Satisfying, everyday food

 Red roses, hearts and chocolate all speak the language of love and I was lucky enough to have all three in my own home on Valentine’s Day. Metal hearts dripping from a wrought iron stand are a whimsical addition to my garden décor and a deep crimson, scented rose blossoms in abundance at the entrance to our home. Dessert was chocolate mousse – made with Belgian chocolate direct from source. 
It’s a prime day for restaurants and Valentine’s special treats were abundant in the capital. Most restaurants went to town on their love menus and were well attended. Victoria 22 offered a luscious three courses including welcome champagne and red roses for the ladies for US$55 a head, and was booked up for the night by November last year! 
Valentine’s Day has been associated with romantic love since the 14th Century when the European tradition of courtly love flourished, when ‘ladies’ were to some extent, idolized and worshipped and were courted – sometimes for decades – with quests, songs, gifts and tokens.  By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards and by the late 20th century the Valentine tradition was popular in almost every country in the world, and wildly commercialised in some.
The food of love should be sweet and luscious. I slow cooked lamb scented with cardamom and black pepper, accompanied by melting onion tart decorated with garlic chive flowers, and followed by the decadent chocolate mousse – though it was a toss up between that and crème du Coeur (a heart shaped concoction of sweet cream).
After a week of thinking about aphrodisiac food, needed something much more down to earth, and  tried out the new Nando’s on Samora Machel Saturday lunch time for a family takeaway. 
Fresh and airy, the spacious, covered veranda was well-occupied. The décor is neutral and practical- but stylish – with clean earthy colours, and an eye-catching cluster of huge textured lampshades makes a ceiling feature at the order counter.
I was most taken with the pager technology. After placing and paying for an order the customer is given a pager. When your food is ready it vibrates and lights up to notify you. Not really necessary with only three people waiting for orders – but promises to be a boon when there is a rush on – and allows you to wander off if you want.
Nandos have paved the muddy sidewalk – and put in big planters filled with greenery outside the picture windows to show case the still beautiful flamboyant trees on the street. I understand the new Book Café plans a similar street clean up and transformation outside their new premises directly opposite.
The brand is synonymous with chicken and they keep to a simple formula – quarter, half or whole chicken – signature peri peri flavour or lemon and herb – accompanied by an selection of sides – rolls, chips, coleslaw, Portuguese salad.  What could be easier?
And they do it very well. I ordered the family pack – whole chicken, four rolls, big salad and jumbo chips – a really good deal for US$25. My pager beeped after about 15 minutes and my order was ready – neatly packed in a brown paper carrier bag.
Probably not the place for a romantic dinner – but for satisfying, everyday food – hard to beat.
– g.jeke@yahoo.com