Culinary trailblazer, food icon, multi-award winner and cooking goddess are some of the terms synonymous with the name Dorah Sitole.  

In celebrating Women’s Month this August, we felt it fitting to turn back the clock and pay homage to strong, creative and innovative female foodies – women who have become pioneers by breaking barriers in the culinary industry, both at home and abroad. At the forefront of these women sits Dorah Sitole, who played a pivotal role in placing our culture and food heritage in the limelight for a global audience to admire. She also paved the way for so many foodies and chefs who have since gone on to conquer the culinary world with their brilliance.  

Without her, many of us would not be where we are today – myself included. Her final cookbook titled 40 Years of Iconic Food is, in essence, her legacy. Although, calling it a cookbook seems like an injustice – it’s way more than that.  

It is filled with stories from her childhood, fond foodie memories with her family and special anecdotes about her life that we never knew about – all weaved together beautifully with her heartwarming recipes and love for food. It’s almost impossible to not feel her spirit leap from the pages.  

Who knew that an initial disappointment in not being able to continue to university after her matric year, would later set Dorah on a path to culinary success. After her first job as a research officer, Dorah was introduced to someone special… It was the late sis Iris, a beautiful, full-figured Xhosa woman cooking Indonesian dishes such as Nasi Goreng in the 70s who would became Dorah’s hero instantly. With one simple, yet flavour-packed dish, a true SA foodie icon was born, and Dorah was determined to make the culinary industry her canvas, using her love for food and ingredients as her medium. Fast forward over four decades later, the list of accolades this phenomenal woman has accumulated is unbelievable, proving to us all that she was indeed a force to be reckoned with. The biggest undoubtably being awarded not one, but two Food Icon of the Year awards from both FOOD XX AFRICA: WOMEN IN FOOD as well as Eat Out Restaurant awards.  

When it comes to Dorah, it’s not the awards that had us captivated. It was her bubbly personality, her kind soul and the need to nurture and educate everyone she crossed paths with, using food to tell her story. She not only inspired, but empowered us all with her easy-to-follow, failproof recipes that would make an appearance on the dinner table time after time. Although the country still mourns the loss of a cultural pioneer, we do take comfort in knowing her memory will live on in the pages of all her cookbooks. We know that among the numerous lives she has touched, a seed has already been planted in so many, who will soon, become the next SA Food Icon. Thank you, mam’Dorah.  

Steamed ginger pudding 

Serves 8 

This was my mother’s favourite pudding when we were growing up. Later, in her old age, she would make it for our Sunday lunch that we enjoyed at her house after church. 

Ingredients

250g butter or margarine  

1 cup (200g) sugar  

2 eggs  

2 ½ cups (300g) cake flour  

3 tsp (15ml) baking powder  

½ tsp (3ml) salt  

3 Tbsp (45ml) ground ginger  

1 cup (250ml) milk  

Method

1. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then add eggs and beat well. 
2. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture. Add the milk and mix well. 
3. Pour into 2 1-litre greased glass pudding bows and cover with foil. 
4. Pour water into 2 large pots and bring to a boil (the water must come halfway up the pudding bowl). Steam the puddings for 2 ½ hours. 
5. Serve warm with home-made custard. 

Seal the deal  

Whether it’s a wooden bowl or your gran’s old-school chopping board, keeping your wooden items protected can be a full-time job. Enter Woodoc – a brand that makes things oh-so-easy. Woodoc Colours (available in eight wood shades and 30 fashionably bright shades) is a tint that allows the grain of your wooden item to shine through, while the Woodoc Sealer protects it. Woodoc Products are also non-toxic when dry, so that wooden treasure you love is sure to last for years to come!.   

Tip: Never wash wooden items in a dishwasher. Rather handwash, using warm water as well as a little dishwashing liquid. 

Words: Chad January 

Photography: Supplied 

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