Cupcakes & Couscous

As a massive foodie, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson fan I am so excited to have discovered this first edition by Cupcakes and Couscous! I have been in desperate need of some new inspiration. This book has it all. My girls and I have made the rooibos ice cream for a big family get together. It was such a huge hit. Only sad thing was the bowls were licked clean and there was not a leftover in sight. It has inspired us all to get back into the kitchen. Easy to follow and delicious. A total winner! Thank you to the author and her family for sharing your kitchen secrets with us.

At the front is a useful list of kitchen staples to have in the fridge and pantry and at the back are handy hosting tips, whether for a braai, vegetarian meal, Sunday lunch or a picnic feast. The book is ideal for home cooks and includes recipes for gluten-free, vegans, flexitarians or pescatarians. From unhurried weekend breakfasts to midday bites, soups and celebration suppers to baking, braais and snack bites, there is something for every home cook. The pictures are a feast for the eyes and are exactly what we all need at the end of a busy day – quick, nutritious, yummy food that is easy to prepare and that bursts with flavour.

I bought it at the Cape Town launch and made the tomato soup and berry cheesecake for a 40th birthday dinner the next night. Both were triumphs. The cheesecake looks impressive, tastes even better and it is incredibly easy. Thank you! It's going to be a great part of my pantheon of regularly used cookbooks with Claudia Roden, Mhadur Jaffrey, Nicky Stubbs Friends and Family and Marcella Hazan. I urge people to buy it.

I’ve been meaning to share that I finally made the boerewors platter with tomato jam/caramelised onions and mayo/mustard/W sauce combo! We had a spontaneous Monday night get-together and the ‘extras’ made the ordinary boerie great. Thank you! I’m not a natural cook, so the ‘easy to access’ guidance (quick & not complicated) is perfect for me!!

This beautifully produced volume is testimony to the accessible and often innovative dishes that grace the pages. Colourful food photos look so tempting that you'll want to rush off and rustle up her creations or eat them right off the page. What I loved is that she mingles the traditional tried and trusted recipes with simply lip-smacking new ideas.