CHEERS | BOOK GIVEAWAY
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Food as A love language
Have you eaten yet? A simple question asked and answered daily by millions of people. It’s how people show they care – by feeding you. In isiZulu, the phrase is Senidlile Kodwa? – and it’s also the title of Zanele van Zyl’s third book.
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IT and the corporate world’s loss is definitely the culinary community’s gain! Computers and a 9-5 job did not appeal nearly as much as the lure of spices, herbs, pots, pans and baking.
Bergville-born Zanele van Zyl’s love language is that of food: cooking for those she loves – and also sharing her love of food with others is what brings her joy. That she’s damn good at it too is obvious since she’s published two successful recipe books already, one of which (Cooking with Zanele vol. 2) was awarded Book of the Year at the Luxe Awards in 2021. She followed that up a year later with a win as the Luxe Awards Culinary Media Personality for 2022!
As a young girl, she grew up watching her mother cook soulful, traditional food at their home in the foothills of the Drakensberg escarpment in KwaZulu-Natal. But food and the culinary world was not her first choice when it came to careers and she initially went into corporate, in the IT field. Unfulfilled, she quit and instead studied and qualified as a professional chef.
Never one to settle for anything less than doing her utmost, she gave free run to her entrepreneurial side and began “Cooking with Zanele”, cooking classes where she teaches and shares her passion for food with eager (hungry?) foodies in kitchens across South Africa.
Her gift is to make food and cooking approachable and not daunting by demonstrating her creative, quick and easy recipes in a fun but educational environment. It’s how she’s been able to amass a following of 837 000 on Facebook and 466 000 on Instagram! (Check out @cookingwithzanele for some droolworthy pictures!)
Senidlile Kodwa? Have you eaten yet? is a genuine celebration of food and contains 100 simple but tasty recipes. Expect everything from bright and cheery breakfasts; wholesome veggies; meaty mains with heart; a signature Sunday spread; traditional village favourites; simply delicious sides; and, of course, something sweet to round it all off.
Chapters include Breakfast and Brunch; Meat, Chicken & Seafood; Sunday Spread; Home Grown; Elevate Your Meal: Sauces, Dressings, Dips and Marinades; Something on the Side; Nibbles; Bakery; Sweet Treats & Drinks and, of course, an index.
The biggest selling point of this book is that cooking beautiful food needn’t be a chore or hard work – it can be fun and unintimidating.
COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Competition submissions should reach us no later than 25th September 2023. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suffered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions, you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Participants can only win one competition every three issues.
The dictionary definition of al fresco is to enjoy something outside, in the open air. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures, especially when it comes to food. It could be a simple lunchtime salad eaten in the garden with the family – or a sandwich and piece of fruit while hiking a mountain trail, the enjoyment is amplified by the natural surroundings.
The assumption is that al fresco is derived from Latin – which it is – but if you were to approach a waiter at a restaurant in Rome or Milan and ask to be seated “al fresco”, you’d be laughed at! That’s because in Italian that phrase means “in the chill” or “in the cool”. (There’s also an alternative meaning: “in prison” because prisons were historically made with thick stone walls – and were thus cool.)
As the promotional material for Van der Merwe’s book states: “In Easy Al Fresco, Ilse van der Merwe offers a simple and inspiring guide for fabulous, fuss-free dishes that can all be prepared with a limited range of basic utensils – with the aim of dining outdoors. This should be the only book you pack for your next trail hike, seaside holiday or camping trip, but also the book you keep handy when the power goes out.”
With load-shedding a part of everyday life in South Africa, the award-winning Stellenbosch cook, food blogger, content creator and author of two other books, Cape Mediterranean and Simply Seasonal (both published by Penguin Random House SA), provides a range of 100% no-electricity-required dishes. There are more than 80 easy recipes from breads, spreads, appetisers, salads and sandwiches, through to mains and desserts.
Van der Merwe says it best in her introduction: “Food has always been a catalyst in bringing people together, hopefully for a good time with friends and loved ones, but the al fresco event becomes so much more than the sum of its parts. We come away energised, nurtured (in more ways than one) and deeply satisfied."
