I was introduced to cookbook writing
21 years ago when I read 'People’s Food:
Portuguese Regional Cooking' (1996) by
Mimi Jardim.
Reading that delightful collection of
recipes from the Iberian Peninsula provoked
in me a wish for a book that would
explore the rich food traditions of black
people in South Africa and neighbouring
countries.
Fortunately food writer and cookery
expert, Dorah Sitole, surpassed my wish
and expectations when she published 'Cooking From Cape to Cairo: A Taste of
Africa' (1999).
These two reference works
remain part of my treasured collection.
Since then I haven’t
read another authoritative
book on this subject.
That is, until the emergence
of this landmark
work. Written in a conversational,
sparkling
and enthusiastic style, it is an eventful
and thoughtful gastronomic journey of a
foodie.
Khanyisa Malabi shares innovative
and imaginative recipes inspired by
heritage food from her rural upbringing
in Limpopo, and childhood experiences
with her grandmother’s cooking.
The dishes range from the simple
African traditional to the sophisticated
cosmopolitan ones that can be ordered at
upmarket restaurants.
At first glance, the designer handwritten
prose she had devised to share
personal reflections may appear strange
and unattractive, but this unconventional
approach provides an earthy, genuine
and intimate touch to the text. And, once
you get used to it, you will want to read it
again and again.
Her slender but elegant calligraphy
is the stamp of this book’s uniqueness.
“Food is excitement, it is living – our joy,
our tears, the truth, our tradition,” she
writes.
In her own words, the book captures
experiences of her own life and bold
images of food.
“My own story is a legacy of living, a
leap of faith beyond survival and recognition
but a means of experiencing what
really fulfills us, when we can do what
we love and live the way we like. But it is
mainly the legacy of love that inspired me
and enabled me to find that sweet spot
where I met the woman I am.”
This is more than just a collection of
cooking recipes, menus and baking tips.
It is a quintessential coffee table book
with stunning photography, biographical
vignettes and motivational wisdom
informed by a purposeful and goal-oriented
life as a mother, entrepreneur and
cookbook author.
It is an exquisite work of art that
combines fine writing with a culinary
philosophy.
Not surprisingly, most of the
high quality photography is about her
mouth-watering dishes, while a few could
have been lifted from her photo album.
They reflect her life as a proud mother,
appreciator of fine dining and a fashionable
dresser.
In the final analysis, this
book is a unique and valuable contribution
to cookbook writing in South Africa.
It claims its place among the cookbook
classics I mentioned in the opening
words. If you are a food enthusiast with a
penchant for a purposeful life, then this
book is a collector’s item.