Heath Warren - Bitten : unpretentious recipes from a food blogger

Thank you to Linda and her amazing team from Struik Lifestyle for believing in me and giving me such an incredible opportunity. Thank you to the always-inspiring Franck Dangereux for your foreword and encouragement.

Blogging is interactive. Well, mostly. Bloggers are usually interested in other bloggers and we all chat away in the blogosphere of our choice. In this case, its the ever-growing foodie one. I wouldnt be anywhere without my foodie-blogger friends and gurus, and so I thought it only fitting to showcase a few other South African food-blogging talents here. Ive chosen five of my favourite bloggers and have included one recipe from each of them in the book. Without them, I honestly think this book would be two-dimensional.

And so let me introduce you, in no particular order ...

http://www.veggiedelish.com

I love food thinking about it, cooking it, reading about it and photographing it. Im a pescatarian (I eat fish and dairy, but no meat) but I cook mostly vegetarian food, and thats what my blog is focused on. Although I love spending time in the kitchen, I dont have the patience for time-consuming complicated cooking, so I choose recipes and adapt them to make them as easy and unfussy as possible. Im always conscious of eating the right things, and I try to make my cooking healthy without sacrificing taste.

I try to buy seasonally as much as possible, because its better for the environment and the produce is tastier and healthier. The same goes for organic food, where possible (there isnt a huge range in South Africa yet).

Sarahs day job is working for the South African Getaway magazine.

http://aficionado.co.za/jamiewho

In his short career as a food writer, Andy writing under the pseudonym of Jamie Who has been featured in/written for Mens Health, Womens Health, Food&Home, WINE, House&Leisure, Eat Out, and the Eat Out and Eat In newsletters.

He was recently named one of the 200 Young South Africans you must take for lunch by the Mail & Guardian and he says he is expecting your invitation!

He is a true foodie, with a strong emphasis on ethical farming and eating. He believes people should pay more attention to where the food on their plate comes from, but at the same time believes anybody can cook. As a result, his tone is deliberately laid back and informal.

http://whatsforsupper-juno.blogspot.com

Im a freelance journalist, editor and author, a cook, food writer and recipe developer, and a mother of three. Ive lived in Johannesburg for the past 17 years, and have recently moved, with my family, to Hout Bay, which is about half an hours drive from the centre of Cape Town, South Africa.

Ive been cooking since I was nine or so, but its only in the last 12 years that cookery has turned from a hobby into something of an obsession. And no, Im not going to say, like those annoying TV cooks, that I am passionate about food, fresh local ingredients and punchy flavours. (Duh! Doesnt every cook feel that way?) Im enthusiastic, yes, but I think the word passion should be reserved for activities that involve reading books or removing your knickers.

I can say that I do love food, especially simple home cooking that warms your heart and makes your tastebuds sing. All I want from a plate of food is that it tastes really good, feels lovely on your tongue and fills your stomach with joy.

http://simply-delicious.co.za/

I am a 24-year-old mother of twins, Aidan and Abigail. They are absolutely the most important little things in my life (after my husband) and without them my life would be a whole lot more boring ... Im married to my soul mate (yes, I do believe in soul mates), whom I met when I was 17.

Now the part that most of you are interested in. My relationship with food. It started when I was very young, maybe five or six, when I used to BEG my gran to bake cookies with me. My gran was so incredibly patient with me; the kitchen is a magical place where a whole lot can be forgiven. She had the same passion for food as I have. Her whole life was spent either owning a hotel and running the kitchen or running a catering business. Sunday lunches at her house were filled with tables creaking under the immense amount of food piled on top of them and people bustling to get to them. Memories that I will ALWAYS savour.

Voted Best South African Food & Wine Blog 2010 and Best South African New Food Blog 2010.

http://www.my-easy-cooking.com

Growing up as a country girl in a huge Afrikaner family, my passion for food is so deeply rooted, that it has become an all-consuming hobby/career. To socialise with friends and family without good food being part of the celebration is almost unthinkable. I grew up with wholesome food with tons of flavour and to this day bland food will not be honoured with a place on my plate.

Nina has been a featured publisher on Foodbuzz and her website has been referred to in the Woolworths TASTE magazine. Nina has also been nominated twice for the South African Food Blogger of the Year award. She was a guest speaker at the first South African Food Bloggers Conference in 2010 and again in 2011, and was a special guest at the South African Eat In and Eat Out Awards in 2010. Proof of Ninas Cape Town roots is her most-read post for breyani, which had in excess of 27 000 hits over 48 hours.

Clean up as you go along; this means you wont get to the end of the cooking process and your kitchen looks like a bomb went off. I usually keep the bin in the middle of the kitchen floor when Im cooking, so I can just discard things quickly and easily as I go along.

If we are having people round, I always lay the table before I start cooking; this means that on the odd occasion when you are still enshrouded in steamy kitchen chaos and hear their knock at the door, it still looks like youre ready for them.

Wherever possible I encourage you to explore where the food you are buying comes from, and to opt for well-loved ingredients.

All cottage cheese, cream cheese and yoghurt are fat-free or low-fat unless otherwise stated.

I have thought through each and every recipe included here and given you a meals for a month plan (see page ). This includes speedy suppers for week nights and lazy weekend food.

Always make sure you read the recipe the whole way through before you start cooking. I am a classic culprit for always wanting to get right to the good stuff and have learned this the hard way!

Being efficient in the kitchen is a whole world easier when you have what you need at your fingertips youll be more likely to cook and youll save money by not eating out as often. That said, you can improvise in a lot of areas, so dont be put off if you dont have some of these things or cant afford them at this stage. Check out my kitchen and baking starter kits on page for the basics.