Book Review: We Know Food

The first Caxton Magazines We Know Food recipe book is a fabulous collection of recipes from not just South Africa’s top chefs and foodies, but also from leaders in our business, the media and advertising industry.

What I love about this collection is that while they all look mouth-wateringly delicious, the recipes are also practical enough that I might actually attempt them. There is nothing I hate more than a recipe book filled with outlandish ingredients that will be a struggle to find and once found, cost me a small fortune.

The book contains a good mix of easy meals and those slightly more effort recipes that you will want to whip up to impress at a party.

Each recipe also comes with interesting tips and anecdotes from the chefs, that make the book a fascinating read.

A few of my favourites were Kathy McCloy’s Tagliatelle with Fresh Figs and Chilli, Harry Herber’s Five-Hour Lamb and Sarah Graham’s Red Pepper, Chorizo and Chilli Pickle.

For dessert there’s Nita Hazell’s Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding, Thulisa Martins’s Maraschino Cherry and Shortbread Ice-Cream or Margie Els-Burger’s Spiced Melkkos with Caramel Figs.

This is genuine South African cooking presented at its most stylish.