

Those wretched agents of despair and woe that pave the way to Nietschian Utopia were so soundly defeated by Doris’s genuine, unconditional human kindness and generosity of spirit. This was our very own philosophy of Humanism or Ubuntu doing it’s magic. Desmond Tutu explains it as, “…the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness.” That, my friend, is consolation of the human kind.

So, to celebrate happiness and pay homage to those who gave us peri-peri, I made a dish using happy spices and ingredients from far-flung shores, coupled with an underrated South African favorite, Samp and Beans. For me it evokes memories of a woman called Doris, and girl called Esmerelda.

Trinchado with Star Anise, Orange Peel & Chocolate Sauce and traditional Samp & Beans.

SERVES: 4 — 6 adults

Preparation Time: Overnight

Cooking time: 180 min

INGREDIENTS

1 KG OSTRICH FILLETS CUBED (OR BEEF)

1 LARGE ONION FINELY SLICED

50ML WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

1 TSP BALSAMIC VINEGAR

1 CUP RED WINE

1 CUP BEEF STOCK

1 LARGE ORANGE ZESTED

¼ CUP DARK CHOCOLATE (HIGH CACAO CONTENT)

3 X STAR ANISE

3/4 CLOVES CRUSHED GARLIC

2 BAY LEAVES

SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

1 TSP PAPRIKA

2/3 SMALL RED CHILIES CHOPPED

3/4 TBS FLOUR

BUTTER AND OIL FOR FRYING

WATER

For the Samp and Beans:

1 CUP SAMP

1 CUP RED SPECKLED BEANS

1 MEDIUM CARROT (FINELY GRATED)

1 MEDIUM ONION (FINELY GRATED)

1-2 TBLS TOMATO PASTE

1 KG MEATY BEEF MARROWBONES

500 — 750ML WARM WATER

METHOD

For the Trinchado:

1. In a bowl, mix together Worcestershire sauce, Balsamic vinegar, orange rind, garlic, wine, salt, pepper, paprika, chilies and bay leaf.
2. Add the meat, stir to coat the beef and then cover with cling film and set aside in the fridge to marinade for at least 2 hours (overnight is better). Sauté the onions in butter over medium heat in a pot, until translucent, then remove from pot and set aside.
3. Remove the meat from the marinade, a dust with flour. Next, seal the meat in a little oil, before adding the onions and the remaining marinade to the pot. Cooking for 5 minutes over high heat, to reduce the mixture.
4. Add the beef stock and dark chocolate. Mix well and simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
5. Check often to keep the right thickness adding water if too thin.

For the Samp and Beans:

1. Soak samp and beans separately. Leave overnight, changing water 3 times.
2. Cook samp on low heat for 1 hour, check water levels constantly.
3. In a heavy based pot, layer ingredients in order. At the bottom place the bones, followed by the beans, samp and then the grated carrot and onion mixture.
4. Add the tomato paste and pepper to the warm water then pour into the layered pot.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200º for 2 1/2 hours, checking intermittently and adding water if needed.
6. When the samp and beans are soft, remove from the oven and stir well, making sure the layers are mixed well.

To serve: Dish the samp and beans onto a plate and top with the Trinchado. Grind some black pepper, and sprinkle with orange rind and parsley.

TIPS

• When searing the meat, bear in mind it will continue to cook in the sauce. Regulate the meat’s cooking time according to your own taste.
• Never add salt to beans before or during cooking, as it hardens the husk, prolonging the cooking time.
• When cooking samp and beans, you might prefer a vegetarian option. In which case, omit the meat and substitute vegetable for water when topping up while the dish is in the oven.
• Hearty, filling, and delicious on its own, samp and beans is a versatile staple. It goes well with most stews and especially with curries.
• Samp and beans freeze well, so prepare a large quantity and portion into freezer bags.