Not sure what to buy your loved ones for Christmas? A cookbook is a gift that keeps on giving.
It is that time of year again where shops get busy, presents remain difficult to buy, and the right answer sometimes is a cookbook. They are fun to choose from and easy to wrap.
When you are looking for the best cookbooks to give as gifts, you are probably looking for something specific. Something for the baker in your life, or the vegetarian, or the skilled home chef who has just bought the latest appliance.
Here are some of our favourite newly released cookbooks.
My Lockdown Cookbook
When the lockdown began South African-based chef and cookbook author Jason Whitehead decided to use the lockdown time wisely and work on a cookbook to help raise funds for Streetscapes, a non-profit organisation he has been supporting and working with over the years.
The cookbook was originally an idea Whitehead had to keep himself busy while under lockdown, but he then thought of how the whole fiasco would affect all those who were homeless, and decided to use it as a platform to raise funds for them, and having worked with Streetscapes over the years, they were his obvious choice as the main beneficiary. The recipes vary quite a lot: some are fine dining style dishes, while others were dishes using pantry staples, like baked beans and canned sweetcorn.
My Lockdown Cookbook is available exclusively through www.jasonwhitehead.co.za.
40 Years of Iconic Food
40 Years of Iconic Food is a cookbook by food media icon Mme Dorah Sitole. The cookbook maps out the stages of Sitole’s fascinating life and features recipes to match: traditional African, township flavours, familiar favourites, Pan African, and global gourmet.
You can order it on Loot.co.za.
Let’s Cook
South African chef, award-winning chef, cookbook author, and TV personality Siba Mtongana together with her son Lonwabo, have recently released a cookbook that is tailor-made for kids and teenagers. Let’s Cook is jam-packed with nutritious and delicious, easy-to-do meals and snacks for any occasion, from lunchboxes to smoothies and so much more. Mtongana has taken the fuss out of the kitchen and created recipes for mom and dad to whip up with their little ones’ help.
Let’s Cook is available from Loot.co.za.
Dinner at Somizi’s - I am not a chef
After years of promising fans a cookbook, Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung has finally released his self-published culinary book. The cookbook is inspired by his family’s cooking and celebrates food that is proudly South Africa.
Dinner at Somizi’s - I am not a chef is available at CNA’s stores.
My Sweet Life
My Sweet Life by Faaiza Omar bridges the gap between baking enthusiasts and pastry chefs. It’s a book crammed with both easy and advanced recipes. Bursting with beautiful bakes, from delicate Petit Fours and celebration cakes to everyday cheesecakes, brioche, ice-creams, and delectable desserts, My Sweet Life is the only baker’s book you’ll ever need to satisfy a sweet tooth.
You can order it on Loot.co.za.
Boardroom to the Kitchen
Boardroom to the Kitchen is Nomfundo Mcoyi’s first cookbook as a food enthusiast. Mcoyi is the founder and chief executive of Icebolethu Group. The cookbook includes a host of mouth-watering recipes with a strong South African influence, such as lamb shank, chilli spicy butternut, and oxtail. From boss meals to supermom dishes, the book offers readers a behind-the-scenes look into the entrepreneur, her life as a businesswoman, and how the kitchen has been an integral part of her family life. Orders can be placed here.