Everyone should keep this recipe for quick beer bread

Andre Burgener has been immersed in all things food since she took over the making of the family's lunch box sandwiches aged eight (her mom could make a mean creme brulee and a staggering souffle, but could never butter the bread all the way to the edges.

EMERGENCY BREAD UNWRAPPED

A friend told me yesterday about the phone call she had just received from her mum in New York, asking for a famous beer bread recipe.

Hurricane Sandy had ensured that no shop anywhere near them had bread.

Normal (okay, "real" bread) is at least half a day away if you prove it properly, so beer bread is the thing you want to make when things go awry.

I hadn't made this bread for years, hadn't even thought about it since my long gone camping days (it works as pot bread), so I thought I should try it again.

For what's in it, and for how quickly it puts a loaf on the table, this is a recipe everyone should have. Bread snobs will scoff at this recipe, with its use of self-raising flour, but it's not trying to compete with yeast breads. It's very similar to Irish soda bread in concept, and the Irish are justifiably proud of these loaves.

It's very simple, but you can make it a bit snazzy if you like, with some crushed rosemary or caraway seeds.

For one loaf: 1 x 500g packet self-raising flour / 1 can/340ml good beer / 1 teaspoon salt / 2 tablespoons melted butter / herbs or spices if you like. How: mix everything together lightly in large bowl (do not knead), then place this mass in a greased loaf tin. Bake at 200C until golden brown.

It really has to be scoffed on the day of making, and is best warm.

FISHY MATTERS

Almost every major supermarket chain is now hooked up to seafood sustainability programmes, but that doesn't mean we should be lazy, gullible shoppers.

It's amazing how efficient the marketing and labelling machines are at filtering the information in rosy ways. It's fantastic that the work of the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative and the Marine Stewardship Council is becoming so mainstream, but conversations with other shoppers make me realise there is confusion about Sassi labelling: just because something has the Sassi logo on it, doesn't necessarily mean it's sustainable.

If Sassi has given it the green code, then it's the sustainable option, but there are too many orange-coded options in freezers.

Sassi has put the orange code there to let you know there are serious environmental or stock issues with the species. Yes, even if it says something "green" and positive next to the little pic of the orange fish.

Be aware of what you're buying, and save the sole and kingklip for rare special occasions only, if you can't resist.