2019-09-01_Fairlady

94 Fairlady/September 2019

Cookbook extract

THE

WAY

WE

love

Ilse van der Merwe’s debut

cookbook is an ode to the

Mediterranean-style produce

so abundantly available here

in SouthAfrica.

lsevanderMerwehasvivid

memoriesof watchingher

mom,ErneUys,bake.

Holidays,shesays,wereall

aboutfillingcookiejarsto

thebrim,rollinglittleballs

of dough,andtheheavenly

homelysmellof freshlybakedmilk

tartwaftingfromtheoven.

Withoutrealisingit,11-year-old

Ilsewasalreadymappingouther

future:shelovedcreatingherown

‘recipebooks’(whichshestillhas)

bycuttingpicturesfrommagazines

andsketchingbakedgoods.‘Isn’t

it incrediblethatsomanyyears

later,finallythedayis hereandI’m

stillas fascinatedandinlovewith

bakingandcooking?’shesays.

CapeMediterraneanis a fabulous

celebration of Mediterranean-style

local produce. ‘South Africans are

fascinated by classic Italian, French

and Spanish food; we incorporate it

into our own lives because we have

all of those ingredients available here.

Cape Mediterranean is an addition

to the rainbow repertoire of South

African cooking,’ says Ilse.

‘It’s such a wholesome, feelgood

thing, disconnecting from our digital

lives and cooking – being creative

but also nourishing and bringing

people together. In the end, that’s

what it’s all about,’ she says.

I

8-HOUR ROAST

PORK SHOULDER

(WITH

CRACKLING)

WITH ORANGE,

FENNEL &

PAPRIKA

Recipe on page 99