Jane-Anne Hobbs - Scrumptious Food for Family and Friends

MY THANKS TO

Random House Struiks dream team: Publisher Linda de Villiers, for her passion and acumen; book designer Beverley Dodd, for her brilliant art direction and humour; Joy Clack for her keen-eyed, sensitive editing. Photographer and master of light Michael Le Grange: working with you was a privilege, Dicky. Master potter of Franschhoek David Walters, my uncle, who hand-made the exquisite porcelain plates, platters and bowls: our collaboration has been a joy, Dave. Queen of South African cookery writers Lynn Bedford Hall, for so graciously agreeing to write the foreword. My wonderful mother Jenny Hobbs, for her boundless enthusiasm and clever editing. For support, generosity and sharing recipes: Margie and Bertrand Vidal, Sarah Dall, Judy Levy, Claire Robertson, Tracey Hawthorne, Kaylah Greenberg, Cecilia Barfield, Michael Olivier, Adrienne Verlaque-Napper, Nina Timm, Roz Berzen, Gilly Walters, Michelle Walters, Steve Mabbutt, Michael Karamanof, Pieter van Niekerk, Christopher Duigan, Cindy McKenzie and James Robertson. Most of all, my family: Flip, Luke, Tristan and Ellie. I love you with all my heart. Thanks for being so honest about my food.

JANE-ANNE HOBBS

Twitter hashtag: #ScrumptiousFood

Published in 2012 by Struik Lifestyle
(an imprint of Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd)
Company Reg. No. 1966/003153/07
Wembley Square, 1st Floor, Solan Street, Gardens 8001
P O Box 1144, Cape Town 8000

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Copyright in published edition: Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd 2012
Copyright in text: Jane-Anne Hobbs 2012
Copyright in photography: Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd 2012

ISBN 978-1-43170-224-4 (Print)
ISBN 978-1-43230-106-4 (ePub)
ISBN 978-1-43230-107-1 (PDF)

Publisher: Linda de Villiers

Managing editor: Cecilia Barfield

Editor and indexer: Joy Clack

Designer: Beverley Dodd

Photographer: Michael Le Grange

Food stylist: Jane-Anne Hobbs

Food preparation: Sarah Dall

Proofreader: Bronwen Leak

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, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and the copyright holders.

The fine porcelain tableware in the photographs courtesy of master potter David Walters (www.davidwalters.co.za).

When you are asked to write the foreword to a book, you cannot do so without first perusing the page proofs. Which I did. For hours and hours. After which my tastebuds were tingling with such a pot-pourri of flavours, and I was so hungry that I needed to go for a long walk to sort out my culinary opinions. The walk lasted 5 minutes round the block, in fact, before I found myself back in the kitchen, making shopping lists, staking out recipes, and then standing back in astonishment at how someone who is not only an editor, a journalist, a foodwriter, a published author AND a time-strapped mother of three could produce a book such as this: a cookbook which is not simply a last-minute scurry of quick n easy recipes. On the contrary, Scrumptious is a book which encourages home cooks to cook with care and patience, to focus on flavour, pay attention to detail, and to bin all thoughts of twirls and towers to dolly up the dish. Taste, here, is paramount.

Reading these pages is an entertainment in itself. Jane-Annes text and descriptions bounce with her singular turns of phrase; her detailed instructions take the fright out of trying an unfamiliar dish; and the plethora of tips she offers will prepare both the novice and the experienced cook for an adventure into serious, good cooking which should not intimidate, because she helps you every step of the way because as I said she can cook, she will not countenance second best and she understands you. A big plus is that this book inspires confidence. When you read one slice of lemon, no more; or 810 strands of saffron, no more; refrigerate at this point; assemble now; prepare 2 hours ahead; when you read precise instructions like these, you are instantly relieved of anxiously fumbling with your own decisions.

Another plus is the authors disarming honesty. She will warn you when a dish contains an indecent amount of Cheddar, or a scandalous quantity of butter, and she certainly is not shy with cream or pricey Parmesan. Therefore, if you are contemplating a fine dining event, the caviar is there between the pages; also the Parma ham; the fillets and the seafood. The family, however, is not forgotten. Turn the pages and youll also find sosaties and ginger sponge, cheesecake and fruit popsicles. Its an eclectic book and it travels all over as the author explores international cuisines French, Italian, Moroccan, Russian which means you might have to trawl the suburbs for certain ingredients, but most are probably already at home in your pantry or fridge. Except, perhaps, for her Figs With Hot Brie and Caramel Walnuts (just imagine that!), but you will definitely be able to replicate, for example, the bright version of Coronation Chicken. The photographs throughout are just brilliant.

Jane-Annes Scrumptious certainly lives up to its name.

Food is all about celebrating life, love and friendship, isnt it? Think back on some of the happiest moments of your life, and chances are youll recall sitting at a table surrounded by people you love. The meals your mum or dad or grandma made for you may not have been sophisticated by modern standards, but they linger in your memory for a very long time because they tasted like home and happiness.

I wouldnt dream of eating porridge with peanut butter as an adult, but I have wonderful memories of sitting in a sunny kitchen with a bunch of friends, laughing until my sides hurt and tucking into a bowl of hot Jungle Oats with cold, thick cream and a dollop of sticky peanut butter. And of eating sizzling, spicy boerewors hot off the braai, from a paper plate, with a sunburned nose and the sounds of crashing surf filtering through a grove of milkwood trees. And falling like a starving wolf onto a plate of bangers, mash and tomato gravy, which tasted like heaven to me even though it had been slumbering under a sheet of foil for several hours by the time I got home from school. These were the plainest of dishes, yet they made me feel both happy and loved, and it is this putting comfort and joy together on a plate that seems to me the very essence of good home cooking.

And that is why this book is about creating memorable meals for the people you love.

How do you create a meal that delivers a wallop of flavour, arrives at the table fresh, piping hot and on time, and is cooked to perfection? This may seem like a tall order if you havent much time on your hands, or you dont feel very confident in the kitchen. Whether youre catering for a special-occasion feast or a more intimate family gathering, the same principles apply: passion, planning, preparation, patience and practice. Of the five, planning and preparation are by far the most important. If you plan a meal carefully, pay close attention to crucial details and prepare as much as you can in advance, you can sail to the table with your head held high, confident in the knowledge that youve left nothing to chance. With all your proverbial ducks in a row, youll be able to spend the meal eating, drinking and making merry with your guests (not footsore and cursing in the kitchen, vowing never to throw a dinner party again).