Quit junk food, eat good

 Tempestuous Hurricane Eli-ne blew in from the east in 2000, and six years later the residents of Mutare and Harare were jolted out of sleep by an earthquake originating acro-ss the border in Mozambique. Further north the story is very different, and if travellers are not delayed by fog in Timbuktu, they could be stranded on Asian and Ame-rican shores by volcanic ash billowing forth from an Icelandic crater.
Norway’s Prime Minister, prevented by volcanic clouds from leaving New York, resorted last week to running his country by remote control, using his new Apple iPad. In contrast, Zimbabwe’s GNU, gathering last week at the National Sports Stadium, basked in early winter sunshine, under clear blue skies, as the country celebrated thirty years of independence.
If the recent dearth of lunch invitations in my e-mail inbox is anything to go by, independence celebrations this year have been decidedly low key. While no traditional feasts of roast beef, or Road Runner chicken stew and brown rice have been advertised by any leading hotels or restaurants, this may in part be owing to continuing inflation and the increasingly high cost of living.
 Last week, however, urging diners to ‘quit the junk food’, Cresta Oasis Hotel advertised a $6 pub lunch featuring sadza nemazondo, trotters, matumbu and mabonzo.
On arrival at Café Afrique, George and I opted for a $10 mini buffet, which despite its name was quite substantial, and included hot and cold dishes.
 Since every table in the dining area was occupied, we perched for a while on bar stools, sipping Malawi shandies and watching the news on TV.
Our attentive waiter ensured that we didn’t have to wait too long and we were soon seated at a table for two, overlooking the swimming pool.
 From the attractive cold buffet, I chose tomato and parsley salad, thinly sliced cucumber, cold brinjal, green papaya salad, potato salad and glistening kapenta.
I loaded my second plate with rice and sadza, tripe, roast chicken and two kinds of rape, one with dovi and the other plain. George chose a similar combination but inclu-ded half a large, crisp-fried bream.
There were a number of sauces and chutneys available.
 The sadza was smooth and steaming, and the perfect foil for salty kapenta, tripe stew and rape with peanut butter.
Everyone was eating with hearty appetites and serving dishes were constantly re-filled.
 Desserts were run-of-the-mill fruit salad and brightly coloured trifle, cake and ice cream. George thought the fruit salad delicious, but I was content to end my meal with filter coffee.
I think I might have enjoyed the coffee better had it been served in a cafetiere rather than a teapot, but our gracious waiter served it with such style and charm that any shortcomings seemed irrelevant.
 So while thirty years of independence have not brought the security and prosperity for which we all yearn, there is much comfort in not living under a volcano or having to drive thousands of kilometres by taxi because your flight has been delayed.

Café Afrique
Cresta Oasis
Nelson Mandela Avenue
Harare
Tel.: 790861 – 5
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