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 borewors. 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
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
If you, like us, love the Mediterranean way of eating … everyone tucking into breads and dips, tappas 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 yumy 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.
