Chef Thandi showcases mastery in the kitchen
The experienced chef gave her guests, which included local stakeholders and community members, a taste of her mouth-watering meals.
Chef Thandi Motau recently hosted a food tasting at her kitchen, where she treated her guests to a range of dishes.
On February 18, the chef from Klarinet Extension 4, known for sharing recipes at a local radio station, brought together various stakeholders in eMalahleni and community members to give them a taste of her scrumptious meals.
“I wanted them to come and have a taste of my food,” she said.
On the menu, the chef’s guests were treated to lemon rice, dumplings, Italian stir-fry, grilled chicken, beef stew, salads, and dessert.
Through her three-year-old kitchen, located next to the eMalahleni local taxi rank in the CBD, Chef Thandi continues to pour her heart and soul into every meal.
She has been plating delicious dishes for the past 40 years, and she said her father is her inspiration.
“I started cooking at a very young age and fell in love with it,” she said, giving credit to her father, who taught her and instilled the cooking passion in her.
The local chef’s culinary skills were sharpened under the guidance of Chef Cleo Zondi, who also joined her in preparation for the food tasting session.
However, like every other business, Chef Thandi said she also experiences a fair share of challenges, with a lack of support continuing to be her biggest obstacle.
“Sometimes things get so hard, but I always make sure to draw strength and go to my kitchen every morning because so much depends on it,” the chef said, adding that with the little she gets, she always needs to provide for her family, including her child and three grandchildren.
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“Last year I failed to even pay school fees for my grandchildren,” she said.
To everyone aspiring to join the cooking industry, Thandi recommends fighting hard to chase your dreams, regardless.
“You just need to have passion for cooking so that you’ll always be able to try out new recipes because the competition is too high,” she said.
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