From the kitchen
Recipes & ratings.
Everything here has been cooked in my kitchen, on a weeknight or a Sunday, and rated honestly. Five stars means I'd make it again next week.
Cookbook of the month
Our Italian Legacy of Love
By Ciara Viljoen — Café del Sol Botanic, Bryanston. Every recipe I have tried has been a genuine hit. Five out of five stars. Let's put South African Italians on the map.
Favourites tried: Nonna's secret ragù, Napolitana, Creamy chicken pasta — and the best of the best, Filet Picante with tomato and basil sauce.
Weeknight
20 min
Lemon ricotta pasta with brown-butter basil
Five ingredients, one pan, the kind of dinner that feels like a small kindness to yourself.
Use the best lemon you can find. Worth the extra zest.
Read the recipe →
Sunday
2½ hrs (mostly hands-off)
Slow-roast tomato & garlic sauce
The sauce I make in a big batch and live off all week — toast, eggs, pasta, soup base.
Pour cold water in the empty tin and add it to the tray. Trust me.
Read the recipe →
Sweet
1 hr
Brown butter banana bread
Crackly top, fudgy middle, smells like a cafe you can't quite remember.
I keep meaning to try it with rye flour — let me know if you get there first.
Read the recipe →
For company
10 min
Whipped feta with honey & chilli
The starter that makes people text you the next day asking for the recipe.
Hot honey works too. Serve with warm flatbread, always.
Read the recipe →
Weeknight
25 min
One-pot lemon orzo with greens
Bright, brothy, the kind of bowl I want when I'm tired but want to feel like a person.
A spoonful of mascarpone at the end is not strictly necessary. Do it anyway.
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For company
1 hr 20
Crisp-edge potato gratin
Cream, garlic, gruyère, and the kind of edges that make a dinner party.
Slice the potatoes thin enough to read through. A mandoline is a friend.
Read the recipe →
Sunday
2½ hrs
Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Warm spices, slow-braised lamb, and apricots that melt into the sauce — the smell alone is worth the wait.
Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Best with warm couscous and a spoonful of harissa.
Read the recipe →
Weeknight
25 min
Thai Prawn Red Curry
Vibrant, fragrant, and faster than a takeaway — coconut, lime leaves, and plump prawns in a silky red curry.
Use fresh kaffir lime leaves if you can find them. The difference is everything.
Read the recipe →