2010/05/12
In Fusion
By Shane Sauvage
(Jacana)
SHANE Sauvage is a South African chef and restaurateur who has gained international recognition for SA cuisine.
So inspiring was the book that I decided to have a few friends around for a dinner party.
I selected three dishes – the starter a Thai-style mussel and butternut soup, followed by Cape Fusion calamari with the pièce de résistance the beef and lobster – to test out my culinary skills.
I thought I had literally bitten off more than I could chew, but the recipes were easy to follow. The chef’s notes and wine suggestions add that extra touch that make you feel all that more accomplished as the home chef and host.
The evening was a huge success. This is one recipe book that will become a definite favourite in my library. — Rochelle Bradshaw
Mermaid Cookbook
Barbara Beery
(Gibbs Smith)
WHAT a fantastic little book! The Mermaid Cookbook is packed full of mermaid and ocean-themed recipes that are easy to follow.
Occasionally a recipe will ask for a strange American ingredient, but mostly the recipes consist of fruit.
Recipes vary from Swirling Mermaid Smoothies to Rainbow Fish Fudge and will be great for a mermaid or ocean inspired birthday party. Each recipe is accompanied by a great photo.
Although my three-year-old is still too small to really enjoy this book, I’m sure in a couple of years time it’ll become a staple in the kitchen. — Tirsa Ellis
A Farm in my Heart
By Emilia le Roux & François Smuts
(Tafelberg)
SUBTITLED From the yard to the pantry and the table, this is a delightful cookbook with a difference which is as much about the collective country wisdom of the family who’ve farmed at Doornkraal, near De Rust for decades, as it is about the food.
Emilia le Roux grew up on Doornkraal and she and her advocate husband – the book’s co-author François Smuts – have fashioned a heart-warming taste of nostalgia peppered with practical advice, recipes and gentle humour.
You don’t have to have a farm to be able to use all the information contained between the covers. There’s good, solid advice on all sorts of things for the home gardener and cook including waterwise cultivation and companion planting.
Great recipes no doubt benefit from Emilia’s master’s degree in home economics and they cater not only for those with a taste for the traditional, but also for anyone wanting a more modern, adventurous take on wholesome farm fare.
It’s an excellent book, indeed. — Stevie Godson
Sumptuous
By Marlene van der Westhuizen
(Rollerbird Press and Pan Macmillan)
SUMPTUOUS is exactly that from whichever angle you view it.
A beautifully produced cookery book by Marlene van der Westhuizen with stunning photographs by Gerda Genis.
Van der Westhuizen shares her year between a small village in France, Charrox, and a studio in Cape Town. In both she teaches cookery.
The recipes cover a wide spectrum and there may be difficulties obtaining some ingredients, but there are enough to be getting on with. Van der Westhuizen’s enthusiasm and passion are evident, but I would check some of the baking times. A cake baked at 180ºC for 80 minutes will be burnt or very dry.
This lovely book would make a special gift, but I would recommend copying out some of the recipes before wrapping it. — André Louw
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