Born and raised in Soweto, Lesego Semenya started out as a process engineer before pursuing his dream of cooking. After studying at Prue Leith Chef’s Academy in Centurion, he went on to work in professional kitchens, including Richard Branson’s Sabi Sands. He appeared on several TV shows, including Top Chef South Africa and most recently, DStv’s Celebrity Mystery Box. He authored the best-selling cookbook Dijo and was perhaps best known for his recipes championing heritage ingredients. Since lockdown 2020 he had been producing monthly recipe videos for TASTETube.
THE TASTE TEAM REMEMBERS OUR COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND
Abigail Donnelly
Food director
“Over Easter, Lesego cooked with Anele in a TV show for Woolies, and both their larger-than-life personalities had the crew in hysterics as they cooked gourmet boerie rolls and chocolate marshmallow Easter egg jaffles. Lesego was funny, generous, sincere and kind and I will treasure all his recipes always. I’m so grateful that I had the privilege of working with him.”
Hannah Lewry
Contributing food editor
“It was an absolute privilege and honour to work with Lesego. His hand-crushed chimichurri is one of my favourite recipes, every time I make it I will think of him! What a titan among men!”
Mogau Seshoene
Best-selling author, chef and TASTE contributor
“Lesego was always such a consummate professional, a dedicated and talented chef, what an absolute pleasure he was to work with. Always ready to help, always such a gentleman. What a loss to our industry.”
Katharine Pope
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September/October 2021 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.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September/October 2021 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.
