Though the chef-owner of Restaurant Mosaic be but small, she is certainly fierce competition in the international arena. Her latest coup? Being named best female chef. In the world
I grew up in Elandsfontein on the farm Restaurant Mosaic is situated on. During school holidays, we stayed with my gran. I think one of my warmest, fuzziest memories was of her teaching me how to make vetkoek. I remember the first time I made my own and broke it open; so yeasty and comforting and rewarding. And then, making a batch for my parents for dinner and being able to share that with them. Every time I smell vetkoek, those memories just come rushing back.
After qualifying as a chef, I worked as a commis chef under Nico Ladenis at Chez Nico in London. He’s a very, very hard task master; chefs like Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay came from his kitchen. I think that’s where I realised how important consistency is, because it was drilled into us every single service. The food had to be perfect and if it wasn’t perfect, it didn’t go out. You literally worked 18 hours a day, went home, got fourand-a-half hours’ sleep, and got back in the kitchen. Most of the time we were dead on our feet, but then you’d get back into the rush of service and you’d just push through – all of us fighting to keep those three Michelin stars.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2017 من Woolworths TASTE.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2017 من Woolworths TASTE.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Award-winning Food: Trending Plates
Fine-dining takes on both nostalgic and African ingredients - from Cremora and polony (yes!) to okra and beetroot - were food trends singled out by the judges of the 2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards.
Everything you need to know about quinoa
If it was good enough to sustain the Incan armies - and NASA's astronauts - you'd better believe this protein-rich seed will see you through your afternoon slump.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
The kids will love these quick-and-easy snacks that won't break the (piggy) bank.
82 words on...
THE FROZEN APEROL SPRITZ is the hottest way to keep cool this summer, says Jeanne Calitz.
MEET ME AT THE RIVER
Plan a visit to the new Mukwa River Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi to experience Zambian food with a twist, courtesy of head cook Aaron Menezes and four passionate members of his kitchen team.
FIRE STARTER
Celeb TV chef Clem Pedro - of Afternoon Express and Expresso fame takes the art of hosting to pro level and not because he went to hotel school or worked for TASTE, but because he started in his mom's kitchen. We asked him to share his food nerd roots and family braai secrets.
PLANTS IN PARADISE
Former Durban creative (and one-time carnivore) Neil Roake and his daughter Jordan's epic travels led them to collaborate on the all veg cookbook Castaway. They shared their meat-free adventures on the Filipino island of Siargao with TASTE.
ΤΟ MAY-ΤΟ, ΤΟ MAH-ΤΟ
Midsummer tomatoes are impossible to resist, we know. So when you find yourself with a bounty of exotic varieties - heirlooms, Italian Romas, ripe Mediterraneans and sweet Rosalinis - Hannah Lewry is here to help.
HOME TRUTHS
At her Joburg eatery, established in the iconic former Women's Jail at Constitution Hill, Mpho Phalane has worked to create a space that both honours the historic site and feels like home. She spoke to Khanya Mzongwana about the food journey that brought her here.
Morogo magic
Budget-friendly indigenous leafy greens - fresh, sautéed or preserved for later use are on Mokgadi Itsweng's menu at this time of year.
