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BY BILLY SUTER
NOTED as a film and TV actress, model, jazz singer, influencer and entrepreneur, as well as a self-taught queen of the kitchen, Lucia Mthiyane has published, through Human & Rousseau, a large softcover recipe book, Kitchen Queen, that is laden with colourful recipes and the author’s brief reflections on a full life.
Good news is that SoSuterBill is offering a free copy of the 192-page book which, packed with easy-to-follow recipes and great photographs, retails at about R375. See competition entry details at the end of this story.
Mthiyane, who has spent the past decade in the food industry, says that in her cook book, the reader will find the secret to her success – passion, purpose, preparation, persistence and pursing a process until reaching perfection.
With reminiscences of growing up on her family’s vast piece of land in Umzinyathi, north of Durban, Mthiyane paints a vibrant picture of family life surrounded by flavourful food.
She fondly recalls what she labels as “the seven-colour Sunday lunch” – a roast with many vegetables, the recipe for which she provides – and about her childhood on land rich with fruit and vegetables.
Her love of preparing and experimenting with food goes back many years, and she refers to her kitchen as her “happy place”, adding that it is her “creative castle, where I have worked hard to be queen”.
Kitchen Queen offers a wide variety of recipes – from steamed and baked breads to Zulu Chicken, Spinach with Chorizo, Pasta with Bacon-wrapped Pork Bangers, Leg of Lamb with Apples, as well as a variety of recipes for fish, salads, outdoor and picnic food, cakes, puds and ice-cream.
I was particularly drawn to the curry and spice section, Mthiyane being known for marketing her own line of masala mixes. Her wet and dry masala mixes, recipes for both of which are on the book, are part of Mthiyane’s kitchen staples and form the foundation of all her curries and stews, she says.
From the curry section, I will be trying my hand at the author’s Butter Chicken and Yoghurt and Cream Lamb Curry, while also in this section are recipes for Beef Curry with Jasmine Rice, Prawn Curry, Three-Bean Curry and Tamarind Fish Curry.
Interestingly, there’s also a section on food for body and soul, where Mthiyane devotes nine pages to facial masks, body rubs and hair treatments created with ingredients such as turmeric, yoghurt, coffee, avocado and lemon, among other things.
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WIN A COPY OF LUCIA MTHIYANE’S ‘KITCHEN QUEEN’ RECIPE BOOK
Care to put yourself in line to win a copy of the new Lucia Mthiyane recipe book, Kitchen Queen, valued at R375?
You simply have to be a follower of the SoSuterBill site to win. At no cost.
If you are not already a follower, simply leave your email address in the space provided towards the end of the cover page of this site, sosuterbill.com
You will then be a follower, and receive email notification whenever I file a new story.
Once you have subscribed (there is no cost), send your NAME and PHONE NUMBER via email (NOT THIS SITE’S CONTACT FORM) to sosuterbill@gmail.com and place the words ‘KITCHEN QUEEN’ in the subject field.
Note that the competition closes at 6pm on Friday, August 14, and the winners will be contacted soon after.
NOTE: PLEASE READ ENTRY DETAILS CAREFULLY AS SOME PEOPLE ARE ENTERING COMPETITIONS INCORRECTLY.
ALSO NOTE THAT ONLY ONE ENTRY PER SUBSCRIBER WILL BE CONSIDERED.
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.....SoSuterBill..... 