How does Chef Jenny Morris do it? In one week she has launched her new series of ‘Jenny and Reza’s Fabulous Food Academy on Food Network, launched her new ‘World Atlas of Food: 100 countries, a world of flavours’, and has launched her new Jenny Morris Giggling Gourmet range of wines made by Perdeberg Winery!
It was a beautiful Cape Town day, made even more special by the launch function being held at OYO restaurant at the V&A Hotel, with a magnificent view onto Table Mountain.
Chef Jenny’s book was published by MapStudio, and covers 100 countries, with the flavours associated with them. She told us that she has been to many of the countries herself, and plans to visit many more. In Africa alone the book covers our country, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe. Europe has the most countries covered, at 24. All the continents are covered. Two pages are devoted to each country, with a map of where the country is on the continent, a description of food influences, the national dish and foods of the country, mealtime customs, food and festivals, and an overview of the country’s agriculture. A photograph of the main dish, with a recipe, a list of other traditional dishes, and a photograph of a typical icon of the country complete the country overview. Chef Jenny has previously launched five cookbooks.
For our country it is stated that we have no national dish, but that bobotie, waterblommetjiebredie, bunny chow, chakalaka, ‘smileys’, and the traditional braaivleis are typical local dishes. The Festivals written about include Eid, Divali, Easter, Christmas, and Heritage Day, also known as National Braaivleis Day. The recipe featured is for bobotie. A list of other traditional dishes for our country includes smoorsnoek, tomato bredie, prawn and chicken curry, lamb rogan josh, morogo, melktert, burfi, and boomdhi, while traditional drinks mentioned are mahewu, utywala, amasi, as well as our country’s red wines, Pinotage being our unique red cultivar. A photograph of the Drakensberg and of a bobotie dish complete the page for South Africa.
Chef Jenny wrote the recipes while Mariëlle Renssen of MapStudio wrote the text.
OYO served tasty and beautifully prepared canapés, including a Caesers salad bruschetta, seared tuna, prawn kebabs, steak, banana rolls, and a fun Eton Mess topped with candy floss. We were told by hotel GM Rey Franco that they will close the OYO restaurant in May, for a few months, for a major renovation. It will offer all-day dining, like they did at Salt at The
Ambassador. It will be unpretentious. There will be no tablecloths on the recycled wooden table tops. Flooring will be a mix of wood and marble. Interior designer Francois du Plessis has been appointed. It is likely that the restaurant will change its name. All-day breakfasts will be served. A new sommelier Joanna Pizer has been appointed, looking after the Queen Victoria Hotel, Dock House, and the V&A Hotel.
I was delighted to meet TV producer LeRoux Botha, whom I have been following on the new Via TV station which launched ten days ago. He features in a 26-series program called ‘Padkos’, about the food truck which he has bought, and is taking to top chefs to learn recipes from them for foods to prepare in his food truck. He has already featured Chef Arnold Tanzer, and coming up are Chefs Sue-Ann Allan (filmed in the Bo-Kaap), Henry Vigar of La Mouette in Sea Point, Chris Erasmus of Foliage (with Margot Janse) in Franschhoek, Pete Goffe-Wood, Lentswe Bhengu filmed in a township, and Suzi Holtzhausen (filmed in Muizenberg).
The Jenny Morris Private Collection Giggling Gourmet 2015 range of wines includes Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage, with more cultivars to come next year.
On 1 December Chef Jenny moves her Cook’s Playground to the Cape Quarter, and she opens her first restaurant Yumcious Café in the Cape Quarter too.
Disclosure: We received a copy of the ‘World Atlas of Food’, as well as a bottle of The Jenny Morris Private Collection Giggling Gourmet Sauvignon Blanc 2015.
‘World Atlas of Food: 100 countries, a world of flavours’, 2015, MapStudio, Cape Town. Tel (021) 514-3910. www.mapstudio.co.za Available at leading bookstores, airport outlets, MapStudio, and Woolworths stores. R295.
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage Facebook: click here