“This book celebrates that magic. Simple, scrumptious food, enjoyed and often also cooked in the open air without the need for fancy equipment, so that you can be truly present in those precious times and the new memories you’re making."
“As South Africans, we share an inherent, spirited love for outdoor cooking and entertaining, whether it is to light a fire and braai, or simply gather and share food under starry African skies. Yet, in an era of frequent scheduled power outages in South Africa (load-shedding), many of us have resorted to mediocre and usually unhealthy take-away meals to counter the cooking challenges that come with a lack of electricity.”
That needn’t be the case. The author not only supplies great recipes but has included a handy section on tools and equipment, cooking with fire, keeping it cool or how to make the most of store-bought shortcuts. Again, in her own words: “I’ve intentionally included the use of ready-made, store-bought products, such as tikka marinade, Thai curry paste, barbecue spice, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, falafel premix, rotisserie chicken, etc. It will cut hours from your prep time when your goal is to keep it effortless, especially when you don’t have access to electricity or power-driven food processing tools.
The recipes in this book vary from simple to ultra-simple – in many instances they’re more of a serving suggestion than an actual recipe – allowing you to prepare food without stress or effort, using minimal tools and accessible ingredients.”
Roll on summer!
COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Competition submissions should reach us no later than 25th October 2023. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suffered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions, you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Participants can only win one competition every three issues.
It’s a survival strategy, busy author, chef, food stylist and mom Vickie de Beer maintains. And she would know. As the food editor for popular Afrikaans magazine Rooi Rose for 18 years, she knows how hard it can be juggling work deadlines and feeding a family of growing boys and their sports schedules! So meal prep of nutritious, balanced and tasty food is vital.
Planning is second nature to this food dynamo. It's something she has had to do for years after one of her sons was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. It turned out to be fortuitous because the family’s transition to a low-carb lifestyle inspired a range of books: The Low-Carb Solution for Diabetics which won the Sunday Times Best Cookbook of the Year award in 2015, My Low-Carb Kitchen and Low-Carb Express, all of whichhave sold thousands of copies locally and internationally.
Some of her family’s favourite dishes feature on the pages of this new book, from soups and stews to oven bakes and one-pan dishes. Then there are sauces and ‘flavour starters’, which can be prepared ahead of time, so a wholesome meal from scratch can easily be pulled together on busy nights.
What’s more, Vickie knows that all South Africans are faced with the unique challenge of loadshedding, which can disrupt cooking time in the kitchen. Meal prep is a clever way to work around annoying blackouts – making wholesome meals in advance, when the electricity is available, as a great way to ensure the family can still eat well, even with limited resources.
Vickie includes tips for freezing and defrosting food, batch cooking, as well as a sample seven-day meal plan to show how you can combine advance prep with dishes made from scratch on the night. All of the 75 recipes indicate how many portions they make, allowing you to choose whether to freeze them as a single meal, or in portion sizes to suit the family’s needs.
Chapters include meal prep, flavour starters such as pastes, spice mixes and rubs, marinades and the like. Then there are cook-in sauces, fermented salads and salsas. Broths and soups get their time to shine in a chapter, as does slow cooking. Naturally there are one pan and tray-bake meals, along with the old faithfuls of basics and side dishes.
It is indeed clever cooking.
COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Competition submissions should reach us no later than 25th April 2023. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. The decision of Integrated Media will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suffered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions, you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw. Participants can only win one competition every three issues.
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213405/p61_RumpSteak.1024_0_1.jpg)
Rump Steak with Mushroom Sauce
Serves 1
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makes:
1 loaf
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Prep time:
20min
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Cook time:
10min
Ingredients:
For the mushroom sauce
1 Tbsp flour
100ml milk
30g butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g white button mushrooms, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup fresh cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the steak
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
30g butter
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 × 300g rump steak
Method:
For the mushroom sauce, mix the flour and milk in a small bowl or jug, then set aside.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 2–3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and stir until the mushrooms are golden brown. Pour in the fresh cream and lower the heat. Stir in the flour and milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To prepare the steak, make a dry rub by mixing together the ground black pepper, chilli flakes, origanum, garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika and salt. Rub the mixture all over the steak.
