Recipes

This is a magnificent dessert. Never in the history of human pear eating has such a marvellous recipe come into being. Splendid to look at, blissful to eat, this out of the ordinary dessert is a real winner for the beginner cook.

Part of the seriously marvellous joy of cooking is the combination of the familiar with the new. While sometimes this produces a meal fit for Frankenstein, mostly the outcome is thrilling, satisfying and in this singular case – very easy to prepare.

Good to look at, better to eat and best to cook, this Italian-influenced masterpiece might just have been invented by Michelangelo, and offers yet another inspiring way to cook chicken.

Surprise your loved one with a homemade chocolate heart-shaped gift filled with dipped chocolate strawberries.

Sheep have been on the menu for over 10 000 years. It follows that there’s one hell of a lot of ways to cook one, either whole or in part. While roasting lamb is a technique as well-known as any, it remains a challenge for the new cook determined to put their stamp on a classic.

A scone is one of the best things that can happen to flour, eggs and butter. This coffee-time staple is filled with mystery, especially in the hands of home bakers reluctant to share their secrets. So here’s a classic recipe, made by millions of successful home bakers whose number you are about to join.

The stirfry is one of the quickest routes from raw to cooked. Ideally, you need a wok and a blast of cooking gas. And if a good wok is hard to find, the hardy skottelbraai is a perfect substitute. Most of the effort this delicious meal requires lies in its preparation, but this is no big deal and well within the reach of the beginner cook.

For some diners the electric tingle of chilli is as essential as salt and pepper. And for this cook, one of the best ways to get your daily chilli fix and have a damn good meal at the same time is to get stuck into a lamb and potato curry. If lamb is in short supply, goat makes a substantial substitute with a texture and flavour that some prefer to mutton.

Mutton bunny There are lots of stories about how bunny chows got their name. All that matters to you and me is that the meal has nothing to do with rabbits. More to the point, it is a simple KZN classic that deserves its place as an easy-to-make lunchtime replacement for sandwiches, burgers or even a pie and slap tjips.

Roasting, writes Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, requires a set of principles rather than a collection of recipes. Roasting principles that ring bells for this meal are two: sizzling and resting, of which, more later.

For the beginner cook, pasta is a great base upon which to construct a massive variety of meals. But puttanesca is powerful, almost overwhelming and it creates a nuclear explosion of flavour and aroma.

Jerked chicken, for the inexperienced, means coal-black, Caribbean-style, spicy chicken that’s usually cooked on an open fire. Here’s a way to produce a braai-style finish without the smoke, dust and flames.

Cantonese egg drop soup has long been a favourite. And then along came Italian egg drop soup with delicious Mediterranean accents heightened by lemon zest and nutmeg.

This dish is a symphony of crisp, lightly-oiled vegetables of different colours and tastes, heightened by fresh oregano and rosemary. Toss in some rare steak plus a dash of Thai-inspired sauce to take it to a new level.

Squid enthusiasts have only one fear: a meal that looks and tastes like white rubber bands. Here’s good news for beginner cooks: a simple, magical way to turn squid into calamari.

Pig neck has come to me as a major surprise, never before having had anything to do with this part of the beast. Well, let me tell you that this is a magnificent cut of meat. And the sauce! This taste and aroma combination is difficult to equal, never mind beat...

There comes a time in the affairs of cooks when the lemon hits the pan. Hoping for a good-looking, sweet tasting lemon tart, this rugged survivor of many a kitchen battle managed to extract something deliciously edible from the jaws of defeat.

There’s something special about one-pot cooking. This hearty combination of beans, onions and smoked pork belly needs only a wedge of bread to soak up the flavour-rich juices.

This over-the-top piece of Euro-cuisine has a lot going for it. Firstly, lots of flavours. Secondly, lots of colour. Thirdly, its surprisingly easy to cook. Finally, its a dinner party on one platter. No additions necessary, apart from a crisp, white wine.

Call it what you will, this meatball veld fire with its powerful Indian flavours will bring tears of homesickness to the eyes of KZN citizens exiled elsewhere in this great Republic of ours. Here is great flavour, character-building chilli heat, and an easy cooking all-in-one splendid recipe.