Melinda Roodt - The Classic South African Cookbook

Published in 2016 by Struik Lifestyle

(an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa Pty Ltd)

Company Reg. No. 1953/000441/07

No. 4 The Estuaries, Oxbow Crescent, Century Avenue, Century City, 7441

PO Box 1144, Cape Town 8000, South Africa

www.randomstruik.co.za

First edition published in 2016 by Struik Lifestyle

Copyright in published edition: Penguin Random House South Africa Pty Ltd 2016

Copyright in text: Melinda Roodt 2016

Copyright in photographs: Melinda Roodt 2016

ISBN 978-1-43230-673-1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, digital, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and the copyright owner(s).

Publisher: Linda de Villiers

Managing editor: Cecilia Barfield

Design manager: Beverley Dodd

Editor: Bronwen Maynier

Designer: Beverley Dodd

Photographer: Christin Boggs-Peyper

Author photo: Jo Spies

Author hair and makeup: Tamaryn Pretorius

Contributing photographers: Yolandie Janse van Rensburg, Gernando Roodt, Marianne Hattingh, Corn van Eck and Thelna Esterhuizen

Stylists: Melinda Roodt and Marianne Hattingh

Proofreader and indexer: Pat Barton

Also available in Afrikaans as
Die Klassieke Suid-Afrikaanse Kookboek

ISBN: 978-1-43230-674-8

I have had a passion for good food for as long as I can remember. My childhood memories are filled with scenes of big family celebrations. And we were a BIG family indeed, as from the eight children born to my paternal grandparents, there came twenty-eight grandchildren, and so a family braai was no small occasion.

I have fond memories of the warmth of home-baked bread straight from the AGA coal stove; the large table in my grandmothers kitchen where our parents would sit all night; the smell of freshly baked scones made by my maternal grandmother; and the bell that rang to signal that it was meal time.

After getting married and going into ministry, our first church was in a small town in the Orange Free State, where I learnt many secrets first hand in the farm kitchens. As we were not always able to eat out, I learnt over the years to cook better food at home than what you would find in a local restaurant.

Just before my dearest friend Truda van Heerden immigrated to Australia, she asked me for a few recipes that would remind her of home once overseas. I began by writing them down in a book for her, but soon realised that there was a need generally among many of my friends for recipes for simple and nutritious home-cooked meals. And so I started hosting cooking schools in my home, and for eighteen months I inspired women to cook good food at home, rather than to eat out or buy takeaways.

After all, a good home-cooked meal not only brings family and friends together; it allows them to share in one anothers lives. A good meal is the heart of the home, and we tend to underestimate its potential value. The dinner table is a safe place for family members to look one another in the eye and share about their day. It is a place where children and parents can connect and communicate. This is priceless, as communication forms the foundation for any relationship. Over a good meal in the comfort of your own home you can not only connect with those you love, but get to know others better. When we have people over, we always have good food. The two dining tables in my home, one inside and one outside, have become the centrepieces of our life.

With this book I hope to inspire you to create that place of loving, sharing and connecting over food in your own home. Food is about more than just cooking; it is about creating memories that will linger for years to come. Food feeds the body, but good food feeds the soul!

I want to thank you, Truda my friend, for believing in me and for challenging me beyond my own limitations.

I want to thank my family, whose passion for food has grown with my own and who have journeyed through all the tastings and celebrations with me.

The Classic South African Cookbook is a compilation of recipes from my own kitchen, from friends and from recipes I have collected over the years.

MELINDA ROODT

Food not only feeds the body but, like music, it feeds the soul.

Expectation: Today is a new day, expect something good to happen to you!

Over weekends we go big on breakfast as the whole family is at home and we usually cook together. We serve breakfast at the table, either on the porch or inside, and enjoy the feeling of togetherness over steaming cappuccinos.

SERVES 4

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
2. Quickly fry the bacon strips on each side until slightly golden, then turn down the heat and slowly fry until most of the fat has been rendered.
3. When the bacon becomes crispy, drain off the fat, place the strips on paper towel and keep warm.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the whole eggs and egg yolks and season with salt and pepper.
5. Melt the butter over medium heat in a clean frying pan.
6. As soon as the butter starts to bubble, add the eggs and leave until the edges begin to set.
7. With a wooden spoon, push the egg at the edges towards the middle.
8. Keep gently pushing the spoon through the eggs until the eggs are cooked but still moist. Do not overcook, or they will become dry.
9. Serve immediately with the crispy bacon.

This is breakfast at its best! Serve with fresh ciabatta or croissants.

SERVES 4