African Woodsmoke

We had an amazing event to celebrate the start of the World Cup and Woodsmoke’s arrival in DC.  The weather was perfect, perfect backdrop, and unbelievable crowd.  Thank you to all who made this night a success.

Last week I went to a restaurant in Laguna Beach, California called Mozambique.  I had heard rumors from my brother that it was fantastic and wanted to check it out.  Well I was blown away by how awesome it was.  Mozambique has a Portuguese influence in its cuisine that go back to colonial days.   What they are famous for is a chili that grows in Mozambique called African Birds Eye Chili, what the natives call Pili Pili, to Western ears this sounds like Peri Peri.  Peri Peri is used in most of their cooking and blended very well with Portuguese chicken and seafood.  Peri Peri sauce is the magic sauce for chicken and seafood.  It has unbelievable flavor and can make a bland chicken be very tasty.  It is widely used in South Africa but is often hard to find here in the United States.

Night at Mozambique with Manager George Poulos

Mozambique restaurant showcases the greatness of Mozambique culture from its setting to its food and its people.  The restaurant has a great vibrancy and spirit about it that portrays the greatness of Africa.  The place is packed all nights of the week and has a live band on weekends.  The food is spectacular and Peri Peri is used in many of the dishes.  They also have a great wine list and have chosen many spectacular South African red wines.  I enjoyed a glass of Thelema Merlot with Peri Peri prawns for dinner.  I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who is traveling down to Southern California and is looking for a unique experience.  Amazing food, wine, and most of all a great vibe.  To find out more about Mozambique click HERE.

Cheers,

Sean, Founder Woodsmoke

To kick off our move to Washington DC and the start of the World Cup, Woodsmoke is having a premier event on the breathtaking rooftop of the Newseum Residences.

You are invited to an exclusive event that celebrates Woodsmoke’s move to DC and the start of the World Cup in South Africa. Sample boutique South African wine, savor continental African cuisine, and enjoy rare African art from Woodsmoke. The night will showcase the greatest of African creativity, and our commitment to Africa’s prosperous future.  Please spread the word to anyone who you think would be interested in attending.

Cheers,

Sean, Founder Woodsmoke

A great company that I have been following lately is called charity: water.  They are providing clean drinking water to millions of people around the world.  What really sticks with me is that they give 100% of your donation to building wells; all their operational costs are funded by a private donor group.  Clean drinking water is the number one cause of disease in third world countries.  I love to see companies that are doing meaningful work and providing sustainable solutions for the poor – this is one of them.  Here is a video about a company that really touched me:

The story of charity: water – The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Cheers,

Sean, Founder Woodsmoke

Miriam Kamanthe is a fellow mother from Nairobi, Kenya.  She has three amazing children and through your help we have helped to educate one of Miriam’s children for a year in Kenya.  In Africa education is not paid for by the Government and many mothers in Kenya struggle to afford the many costs of sending their children to school.  Meet Miriam HERE.

Through YOUR help we have educated one of Miriam’s children for a year.  For every 258 scarves purchased we send one child to school in Africa for one year. Miriam has another two children that she would like send to school but she cannot afford the many costs associated with school fees.  This Mothers Day we are stepping in and pledging to help support her.  We pledge to sell 516 (258 x 2) scarves by July 25 to send Miriam’s two children to school.  This Mothers Day give the ultimate gift to another mother by helping to put her children through school.  To purchase a scarf and change the lives of two children in Africa click HERE.

When you first consider a trip to our neck of the woods, your bound to want some facts about South Africa at your fingertips. Here are some of the basics.

Geography: situated at the southern tip of Africa, South Africa has a landmass of 1 233 404 km² edged on 3 sides by a nearly 3000km coastline washed by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. It is bordered in the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and also wraps itself around two independent countries, the Lesotho and Swaziland.

Capital: South Africa has 3 capitals: Cape Town (Legislative), Pretoria (Administrative and Bloemfontein (Judicial).

Political System: a well-known fact about South Africa is that since 1994 we have enjoyed democratic government, the apartheid policies of the past overthrown. Our constitution is regarded as an example to the world, and enshrines a wide scope of human rights protected by an independent judiciary. The country is headed by a State President, Jacob Zuma, of the African National Congress (ANC).

Economy: a lesser-known fact on South Africa is that it has achieved steady economic growth in gross domestic product (GDP) since the late 90s. The country, regarded as an emerging market, has a well developed financial sector and active stock exchange. Financial policies have focused on building solid macroeconomic structures. The country’s central bank is the Reserve Bank.

Tourism: since the demise of apartheid, international tourist arrivals have surged, making tourism one of the fastest growing sectors. The tourism industry is well-established with an exciting sector of emerging entrepreneurs. The country is strong on adventure, sport and wildlife travel.

Population: the South African population of 47m people thereabouts is extremely diverse, as our 11 official languages will attest to. Black groups constitute the largest portion of the population at just under 80%. Whites and Coloureds (mixed race) account for roughly 9% each. Asians, of which Indians are in the majority, constitute approximately 2.5%.

This is awesome that Stella Artois is supporting craft in South Africa.

We have had one simple goal this spring: to sell 258 scarves by March 9th so that we can educate one of Miriam Kamanthe’s children in Kenya for a year. The response has absolutely amazed us, since January 9th when we began this drive we have sold 150 scarves and raised $262.50.  That means we only have to sell 108 more scarves by March 9th to meet our goal!

Situation as of 02/21/10:

Scarves sold: 150

Money raised: $262.50

Click HERE to purchase a scarf today and change the life of a child in Africa forever.

Woodsmoke and bread&cup are teaming up for a night to celebrate the culture of Africa.  The event will take place on February 22nd (6-10pm) at bread&cup located in Lincoln’s historic Haymarket.  The meal will be cooked by Kevin Shinn, owner of bread&cup.  Here is the upcoming meal:

Chapati – flat bread made with corn meal & flour

Ugali with Ground Nuts –  A thick grain porridge with a sauce of peanuts.  Ugali is an East African dish (also sometimes called sima, sembe, or posho) of maize flour (cornmeal) cooked with water to a porridge- or dough-like consistency. It is the most common staple starch of much of Eastern and Southern Africa.

Bobotie – (pronounced /bəˈboʊti/) is a South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. The recipe probably originates from the Dutch East India Company colonies in Batavia, with the name derived from the Indonesian Bobotok. It is also made with curry powder leaving it with a slight “tang”. It is often served with Sambal.

Sukuma Wiki – Vegetable stew with kale.  This is made out of any leafy green vegetable, mainly collards or kale. Incidentally, sukuma wiki means ‘to push the week’ implying sukuma wiki is a food used to stretch the meals to last for the week.

Matoke – Fried plantains.  Plantains are medium-sized green fruits, which look like bananas but are not, are locally known as “matoke”. They are peeled, wrapped in the plant’s leaves and set in a cooking pot (sufuria) on the stalks which have been removed from the leaves.

For more information about this event call Sean Coetzee 402 617 5675 or click here.

Goldfish is my favorite band out of South Africa.  They have so much vibe, soul, and beat that it blows my mind.  If you have been to one of their concerts then you will know what I mean.  Goldfish goes really well with Woodsmoke because they have the beat of Africa in their music.  This beat is Woodsmoke and this beat only comes from Africa.  It is freedom, soul, and a vibrancy experienced no where else.  So I am going to share with you my favorite Goldfish song that can be heard at all of our Woodsmoke evenings.  To purchase a Goldfish cd click here.

Cheers,

Sean, Founder Woodsmoke