Motherhood

This traditional South African bobotie recipe is a delicious, moist family dish made with curried mince, chutney, sultanas and a savoury egg custard topping. It is baked until set and golden, then served with rice, chutney, coconut, nuts and banana for a classic South African meal.

People often ask me when I knew my son had autism. They expect, I think, a straightforward story about a diagnosis date, a doctor’s office, a folder of reports. And those did come, eventually. But that’s not when I knew. I can tell you the exact moment. I was sitting in the garden with a friend. Our boys were playing on the grass in front of us, sun-warmed and small. Her son was about six months younger than mine. We were doing what mothers do: half-talking, half-watching, on