They came. They cooked. They conquered. That is the motto of twins, Lebo and Tebo, who are cooking their way through the kitchens of Pretoria with their success in hosting pop-up dinners for those who enjoy quality food in the comfort of their own homes. In addition to that, they are regular contributors to food magazines, have cooked for the folks over at Top Billing and have been featured on The Gareth Cliff Show at cliffcentral.com.

We sat down with these two bubbly chefs, who have studied in Stellenbosch and the United States, to learn a little more about what it is about food that makes them so passionate about cooking and staying balanced.

By Jana du Plessis

Q. Where did your love for food start, and has it always been the two of you in the kitchen?

A. It came from our mom who is an amazing cook, she used to cook for us all the time. Sometimes she’d allow us to mix the cookie dough while she was baking. It’s always been both of us in the kitchen as we would rather have watched someone cook than watch cartoons! Once we grew older my mom let us take over the baking duties of the house and it’s been a baking party ever since.

Q. How would you describe your approach to cooking and the type of food you love to cook?

A. We see cooking as a ‘woooh-saahhh’ moment. It’s so relaxing and calming. We love being creative and experimenting with food; we love mixing two cultures and cuisines when we cook, like adding an East African twist to a local South African dish.

Q. Hosting a kitchen pop-up must be quite a high pressured environment. What is the energy like in the kitchen when cooking for these events? And how do you deal with any on-site disasters or mishaps?

A. We love the pop-ups! The fun thing about them is that we get to work and cook in different kitchens which is always very interesting. For at least the first hour we don’t know where everything is, but (luckily) we are very calm people, and two brains are always better than one, so it’s never a stressful situation. With just the two of us in the kitchen, we always tell each other funny stories while we cook, turning it into quite the a cooking party. Any disasters? Again, we try not to panic and, like any good chef, we’ll make another plan and we’ll probably scratch the (disastrous) item from the menu and come up with something else.

Q. What is your favourite food story – be it funny, nostalgic or significant in any other way?

A. Our ultimate food story has to be our Thailand visit. On the last day of our trip, we went to Bangkok to learn how to make Thai green chicken curry from scratch. We had a chef on site who was guiding us, but they mostly let us do our own thing. Now, the one twin (clears throat Tebo) decided to put way too much green chilli in her curry because she thought she could handle it. Long story short, she was sniffing through her entire meal because her tongue was burning so much, but to our surprise, she finished her meal! That’s where our absolute love for Thai cuisine came from – there’s nothing better than learning how to make a dish, with raw, fresh ingredients in its country of origin. Amazing!

Q. Even though you’re chefs, you like to keep fit and healthy. What are your tips to eating healthily but still keeping it delicious?

A. Yes, we absolutely appreciate our bodies and try to take very good care of them. Our tip is to eat wholesome most of the time. Fresh food that doesn’t need to be cooked for a long time or doesn’t have more than five ingredients is what we aim for. Try to keep it simple and stay away from too much heavy and starchy food. Drink lots of water and have one treat meal a week, for extra motivation.

Q. What is your go-to recipe for a healthy dessert?

A. Our favourite healthy dessert would have to be our ABC home-made froyo. It’s as easy as the name suggest and only requires four ingredients.

A, B, C froyo
INGREDIENTS
1 tub double-cream plain yoghurt
250g berries, frozen
¼ cup honey
Mint, to garnish

METHOD
1. In a blender, blitz the yoghurt, berries and honey together.
2. Transfer the yoghurt mixture to a sealable plastic container and freeze for 5 hours or until completely frozen.
3. To serve, garnish with fresh mint.

Q. If there is only one dish you can make for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A. Hmmm, that’s a tough one. We’d have to go with a Thai green chicken curry and rice. Yummy and simple!

There you have it! For more of Tebo and Lebo’s delicious recipes and amusing ramblings, visit their blog at withlovefromthetwins.com.

The post Twin chefs cooking for the love of food, PLUS their ABC home-made froyo appeared first on MyKitchen.

When Tongai Joseph Dhafana (‘Joseph’ to his friends) left Zimbabwe, he didn’t know where his path would lead him next. His first job on South African soil was as a gardener at Bar Bar Black Sheep in Riebeek-Kasteel, but hard work and enthusiasm saw him climb the ranks and into the restaurant as a waiter. This was when his love affair with grapes began and his mentors, Eben Sadie and Chris Mullineux, saw his potential. Joseph enrolled at the Cape Wine Academy in Stellenbosch to earn his qualification in oenology and he the esteemed sommelier at Silvermist’s La Colombe in the Constantia Valley.

In 2015, Dhafana entered a blind tasting wine competition that landed him the third place in South Africa and 12th in the world championship alongside the rest of the national team. Since then, he has started his own company, Mosi Wines, and is exporting to Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

After learning about the great knowledge of this wine connoisseur, we had to ask him what he would pair some of our favourite dishes:

Paella: The Sadie Family Wines Pofadder 2012 is fruity and herbal with
a mineral backbone, this is an excellent choice to accompany any seafood, such as a mussel dish.’
Pulled brisket tacos: The vivid fruity flavour and spicy, gamey quality of the Stony Brook Vineyards Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2010 are great paired with smoked meats or the rich flavour of brisket.
Jelly squares: A fresh and acidic sparkling wine like the Krone Night Nectar Cap Classique 2011 complements a light, fruity jelly superbly.

The post Beyond the barrel appeared first on MyKitchen.

From MasterChef to opening her own business, Lungi Nhlanhla is taking the foodie world by storm. When the youngest contestant on MasterChef SA made it to the finals, we paid attention. Then we watched as she took on the daunting role of food editor for Drum. Now, she is combining her love of food, writing and events management, in her own bespoke culinary business and blog, Lungi’s Corner.

MK: What do you love most about food?
Lungi: South Africa has so many diverse and distinct cultures, each with a deep history and a different approach to food. I think we should be exploring what we have to offer on home soil before looking for inspiration elsewhere. Some of our best chefs are doing just that: modernising traditional recipes and ingredients; fusing cultures while respecting our culinary heritage. Food is a great way for us to learn about each other. When you learn a recipe, you’re not just learning about a cuisine, but about the people that make and enjoy the dish, as well as their cultural context. Every dish has a story.

MK: What’s hot on the local food scene?
Lungi: Forget curly kale, local greens (like morogo, imfino and imbuya) are all the rage. There is also a renewed emphasis on reinventing simple ingredients. Take pap (which I think should be our national dish): you can turn it into anything, from polenta to pizza. But my favourite way to eat it
is the way my family taught me: with chicken stock, herbs, sweetcorn, onions and butter.

MK: Any trends we should know about?
Lungi: People want fine dining at home. We want the luxury of good food, but in
the comfort of our homes – it’s a fun challenge! I’m a huge fan of salad, but nothing is more off-putting than a bland one. You can turn a bed of leaves into something spectacular just by adding fruit (I love pears and plums).

FOLLOW HER
Website: lungiscorner.co.za
Facebook: Lungi’s Corner
Twitter: @LungisCorner
Instagram: @lungiscorner

The post Quick Q&A with Lungi Nhlanhla appeared first on MyKitchen.