Having recently moved to beautiful Paternoster, Sardines on Toast is cooking up a storm at his gorgeous restaurant and tea garden, Oep ve Koep.
He is a true foodie and is a source of constant inspiration. His quick wit threads effortlessly through his wonderful writing and his food is creative, refreshing and downright great.
We are all vrek excited as there is a plan to visit him and his Paternoster dream in the near future.
Check out his wonderful Christmas lunch, and his post on the ‘ridiculous season‘ and his beautiful ‘snow’ – rose geranium sorbet. You could spend hours on his blog.
Here is a one-on-one with him.
Q: What do you do when you’re not spending time in the kitchen making gorgeous food?
A: At the moment I feel like I don’t ever really leave the kitchen because I get up early to bake bread, then I cook breakfast and lunch at Oep ve Koep, and I cook supper when I get home at night… I think of lunch while I’m having breakfast, and dream about supper while having lunch. But I’m at my most relaxed sitting around a table with family, friends, good food and lots of wine – whether at home or at a restaurant.
Q: What would be your perfect foodie destination holiday and why?
A: Mozambique. You can be in the tiniest, remotest village but you’d still be able to find the freshest pao (Portuguese bread) and fragrant peri-peri. The fresh produce markets in Maputo are also amazing. And I love that all the little street cafés serve delicious prego rolls, coffee and Aguardente (Portuguese husk brandy). I would also love to visit Mexico.
Q: What would you eat for your last supper and why?
A: Something simple like peri-peri chicken and braaibroodjies.
Q: Who is your hottest celeb chef and why?
A: I don’t know why but all the current TV “celebu-chefs” really annoy me. I look up to real-life, local food heroes like Richard Carstens, Phillipa Cheifitz, the late Pieter Pieterse and C. Louis Leipoldt. Internationally, I admire Feran Adria and really enjoy Jeffrey Steingarten’s food writing.
Q: What 5 ingredients would you take to a deserted island?
A: Lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt, tomatoes.
Q: If you had a restaurant what would you name it, and what would your specialty be?
A: Well, I now kind of have a restaurant… I like to believe our speciality is simple, honest food dictated by the Mediterranean climate as well as a love of heritage foods – from boerekos to Cape Malay cooking. When I grow up, I’d love to have my own little bistro with a handful of tables and a daily changing chalk-board menu. But I’m not giving the name away, in case someone uses it before I get the chance to.. hehe.
Q: What is your foodie vice e.g. chocolates, fast food etc?
A: Cheese – the stronger and creamier, the better.
Q: What is your favourite restaurant and why?
A: Olympia Café and Deli in Kalk Bay. I love their approach to food. Honest, simple, fresh and hearty.
Q: If you could be a fruit – which one and why?
A: Lemon – it’s so versatile. You can use it fresh, pickled, whole, grated, savoury, sweet.
Q: What is the worst meal you’ve ever cooked?
A: Probably one of my practical exams at chef school – I was so nervous. I remember drizzling olive oil over practically everything – including the dessert.
Q: Is there any ingredient that you would never cook with?
A: Never say never, but I really despise tofu.
Q: Are there any ingredients that intimidate you?
A: Eggs. I curse the breakfast shift every morning. Luckily no casualties so far.
Q: What is the one implement in the kitchen you cannot do without and why?
A: A sharp chef’s knife (in particular my precious Güde messer with olive-wood grip – a gift from my sister). It can slice, chop, bash, poke, peel, mince, cream – even stir, I suppose.
Q: Who would you like to sit down for dinner with 5 other people?
A: Corne and Twakkie, our basset hounds Fred and Samuel (they’re incredibly discerning) and my grandmother who’s 85, calls a spade a spade and still drinks red wine on a daily basis.