Add the butter to a pan and melt over high heat. Add the garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme, and fry for 1 minute. Place the steak in the pan and fry for 3 minutes on each side, or to your liking (see Tip). Remove from the pan and allow the steak to rest for 5–7 minutes, to allow the juices to distribute.
In the meantime, reheat the mushroom sauce over low–medium heat. Then, pour the sauce over the steak and serve.
TIP:
I prefer my steak medium, but follow the cooking times below
to cook the steak to your preference.
Rare = 2 minutes per side
Medium = 3 minutes per side
Well done = 6 minutes per side
Notes
Defrost frozen phyllo pastry in its packaging for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Half a 500 g pack should be sufficient for one pie. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
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![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213408/p192_IceCream.2048_0_1.jpg)
Oreo Ice Cream
Serves 6
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Serves:
6
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213395/Prep.640_0_1.png)
Prep time:
20min
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213396/Cook.640_0_1.png)
Cook time:
15m
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213394/Serves.480_0_1.png)
Serves:
4-6
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Prep time:
20min
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Cook time:
15min
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cream
½ cup condensed milk
8 Oreo cookies, crushed
Method:
In a bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whisk the cream until it is thick. Fold in the condensed milk and crushed Oreos.
Cover with cling wrap, making sure that it touches the surface of the mixture.
Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2 hours, or until set.
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![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213406/p64_Pulled_pork_belly_burger.960_0_1.jpg)
Pulled Pork Belly Burger
Serves 4
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Serves:
4
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213395/Prep.640_0_1.png)
Prep time:
20min
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213396/Cook.640_0_1.png)
Cook time:
15m
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213394/Serves.480_0_1.png)
Serves:
4-6
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213395/Prep.480_0_1.png)
Prep time:
20min
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213396/Cook.480_0_1.png)
Cook time:
15min
Ingredients:
1 kg boneless pork belly
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ cup apricot jam
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 red chillies, seeds removed, and finely chopped
½ cup white grape vinegar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chicken spice
1 tsp paprika
To serve
4 hamburger buns
2 cups shredded rainbow cabbage
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Place the pork belly in a big enough pot, add the onion and cover with water. Boil for 30–45 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the pork belly from the water and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the apricot jam, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ginger, chillies, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, chicken spice and paprika. Cook over low heat until the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze.
Place the pork belly in a roasting dish. Remove the skin. Pour the glaze over the pork belly, making sure it is coated all over. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until tender enough to easily shred or pull apart.
Use two forks to shred the pork belly. Divide the shredded pork and cabbage evenly among the 4 hamburger buns, and serve.
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![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213407/p120_UphutuCabbage.960_0_1.jpg)
uPhuthu ne Klabishi (uPhuthu and Cabbage)
This is a famous meal in my village and is referred to as ‘intombi yesigodi’ (local girl). It’s not just an affordable meal, but one that fills the soul. When I eat it, it always takes me home to my mom’s rondavel, wherever I am. Serves 6
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213394/Serves.640_0_1.png)
Serves:
4
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213395/Prep.640_0_1.png)
Prep time:
20min
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213396/Cook.640_0_1.png)
Cook time:
10min
Ingredients:
For the uPhuthu
4 cups water
2 cups maize meal
1 tsp salt
For the cabbage
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
4–6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp mild curry powder
½ head green cabbage, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped mixed red, green and yellow peppers
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
In a pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the maize meal and salt in a heap in the centre of the pot. Lower the heat. Using a fork, mix the maize meal, salt and water until a crumbly mixture forms. Close the lid and cook for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden. Add the bacon and stir until cooked. Mix in the curry powder, then stir in the cabbage and peppers. Cook over low heat until the cabbage is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the uphuthu.
Notes
Defrost frozen phyllo pastry in its packaging for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Half a 500 g pack should be sufficient for one pie. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
![](/cheers/cheers_october_2023/book_giveaway/213401/Buttons_Green.240_0_1.png)