HIP TO BE SQUARE

A delectable treat from Nico Verster’s new book of South African recipes

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY ALMOND SQUARES

These are great served on their own or glammed up with berries and toasted nuts. 500g dark chocolate, broken up 30ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter 30ml (2 tbsp) honey 200ml fresh cream 200g marshmallows 125g (½ cup) pitted cherries (use tinned or bottled cherries if fresh are not in season) 125g (½ cup) flaked almonds, toasted Combine the chocolate, butter, honey, cream and marshmallows in a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the cherries and almonds and stir through. Pour the mixture into a greased 20cm x 20cm baking dish and leave to cool completely. Once set, tip out onto a cutting board and slice into small squares. Makes 12 — Recipe and image ©

Savannah to Sea, by Nico Verster (Struik Lifestyle, R295)

THE BOOK Nico Verster has cooked for demanding guests at some of South Africa’s top game lodges, from Jamala Madikwe in the North West Province to Phinda in KwaZulu-Natal.

Savannah to Sea (Struik Lifestyle, R295) contains 55 of his most trusted recipes, all uniquely African and each individually elegant. With anecdotes of his experiences as a chef in the bush and beautiful photographs of wild things he has encountered, this is both a connoisseur’s coffee-table book and a kitchen assistant for when you need to pull something special out from under your safari-chef’s hat. Struik Lifestyle is giving away three copies of ‘Savannah to Sea’ to Food Weekly readers. To enter, tell us which wild tree fruit is notoriously enjoyed by elephants. E-mail your answer, name, phone number and physical delivery address to food@sundaytimes.co.za with SAVANNAH TO SEA as the subject. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PLEASE. Entries close at noon on April 30. WINNERS OF BOERE CHIC (answer: guinea fowl): Debby Joubert, Prestbury; Delyse O’Neill, Panorama; Keabetswe Mogale, Sharonlea.