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.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
South African Culinary Heritage
attention, I picked up my husband’s signal and, with
extreme confidence, I had charged to the kitchen, to
accordingly alert the chef. As I had entered the kitchen, I
met the chef without his jacket on, and it had looked like he
was leaving. Concerned, I had followed him, and –
confirming my suspicions, as he was storming out – he had
said: “I am leaving, I will see you on Monday.”
But, this was no time for any further discussions, as the table
was waiting; so I rushed back to the kitchen. On the kitchen
floor was the kitchen assistant. “I am tired, Mama,” she had
announced, exasperated, and had then sprawled out,
prostrate, on the floor.
For a moment, my mind was riddled with questions:
“Why would this happen, when the table was going so
well?”
“What do I say to the guest?”
And, “What about the other kitchen staff?”
Oh no! They are out, on lunch! As always, whenever things
go awry, I got to my little corner – to have that desperate
sincere talk – a despairing one-on-one. Within a few
seconds, I had managed to gather some strength, and to
wear my thinking cap, and came up with a strategy.
I broke down the sixty guests into table sittings of three
tables of thirty, twenty and ten people. I had then set the
decorative serving dishes in accordance with the differently
sized table sittings.
One table at a time, I had streamlined the ingredients for
the corresponding platings; and, as each waiter and waitress
had fetched the desserts, they had finished off the matching
garnish for me, as well. Instead of a mess, what a well-oiled
conveyor belt this had turned out to be. Later, in the
passage, I overheard the host talking to my husband and
daughter Mothei, applauding them for a job well done.
95
Change language