OKAY, so “the new easy” isn’t technically
new. Not for everyone anyway. People
have obviously been eating baked beans on
toast since time immemorial, but if you
love food and feeding people, canned beans
won’t cut it as a midweek family dinner.
And in that case, “the new easy” might
be a proper revelation. It was for me.
There are no beans on toast in this
issue, but there are a lot of recipes that
taste like they took a lot more time and
effort than they actually did. The point?
So you can spend more time at the table
and less in the kitchen.
Of course, one person’s “easy” is
another person’s terrifying MasterChef
challenge. Accomplished cooks always
say annoying things like, “Oh, my twice-
baked Alaska berry bombe? It’s really
so easy!” In the very first episode of
TASTETube, Abi demos how to make her
signature pavlova. After explaining that
the meringue bit has only two ingredients,
Abi tells Siba, our resident celebrity chef
(everyone needs one): “After that, you
really can’t go wrong”. Yeah, right.
When I first made Abi’s pavlova
I overwhipped the meringue and had
to take it out too early so I wound up
with a deflated pool-cushion pavlova
with traces of uncooked egg white.
Simple doesn’t always mean easy, nerds.
Watch the video and follow the recipe –
closely. It’s been 20 years in the making.
This is the trouble with the notion
of “simple food”. It is misunderstood.
A simple dish doesn’t necessarily mean
you can whack it out in 30 minutes after
work using the contents of your fridge
while feeding children and trying to have
an adult conversation (FYI it’s not possible
to do any of these simultaneously. I have
tried). When the hours are stacked against
you, what you really need is something
quick and easy. Since becoming a mom,
recipes I would previously have scorned
as too “basic” are now like gifts from
a magical place where time stands still
and filled lunchboxes grow on trees.
Example: my mother introduced me to
Nigella Lawson’s one-dish Indian-spiced
chicken and potato bake. Life-changing!
I now make it once a week and because
it involves several spices, fresh coriander
and quick-pickled red onions, I still feel
as though I’m actually cooking even
though it only takes 15 minutes to prep.
I also make it in bulk because it’s perfectly
acceptable (and delicious) as a work
lunch the next day. And, who knows,
a turmeric-tinted drumstick may well
find its way into Holly’s lunchbox
when she starts school. And why not?
If “planned” overs are good enoughfor Siba Mtongana’s kids, they are good
enough for mine. Incidentally, Siba has
her own tandoori-style version of Nigella’s
chicken-tray bake (p 85). She is SA’s
Nigella, after all.
For me, embracing easy recipes
required a real mental shift. I’ve always
been an impulsive cook, but now I havePORTRAITMYBURGH DU PLESSISto plan ahead, which has had the effect
of reducing my daily shopping habit, both
saving me money and giving me more
precious time with my daughter. That’s
a shift worth making.
I’ve also always kept my family out
of the kitchen. There have been incidents
with overcooked broccoli and porridge-
like rice. Their repertoires subsequently
extend to omelettes and ready-meals.
I realise that when my stepson moves out
and has to subsist entirely on hot cross
buns it will be my fault. So I’ve decided
that 2019 will be the year they cook.
Sometimes. When I’m really too tired.
Which is where taco night comes in
(p 66). Ideal midweek assembly food.
Abi’s resolution for 2019 is to make
time for proper breakfasts (p 18). This is
one of mine, too. Because, while I totally
relate to Sam Woulidge’s shouty, chaotic
breakfasts, I do believe that being able to
share a meal with others is one of life’s
great joys. And we don’t do it enough.
So if, by the end of this decade, we
have helped you to spend less time in the
kitchen and more time with the people
you love, wouldn’t that be wonderful?8 TASTE JAN/FEB 2019
Take it easy
EDITOR'S LETTERStart strong this year, by watching
Siba Mtongana demo her game-
changing, kid-approved recipes at
taste.co.za/TASTETube this month. e on Instagram
@ lsonZAFollow me
@KateWi“Accomplished cooks always say annoying
things like, ‘Oh my twice-baked Alaska
berry bombe? It’s really so easy’”