An Eastern Cape Milky Way Silhouette – Incredible Photo Of The Day Image

by SFT | Jul 8, 2026 | Photo Of The Day, St Francis

An Eastern Cape Milky Way Silhouette – by local photographer Clive Wright from Clive Wright Photography. An Incredible Photo Of The Day Image

Local History Comes Alive At Goedgeloof Talk with Sandra Hardie

by SFT | Jul 8, 2026 | St Francis

Residents with an interest in the history of St Francis Bay are invited to an evening with Sandra Hardie, who will share the story of Goedgeloof Farm and its connection to the development of the village. See poster at the bottom of the article for full details of the evening talk.

Sandra first came to St Francis with her parents in 1958. In 1971, she and her family bought their first home in Lovemore Crescent, one of the early houses in the village.

About 40 years ago, she bought the last remaining 50-hectare portion of Goedgeloof Farm, which includes the original farmhouse built in 1766. She lived on the property for 25 years from 2000.

Her talk will explore the history of Goedgeloof, the land from which much of present-day St Francis Bay evolved, while also sharing her own memories of living on the historic property.

The evening will also raise funds for ARK Animal Rescue Kareedouw, an organisation that now serves a wide surrounding area. Its work focuses on sterilisation programmes to reduce indiscriminate breeding, caring for injured pets and educating communities to help prevent animal suffering through responsible pet ownership.

The dedicated ARK team regularly visits surrounding townships in the early hours of the morning to collect dogs and cats requiring sterilisation, helping improve animal welfare across the region.

The talk takes place at St Francis Links on Thursday, 30 July. Tickets are R100 per person, with proceeds going to support ARK. Cashless bar facilities will be available before and after the event, and a limited menu will be offered. Advance bookings are essential.

Bookings can be made by emailing info@stfrancislinks.com.

Rotary Club Of St Francis Newsletter No 31 – March To June 2026

by SFT | Jul 8, 2026 | St Francis

Welcome to the Rotary Club Of St Francis Newsletter No 31 – March To June 2026

Join The Wavepool Surf Tour On Instagram

by SFT | Jul 8, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial

So much cool stuff happening on the Wavepool Surf Tour on Instagram. More than a competition. Behind the scenes, athlete stories, clips, moments and everything in between.

Link here or scan the code

Recipe Language Should Come With A Translator – notes from the editor, trying to cook

by SFT | Jul 8, 2026 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis

Most of us can read English perfectly well. Yet the moment we open a cookbook, something curious happens. The words are familiar, the instructions appear straightforward and the ingredients are recognisable, but somewhere between the first paragraph and the finished meal, confusion quietly takes over. That’s because recipe language isn’t really English at all. It’s a dialect spoken fluently by experienced cooks and only partially understood by the rest of us.

Like any foreign language, recipe language comes with its own vocabulary, hidden meanings and optimistic assumptions.

Learning The Language Of Recipes

Take the phrase “quick and easy”. It sounds wonderfully reassuring. However, it usually translates to “quicker than preparing a five-course banquet”. Forty-five minutes later you’re still chopping onions, washing mixing bowls and wondering whether “easy” was intended as encouragement rather than a description.

Then there’s “serves four”. It probably does, provided those four people have already had lunch. A family with teenagers can reduce a meal for four to a light snack before anyone has time to ask for the salt.

Some instructions are even more mysterious. “Season to taste” assumes you know exactly what the chef had in mind. “Fold gently” sounds graceful enough until you realise nobody has ever explained how folding differs from stirring. Most of us simply hope for the best and carry on.

Recipe Language Rewards Optimists

Recipe writers also seem convinced that every kitchen contains an endless supply of specialist ingredients. A recipe calling for “a handful of fresh herbs” often requires a trip to the supermarket, while “leftover roast chicken” assumes there has been enough roast chicken left over in the first place.

Perhaps the greatest masterpiece of recipe language is the instruction to “prepare in advance”. It’s excellent advice, although it overlooks one important detail. Most of us only start thinking about dinner when we’re already hungry.

Despite its quirks, recipe language continues to work its magic. It encourages us to try new dishes, experiment with unfamiliar ingredients and occasionally produce something surprisingly delicious. We may never become fluent, but every successful meal feels like we’ve finally understood a little more of the conversation.

So the next time a recipe tells you to whisk vigorously, fold gently, season to taste and serve immediately, don’t panic. Remember that generations of home cooks have been making exactly the same educated guesses. Somehow dinner still arrives on the table, everyone asks for seconds, and another glass of wine quietly forgives whatever the recipe forgot to mention.

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