With load of yummy new cookbooks on the shelves it’s going to be a delicious September!
My Vegetarian Braai. Gasps of horror from the carnivores! But this lovely book by Adele Maartens is not about trying to convert meat eaters … rather to show there is more to braai than boerewors. With the growing trend of plant-based eating, there’s an excellent chance one of your guests is going to be vegetarian … so here are a host of delicious meals to dish up. With a few vegan recipes too, so everyone’s catered for. Penguin, R325
Twin sisters Fatima Sydow and Gadija Sydow Noordien bring the taste of South African Malay-style cooking to your kitchen in this spicy new cookbook, Cape, Curry & Koesisters. You’ll find recipes for masalas, soups, light meals and snacks (samoosas or pickled salmon and onion salad anyone?). Rice, sambals and atchar feature (of course), followed by the big guns of curry, breyani and ahkni. Here we dithered happily between butter chicken curry, frikkadel curry, slow braised lamb chops with apricot chutney and steak and potato braise. All look too, too scrumptious for words. Puds like melk tart and malva, along with luscious cakes (koesisters coming up), round off the book in diet-breaking style. Human & Rousseau, R330.
Rebecca and Kate Lund, aka The Delish Sisters, are constantly inspired by the ever-changing food industry and love to create beautiful food experiences for clients, friends and family. They enjoy experimenting with new and exotic spices and ingredients, and encouraging people to be adventurous, too! The recipes in their book are fresh, wholesome, colourful, seasonal and ‘mostly’ healthy … so while there are indulgent dishes and treats, they keep everything as balanced and as inclusive as possible … so also loads of sugar-free, gluten-free recipes, delicious vegetarian options and tasty vegan food. Penguin, R300
In Summer Food, chef Tjaart Walraven celebrates the long, lazy days of our South African summer. With the emphasis on easy entertaining – including outdoor cooking – he includes everything from great breakfast dishes to kick off the day to sweet desserts to end it. Loads of background stories, great photos and plenty of tips … we love summer, and we love this cookbook. Penguin, R350
With an explosion of colour and taste, Jamie Oliver shows just how tasty veggie meals can be. The recipes in VEG will, he says, leave you feeling full, satisfied and happy – and not missing meat from your plate. From simple suppers and family faves to weekend dishes for sharing with friends, from embracing a meat-free day each week to living a vegetarian lifestyle, or for those simply just wanting to try some brilliant new flavour combos, VEG has something for everyone … and it’s crammed with Jamie-style tips and tricks that will excite the taste buds. ‘It’s all about celebrating really good, tasty food that just happens to be meat-free,’ he says. Penguin, R430
If you, like us, relish the Mediterranean way of eating … everyone tucking into breads and dips, tapas and salads, gorgeous roasts and seafoods … you’re going to want to get a copy of the gorgeous – GORGEOUS, we tell you – Cape Mediterranean by Ilse van der Merwe. This Stellenbosch-based foodie says ‘In South Africa, especially the Western Cape, we love the culture of lingering, social lunch tables. We savour coming together to celebrate local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients’. Fortunately you don’t have to live in the Cape to make, and enjoy, the dishes in her book … Winelands grape pizza bianca with feta and thyme will taste just as good in Ballito, Bo-Kaap harissa paste will be yummy in Bloem, and Cape seafood stew will go down a treat in Sandton. There are more than 75 amazing recipes that most of us will manage with ease. There are recipes here we’ll make again and again … this is without a doubt our hot buy for spring and summer. Struik, R280.
