My love for cooking stems from my grandmother and my mother.

These two incredible women made sure we ate good food every single day. When I think of my grandmother, Yaya, as we affectionately called her. I picture her in the kitchen at my parents’ house eMalunga Park, Gugulethu. Every evening by 6 o’clock op die kop, supper was ready. You dared not be late! Even if you were out with friends, you’d better bring them along but make sure you were in the house and ready to chow.

Sundays were even more special. Yaya would start cooking before church, and if roast potatoes were on the menu, they had to be fresh and crispy so she made them minutes before lunch, which was always served exactly at 1 p.m. The whole neighborhood knew that when 1 o’clock came, my brother and I had to be home for lunch. I never wanted my friends to miss out on that deliciousness, so I’d often drag them along. In our culture, it’s considered rude not to cook extra especially on a Sunday so there was always enough to share.

The smell of roast chicken or lamb, golden potatoes, fluffy white rice, smooth brown onion gravy, sautéed cabbage with white pepper, buttery carrots, and creamy cauliflower baked with cheese would fill the house every Sunday. Oh my goodness  I can almost taste it as I type this!

That’s where my love for food began. Because I loved good food, I had to learn how to make good food. You could say I’m self-taught because I never had formal culinary training. But I watched my mother cook, and as I grew older, I started recreating her dishes, always adding my own twist. I love to improvise in the kitchen, though that didn’t always sit well with my mom, who preferred doing things strictly by the book.

I remember once making white sauce my way. I melted butter in a saucepan, added flour to make a roux, then slowly whisked in milk until it was perfectly smooth. My mom, on the other hand, mixed flour and milk in a bowl first, then added that to the melted butter. She swore her way prevented lumps. I always said, “Just use a whisk!” In the end, both our sauces were lump-free and always delicious.

Both Yaya and my mom, Boniswa, taught me to love food deeply. My mom used to say, “Uyakuthanda ukutya… uyathanda ukuhlafuna”, You love food… you love to chew.
And honestly? Eating really is the best part!