The Maverick Zero Zone

I am doing it again, I am neglecting my blog...

So, yes I am alive, busy with some extension on my house and some hard software development.
So Tech-Ed will have to wait a little but expect more on it...

Also coming, it's a dogs life and my usual rambling about South Africa, taxis? Forget about taxies, try our only electricity supplier ESKOM...

Cheers for now.

It's day 1 of Microsoft Tech-Ed 2007 South Africa at Sun City and, unsurprisingly enough, it's off to a bad start. It's not because of Microsoft, it just is Sun City. Unfortunately, this is the only venue in Southern Africa capable to hold such a convention, if only for the shear amount of delegates.

The hotel where I am was ready for check in an hour late (15:00 inset of 14:00), the "partner lounge" is not ready either, they are still busy putting up their stands, the "Microsoft" shop is not opened. Well you get the picture.

Then came time to login to the Tech-Ed help center, wow a scheduler! I can schedule my sessions, great. But I soon discovered that I could not send it to my PDA, how useless...

The keynote presented by Iain McDonald, Managing Director of the Windows Server Group at Microsoft Corporation was informative and entertaining, if not a little too long for a Sunday evening. I apologize for the photo quality, it was dark and I did not use a flash.

  


Let's see what the party is going to be like... 

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Ho,  great wanders, he cooks... The rumor goes that I can cook, and apparently so it is.

The comment:  "That smells good, what is it?".

My reply: "Well something I did on Sunday, I am still finishing it off"    

So here is the recipe for you guys.

Cooking time: abt 45 minutes

Effort: abt 15 minutes

You will need the following:

• abt 500g of cocktail pork sausages
  Pork sausages and chicken cocktail (or normal) sausages work too but I do prefer the cocktail pork sausages.
• 4 large potatoes (or abt 500g)
  Find potatoes that boils well and reasonably fast.
• 1 can (450g) of whole pealed tomatoes
  I find the canned tomatoes better for this recipe then the fresh kind.
• 1 small bunch (handful) of fresh chopped parsley
  The dried king works too, but is no a vibrant.
• A pinch of Sage
• 330 ml of semi-sweet to dry white wine
  The choice will dramatically change the taste, try both.
• 1 table spoon of tomatoes paste.
• 1/2 a tea spoon of garlic
• salted butter and olive oil
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Optionally:

• Tabasco (to taste)
• 250g of sliced button mushrooms
  

Start by dicing the potatoes in to 1cm blocks, I advice you to "pre" boil the dices for about 10 minutes or until they look half cooked but not soft. Then cut the sausages into 1 cm slices. Put a little butter with olive oil into a large deep pan (ideally one that has a cover) or, if you have, a wok. Add the sausages, stir until they get nice a firm. Add the half cooked potatoes to the mix, let the lot go near golden.

Now add the wine, tomatoes, the parsley, the sage and the optional mushrooms. Stir a little then cover for about 30 minutes, check and stir regularly if it becomes too dry add water or if you prefer (like me) wine.

When ready add the garlic stir it in for a minute or two and serve with a nice glass of white wine, I often use the same than in the recipe to strengthen the taste, you can also garnish with fresh parsley.

Enjoy.