the hungry expats

 Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls are one of the largest waterfalls on the planet, spanning over 1700 meters, with a height of 108 meters. Located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, their indigenous name in Lozi, "Mosi-oa-Tunya", means "Thundering Smoke/Smoke that Rises", which is the first impression we had from the sky, shortly before landing at Livingstone airport.      Our flight to Livingstone with Airlink only took 1 hour and 45 minutes from Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport. One word of advice: even though toy drones  do not require registration by the Zambian CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), an application must be submitted approximately 30 days before arrival and a fee paid for custom clearance (ZMW 1260.00 at the time I'm writing this, which equals about $45). More information is available online. I learned this the hard way by getting my non-professional drone confiscated by the customs upon arrival...

 It is mid-March here in Johannesburg, and Fall is rapidly creeping in. Mornings are getting cooler, leaves are starting to fall, and I am now craving food I would normally expect to find around October or November in the Northern Hemisphere. Hence this typical Southern dessert that classically adorns every table at Thanksgiving. It's all about the contrast of textures: soft creamy sweet potato, crispy crust and crunchy pecan topping.   Ingredients Pie Crust 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp granulated sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter cut in cubes 1/4-1/3 cup very cold water 1 egg (for egg wash) Sweet Potato Pie Filling 1 cup sweet potato mashed 1/4 cup salted butter melted and cooled 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs beaten 2 tsp vanilla extract tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg Pecan Pie Topping 1 large egg room temperature and beaten 1 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tbsp light brown sugar...