CATEGORIES

CHRISTMAS STEP BY STEP

If you’re the kind of traditionalist who insists on old-school starters, two roasts (glazed gammon, obvs), duck-fat potatoes, gravy perfection and the ultimate jelly and “custard”, then Hannah Lewry has all your work cut out for you, right here. Because if ever there was a time of year to flaunt your cooking skills, this is it

HAPPY HOUR Spirit of the season

A few ingredients left to infuse for two days and you can add a few home-made gifts to your festive repertoire this year, says Jeanne Calitz

FOOD HERO Brandy custard

Creamy, flecked with vanilla and now spiked with everyone’s favourite festive spirit, the TASTE team is all over Woolies’ new brandy custard. But how will we make the most of this fresh punnet of ingenuity?

A NEW KIND OF MAGIC

Break a few rules this Christmas, ('cos it's been that kinda year) and make new traditions with Abigail Donnelly’s inspired modern menu

Mayo, sir?

In which Jonathan Ancer makes peace with the most embarrassing meal of his life, after learning that his food phobia has become family-table folklore

Local treasure

South Africa lost an icon earlier this year, when food editor and author Dorah Sitole passed away. Mogau Seshoene remembers the woman who inspired, advised and cheered for a generation of young black chefs

THANKS FOR sharing

Best way to do Christmas on a budget? Pot luck, you guys! Make some menu “suggestions”, says Khanya Mzongwana, set up a buffet table and ask everyone to bring a shareable dish that costs less than R50 per person. Think of it as food-nerd secret Santa

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS

These are all the cakes, tarts, puddings, biscuits and treats you need for your Christmas countdown, courtesy of Abigail Donnelly

STEP BY STEP Christmas fairy-cake biscuits

For the kids and the kids at heart, these buttery, rainbow sprinkled biccies offer pure, unadulterated joy in the making and eating

The last carb

When her favourite veg, the humble potato, is all dressed up in a rich, cheesy tartiflette, Sam Woulidge knows it will bring peace to the holiday table

We've Got Supper Sorted!

Four light meals perfect for spring.

Breathing New Life Into The Guava Industry

The Agricultural Research Council is undertaking various trials aimed at making guava production more profitable. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Salomie Willemse and Chris Smith, experts involved in the programme.

SPECIAL TRIBUTE Farewell, chef

Lesego Semenya, a.k.a. Les Da Chef, cookbook author, television presenter, TASTE columnist and beloved TASTETube host, passed away in July, after contracting Covid-19. He was just 39

Sundae best

Rediscovering her mom’s long-lost choc-fudge sauce inspired Sam Woulidge to create her own Tin Roof ice-cream sundae – a braai dessert without pretensions, only the sweetest suburban childhood memories

Food From The Heart

Durban-based author Shubnum Khan honours the women in her family who, for decades, have expressed their love through cooking and sharing excellent food

The Taste Case

Wikus Human is responsible for recommending wines to pair with the flame-cooked food at David Higgs’s Marble restaurant. We couldn’t think of anyone better to curate this month’s TASTE case to pick your six ultimate braai wines

Happy Hour Zest For Life

Start your limoncello project now and in a week you’ll have bottled sunshine – a taste of warmer days to come, says

Everything You Need To Know About Maize Rice

Also known as mielie rice, maize rice is finely cut maize with the bran and germ partially removed. It’s finer than samp and coarser than maize meal, making it a wonderfully textured accompaniment to stews, salads and braais

Anatomy Of A Dish Snoek Pâté Reloaded

There’s no shortage of inventive, delicious, locally flavoured dishes on the menu of Cape Town restaurant Belly of the Beast. But if there’s one dish that people can’t stop talking about, it’s the smoked snoek dip with lightas-air sweet potato crisps. Here’s why

The Better Butter

Kerrygold Irish butter is made from the milk of grass-fed cows and is loved the world over for its deliciously creamy texture and full-flavoured taste

TALKING ITALIAN

We may not be able to get on a plane to Italy, but we can bring it to our tables with Abigail Donnelly’s incredible, inspirational tribute to one of the world’s favourite cuisines. Stanley Tucci would be proud

Anatomy Of A Dish Italy's Finest

Margaret Giustizieri’s family has been importing fine Italian ingredients through their business Cremalat Cheese for almost 30 years. Their Bedfordview restaurant, La Cucina @ Cremalat, is the place for authentic Italian fare, like this spectacular orecchiette with salsiccia and friarielli

All You Need To Know About...Chocolate

Not content with white, dark, milk and ruby chocolate, Willy Wonka acolytes have come up with even more varieties. Which is great news, frankly, because who doesn’t need a new excuse to eat chocolate?

Pasta Lover, Lover

Recently diagnosed as gluten-intolerant, lifelong pasta enthusiast Tumi Morake was utterly bereft until she discovered some unexpected alternatives

The Taste Case

Want to expand your cellar this season? Or make some daring pairings? We asked Woolies’ experts Rebecca Constable and Rob Gower to use their insider knowledge and recommend some winter gems

Magic Beans

Mogau Seshoene associates winter with her grandmother’s bean curry and the stories that she loved as a child, which is how her summer bean salad became a cold-weather curry

The Family Lasagne

In honour of her beloved virtual friend Dr Sindi van Zyl, self-confessed “lazy cook” Sam Woulidge learned to make a really good lasagne from scratch

Pop-Up Restaurant: Great Makers

Taste contributing food editor Khanya Mzongwana has brought her collab-driven pop-up feasts to Cape Town. First up? Sharing platters of jerk chicken, braaied lamb and creative inspo in the east city

Bread Reloaded

Don’t bin stale bread, says Khanya Mzongwana. Save it to make croutons for panzanella, add it to ribollita-style soup or use it instead of pastry a low-key genius take on Pasteis de Nata

We've Got Supper Sorted!

Four winter favourites.