The Classic South African Cookbook, by Melinda Roodt

The Classic South African Cookbook, by Melinda Roodt. Penguin Random House South Africa, Struik Lifestyle. Cape Town, South Africa, 2016. ISBN‎ 9781432306731 / ISBN 978-1-43-230673-1

The Classic South African Cookbook by Melinda Roodt who collected the very best recipes she came across over the years.

Melinda Roodt  

I have had a passion for good food for as long as I can remember. My childhood memories are filled with scenes of big family celebrations. And we were a BIG family indeed, as from the eight children born to my paternal grandparents, there came twenty-eight grandchildren, and so a family braai was no small occasion. I have fond memories of the warmth of home-baked bread straight from the AGA coal stove; the large table in my grandmother's kitchen where our parents would sit all night; the smell of freshly baked scones made by my maternal grandmother; and the bell that rang to signal that it was meal time. After getting married and going into ministry, our first church was in a small town in the Orange Free State, where I learnt many secrets first hand in the farm kitchens. As we were not always able to eat out, I learnt over the years to cook better food at home than what you would find in a local restaurant. Just before my dearest friend Truda van Heerden immigrated to Australia, she asked me for a few recipes that would remind her of home once overseas. I began by writing them down in a book for her, but soon realised that there was a need generally among many of my friends for recipes for simple and nutritious home-cooked meals. And so I started hosting cooking schools in my home, and for eighteen months I inspired women to cook good food at home, rather than to eat out or buy takeaways. After all, a good home-cooked meal not only brings family and friends together; it allows them to share in one another's lives. A good meal is the heart of the home, and we tend to underestimate its potential value. The dinner table is a safe place for family members to look one another in the eye and share about their day. It is a place where children and parents can connect and communicate. This is priceless, as communication forms the foundation for any relationship. Over a good meal in the comfort of your own home you can not only connect with those you love, but get to know others better. When we have people over, we always have good food. The two dining tables in my home, one inside and one outside, have become the centrepieces of our life. With this Classic South African Cookbook I hope to inspire you to create that place of loving, sharing and connecting over food in your own home. Food is about more than just cooking; it is about creating memories that will linger for years to come. Food feeds the body, but good food feeds the soul! The Classic South African Cookbook is a compilation of recipes from my own kitchen, from friends and from recipes I have collected over the years.

This is an excerpt from The Classic South African Cookbook, by Melinda Roodt.

Title: The Classic South African Cookbook
Author: Melinda Roodt
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Lifestyle
Cape Town, South Africa, 2016
ISBN‎ 9781432306731 / ISBN 978-1-43-230673-1
Hardcover, 22 x 27 cm, 320 pages, throughout colour photos