Chef Pete Goffe-Wood launched his latest book ‘a life digested’ at his Kitchen Cowboys studio in Woodstock in December. The book celebrates his 50th birthday year, and his 30th anniversary of a chef.
Published by Quivertree Publications, a publisher which is known for its quality books, the book consists of ten articles which Chef Pete wrote for GQ in the past 10 years, each article paired with dishes, and recipes provided. The photographer was Craig Fraser, with styling by Hemelhuijs’ Jacques Erasmus. The foreword is written by Michelin star restaurant Chef Michel Roux Jnr of La Gavroche in London, who calls himself a friend, praising Chef Pete as a ‘true gent’, but also as a ‘very gifted chef’.
Chef Pete admits that he had no family inspiration to become a chef. In his digs in Cape Town he offered to do the cooking as he hated washing dishes. He had worked as a waiter at the Balalaika Hotel on weekends as a teenager, but admits it was purely to earn some money. He started his first proper kitchen job in 1985, at the Eastern Boulevard Holiday Inn in Woodstock, not far from his Kitchen Cowboys studio.
The article titles include ‘Simplicity‘, ‘Conviviality’ (remembering lovely meals shared with the late Mike and Lannice Snyman in their home), ‘Picnic‘, ‘La Gavroche‘, ‘I’m on Fire’ (referring to his love of braai-ing), ‘Dreaming of a Bright Christmas‘, ‘Battle of the Sexes‘, and ‘Vegetarians‘ (clearly not liked by Chef Pete).
The 70 recipes in the book cover a broad range, including prawn and sweetcorn bisque, Cape Malay fishcakes, Moroccan shoulder of lamb, wok-fried crayfish, veal sweetbreads, chilled strawberry soup, venison terrine, slow-roasted pork belly, Christmas pudding ice-cream sundaes, Moroccan spiced lamb burger in pita, and deep-fried avocado with buffalo mozzarella.
What the book misses, in my opinion, is the consultant catering Chef Pete has done. I first met Chef Pete when he was often appointed as the chef preparing the food for us at the Slow Food Cape Town Convivium, when it was still (superbly) run by Jos Baker. She would find the most unusual food and wine destinations, often with less than ideal cooking facilities, but Chef Pete always created a feast for us. I remember an event at the wine and olive farm Hildebrandt’s in Wellington. Even more memorable was the lunch at Uitkyk in Stellenbosch about ten years ago, for which research was done at the Stellenbosch Museum about the favourite dishes cooked in the manor house by a number of wives of the owners of the wine farm. Most impressive was a bowl with greens and chopped salmon, to which a fish broth was poured from a tea pot when we sat down, a first such experience! The main course was duck, and the chocolate dessert was equally delectable. I will never forget this once-off lunch, Uitkyk not usually serving meals.
Chef Pete is an all-rounder, teaching men how to cook in his Kitchen Cowboys workshops; judging three seasons of
MasterChef SA as well as MasterChef SA Celebrity Chef; cooking at events; managing his sirloin barbeque business at food markets; having judged Eat Out Top 10 restaurants in the past, and currently The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for Africa; and much more. His popularity showed at the launch of 
the book, with more than 100 friends and guests present. I enjoyed meeting Ian Young, MasterChef SA Season 3 Finalist and previously working at ad agency McCann Erikson. Chef Pete’s backbone is his expressive and bubbly wife Elize.
Pete Goffe-Wood: a life digested. Quivertree Publications. Available at leading bookstores. www.kitchencowboys.co.za Twitter: @PeteGW
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Tel (021) 433-2100, Twitter:@WhaleCottage Facebook: click here
20
3070
27k
20