Whether you’re a pro in the kitchen or tentatively dipping your toes into the world of cooking, there’s sure to be a cookbook to suit your needs, one with lots of recipes and handy tips and tricks for buying, stocking and preparing food.
Some of the options are dedicated to the classics – nostalgic, home-cooked comforts – while others shine a light on more unusual flavours and ingredients that are sure to impress your dinner-party guests.
Below are new cookbooks to add to your collection:
Mexico in Mzansi by Aiden Pienaar
Earlier this year, chef and author Aiden Pienaar released a new cookbook, “Mexico in Mzansi”. The cookbook offers traditional Mexican dishes with a South African twist.
According to Penguin Random House, the cookbook is filled with a surprising array of flavours and influences to excite even the most experienced chefs and exhausted home cooks.
“From classics such as mole, refried beans, and nachos, to innovations including Mexican chakalaka, chilli con carne vetkoek, and sosatie tacos, these are recipes to inspire and delight. All are easy to follow and require minimal prep.
“In addition, Chef Aiden will teach you to make your own tortillas and salsas, show you how to present tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas, as well as introduce you to different cooking methods, from braising and grilling to air-frying.
“That’s not to mention the array of delicious desserts to round off your meal, or the collection of margaritas to tantalise your taste buds,” it said.
Feastify by B-well
“Feastify” is all about bringing people together to enjoy delicious food and is packed with recipes designed to feed a family.
The cookbook is divided into sections that include mains to share, with recipes like Moroccan-spiced spatchcock chicken and roast lamb with chimichurri, and one-pot wonders such as slow-cooked beef ribs.
There are also elegant sides like slow-roasted carrots with tahini dressing and smoky cauliflower on hummus, and decadent baked puddings like seasonal fruit crumble and sticky date pudding.
Those who have family staying over long weekends will love the cookbook’s selection of make-ahead breakfasts, including recipes for salted caramel bread and French toast casserole.
Last but certainly not least, the cookbook also has plenty of vegan recipes such as creamy tomato risotto and lentil chilli con carne.
When launching the book in April, the brand manager of B-well Lunique Theunissen said: “We are so excited to launch this cookbook. Our driving focus is to provide South African consumers with ingredients for better living.
“And really, there is no greater ingredient for a good life than spending time laughing and connecting with friends and family while enjoying heaping platters of delicious food,” said Theunissen.
The South African Keto & Intermittent Fasting Cookbook by Rita Venter and Natalie Lawson
“The South African Keto & Intermittent Fasting Cookbook” gives you all the tools you need to make the positive transition to a healthier you.
Venter and Lawson guide you through every step of your ketogenic journey, explaining the reasoning behind the keto diet and intermittent fasting, and how easy and accessible a ketogenic lifestyle is.
Complete with nutritional information, shopping lists, meal plans, scrumptious recipe, and easy-to-understand information, the book will give you all the tools you need to lose that stubborn fat and make the positive switch to a healthier lifestyle. #
You can expect to find recipes of carbo-loaded bread, pasta, grains and starchy veggies.
Hearty by Pharma Dynamics
In a bid to revolutionise healthy eating and promote cardiovascular wellness during Heart Awareness Month this September, Pharma Dynamics recently unveiled its new cookbook which contains exclusive gourmet recipes inspired by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet.
“Hearty” is a culinary collection rooted in heart health with signature dishes created by top South African chefs.
The book features recipes curated by Monché Muller, Zola Nene, Herman Lensing, Isabella Niehaus and Heleen Meyer. Each of them brings their own flair and expertise to the table, crafting dishes that are not only flavourful, but also heart-friendly.
Nicole Jennings, the spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, said the recipes included in the book had received the stamp of approval from the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, further attesting to their nutritional value and health benefits.
“The Hearty collection of recipes raises the importance of knowing that health outcomes rely on a healthy heart and brain, and it fits seamlessly with the foundation’s mascot, Hearty, which is a symbol of good heart health,” said Jennings.