Guest chef for the day in Lola’s kitchen!

 

A Cultural Potpourri

As an avid reader and admirer of Lola’s splendiferous Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino blog since its inception, I was absolutely tickled pink to be invited by her to be a guest chef for a day. It is truly an honour, especially since Lola is a culinary magician who transports us – with enormous flair and eloquence – to her Italian ‘headquarters’ in the Eternal City and shares with us the culture, traditions, art, food and vibrant history of that glorious country.

Lola and I have been bloggy friends for a while now and she knows that I also love to cook, so the invitation to be guest chef on her blog is a wonderfully serendipitous opportunity to share a typically South African recipe with you.

Although I’ve lived in many parts of Africa, Cape Town is where I was born and raised so it seems appropriate that I should take you there. Please, come with me to that beautiful city nestled in the curve of its famous mountain and allow me to introduce you to the colourful Bo-Kaap area and to the Cape Malay people who live there.

It would be wonderful if you could join Lola and me over at the Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino kitchen today where I have prepared a Cape Malay feast of fragrant, seductive bobotie with its traditional accompaniments of a delicious, tangy chutney made with dried fruit and gentle spices called blatjang, a divinely aromatic dish of cinnamon infused geelrys and a peppery green salad simply dressed with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of the best olive oil Italy can provide.

Finally, we’ll open a bottle or three of an ambrosial Cape Syrah from the Boekenhoutskloof Estate in Franshoek to add a little extra zing to a meal worthy of a Bo-Kaap princess.

It will be a truly international affair, so why not pop on over to Lola’s Roman kitchen by clicking the chef’s hat and let’s get started. With the lovely, effervescent  Lola as our host, I just know you’re going to enjoy every moment.  See you there…and lekker eet!