SOUTH AFRICAN CULINARY HERITAGE
The book South African Culinary Heritage by Eunice Rakhale, is about local food history and traditions interlaced with family conversations. It illustrates the culinary diversity of Southern African cuisine and some neighbouring countries, comparing the similarities and unique palatable heritages thereof. Written in a conversational style, the book is a handy culinary compilation which will bestow the reader with explorations regarding local African lifestyles history, art, clothing, music and perhaps even some song and dance. For tourists visiting these African countries – possessing a diversity of ethnic cultures, it is a worthy read regarding heritage and of-course African cuisine. A guide which should be included in any tourist’s travel pack and families. It is about a genuine story told with an extraordinary ability that draws parallel between the author’s struggle in the restaurant industry and in her personal life. Ultimately, her passion for food is where she finds solace to learn, heal and grow. Mother Daughter relationships can be extremely complex and Eunice is no exception. In the book, besides a plethora of authentic recipes and history, she shares candidly about her strained relationship with her daughter Mothei Makhetha. Being estranged for seven years, Mothei writes her mother a letter, in a desperate cry for help, which she hopes will begin the healing process. After receiving the letter, circumstances of her life took Eunice back home to her mother in Moletsane, Soweto. This happens while she is researching her culinary book authenticating the recipes through the help of her mother. This handing down of recipes from her mother gets them connected on a very deep level, thus, creating compassion and trust they never had. In desperation Eunice seeks counselling from her own mother to try and mend the relationship with her daughter. Their journey is one of true and sincere conversations handed down from one generation to another, around family meals and prayerful family meetings.
The book South African Culinary Heritage by Eunice Rakhale, is about local food history and traditions interlaced with family conversations. It illustrates the culinary diversity of Southern African cuisine and some neighbouring countries, comparing the similarities and unique palatable heritages thereof. Written in a conversational style, the book is a handy culinary compilation which will bestow the reader with explorations regarding local African lifestyles history, art, clothing, music and perhaps even some song and dance. For tourists visiting these African countries – possessing a diversity of ethnic cultures, it is a worthy read regarding heritage and of-course African cuisine. A guide which should be included in any tourist’s travel pack and families.
It is about a genuine story told with an extraordinary ability that draws parallel between the author’s struggle in the restaurant industry and in her personal life. Ultimately, her passion for food is where she finds solace to learn, heal and grow.
Mother Daughter relationships can be extremely complex and Eunice is no exception. In the book, besides a plethora of authentic recipes and history, she shares candidly about her strained relationship with her daughter Mothei Makhetha. Being estranged for seven years, Mothei writes her mother a letter, in a desperate cry for help, which she hopes will begin the healing process. After receiving the letter, circumstances of her life took Eunice back home to her mother in Moletsane, Soweto. This happens while she is researching her culinary book authenticating the recipes through the help of her mother. This handing down of recipes from her mother gets them connected on a very deep level, thus, creating compassion and trust they never had. In desperation Eunice seeks counselling from her own mother to try and mend the relationship with her daughter.
Their journey is one of true and sincere conversations handed down from one generation to another, around family meals and prayerful family meetings.
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Eunice Rakhale-Molefe
request, as to most of my patrons, the restaurant had come
to be a place where they also found healing, as I had
ministered to them through my experiences, as has been
narrated in the book.
As I was rotating and “ministering” the tables, I found
myself sitting next to one guest who was engaging and really
wanted to talk; and was sharing with me the pressures of her
executive position and how she protects herself; so this
young mother had painted a picture of her daily routine; and
this had left me perturbed. We shall call it the “drill’”.
“The first thing I have to see in the morning is my coffee,
see... not ask for! My helper knows; I don’t even have to ask
for it. Coffee is my sanity; it preserves me. I am about to
have breakfast with my son, so I must protect him from the
looming insanity of my daily life. The breakfast table is the
first run-through that I undergo, every morning. This helps
me to conquer the drudgery of presenting myself to the
outside world. This part of the day is quality time with my
son; so, it is imperative for this part of my day to go well, as
it sets the tone for the rest of my day. The drill shall continue
as I prepare myself for work,” explains the well-groomed
young mother.
“You see, I have to assume a certain persona. And, the
make-up and clothes are critical to striking the right pose.
Then follows the state of my mind, to remind myself of my
intellectual capabilities. Moving on to my heart, I remove all
the emotions, to ensure that they do not get in the way of
business. By now, I shall have had an hour’s drive to work
to perfect the persona. Then I am all ready and set to handle
the challenges of the corporate world,” She concluded,
leaving me absolutely astounded.
People who are willing to share their vulnerability do not
have to keep up the exhausting effort of covering up. They
also don’t have to tie masks over their faces. When you have
a conversation with a person wearing a mask…
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