Jhb North - Feb 24

Homestyle
happiness
When a Lebanese man and a Portuguese woman fall for each
other, the love affair is bound to include food.
That’s exactly the case for Melissa and Emile Eblen,
whose legendary get togethers are a celebration of life.
“Food is a big thing for us,” laughs
Melissa. And it always has been – both
she and Emile spent a lot of time in
the kitchen, even as kids.
For Melissa, it was all about trying
to replicate her granny’s cooking,
especially her cal verde and
tuna soup.
Emile, meanwhile, was also influenced
by his family’s recipes, although he
found his true culinary calling on the
coals. In fact, his talent with tongs
earned him an entry on The Ultimate
Braaimaster last year – which he
admits took him by surprise, especially
when he was announced the runner
up. “I know the basics – when the
coals are ready, how to rest the meat
– and I love mixing up my own spices.
But I never thought I’d get so far in a
competition like that!” he laughs.
Braaing is, in fact, the secret to the
Eblens’ effortless entertaining. They
agree that the formal plated style of
hosting, with hors d’oevres, mains and
dessert served separately, is rather old
school – and so much more stressful
than lighting the fire as guests arrive,
allowing them to mill about and snack
10 Get It Magazine February 24
and, most of all, give you time to chat
with them. “We’ve found that the key
is to make sure you dish up before
your guests have had time to lose
their appetite,” Emile says.
The best way to make sure you’re able
to do that, he continues, is by keeping
things simple. Emile is a big fan of
homestyle cooking. “There’s really no
need to reinvent the wheel. Just stick
with what works.” And what works, for
him, is mixing a few flavours together,
making sure the meat, or fish, is well
seasoned, then tasting as he goes.
“People often don’t taste their own
food, and that’s a problem – you don’t
actually know if it's good,” he points
out. He’s not a stickler for ingredients,
nor does he follow recipes rigidly.
Although he might consult a cook
book for inspiration, he finds that
international chefs develop recipes
for taste buds which prefer food that’s
far more bland. “We love spice!” Emile
says. “We put chilli on everything.”
Of course, drinks are just as much a
part of the perfect day as the food.
“Keep them flowing!” Melissa advises.
Her own preference is for bubbles –
although, since she’s pregnant with a
sibling for Juliana (8) and Daniella (5),
she’s sticking to water at the moment.
She’s also in charge of music, typically
choosing an 80’s inspired playlist
including the likes of Fleetwood Mac
and Elton John.
Melissa gives just as much
consideration to the crowd, taking
care to invite people she knows will
get on. Since the Eblens are familyoriented,
they like to start their
gatherings early in the day, so that
there’s time to swim and for the kids
to play together.
The Eblens’ home lends itself to this
kind of laidback get-together. They
designed the house with an eye to
making entertainment easy, with
the kitchen flowing seamlessly into
the gorgeous outside area which
is, undoubtedly, the hero area. “We
love being outdoors – we even nap
out here sometimes – so we wanted
to make it as homely as possible,”
Melissa says.
The home includes two braai areas
- one with a full outdoor kitchen (it
even has a smoker and a herb garden,