Justin Bonello is South Africa’s Cook, Traveler and lover of life, he lives a way of life that I’m sure anyone would swap their office job for, cruising the land with his mates in search of the next unique spot and that tasty meal that’s around the corner.

This book will be your inspiration to be adventurous, to extend your cooking repertoire and to be more ecologically aware. Based on the popular TV series on BBC Food, Cooked, this unique compilation of places, spaces and flavours combines chef Justin Bonello’s three favourite things – Southern Africa, food and friends. Bonello is passionate about ensuring that Africa’s diverse food cultures are recorded and celebrated so that future generations will be able to savour the culinary pleasures we enjoy today. His love affair with cooking and wide-open spaces began with weekends and school holidays spent in the great outdoors either on the Breede River or on the Wild Coast. He learned to embrace the land and all that it has to offer without taking from it anything that nature can’t replenish. Bonello believes that the beauty of travel and cooking can be found in searching for fresh produce, making new friends and discovering foods you didn’t even know existed. Once you’ve learned the basics and started growing your own produce, there’s no reason not to produce awesome meals – all it takes is a little courage and a pinch of creativity.

In his book Bonello creates something of a master piece in my eyes, it nearly looks like a collection of old newspaper clippings that have been collected and stored in an old journal, With interesting dishes like “Tarzan Roast” and “Rooibos smoked trout ravioli with burnt garlic and tequila sauce” and some more “skilled based instructions” like “Spiked Watermelon” and Drunken birds for the boys” and then finally my favourite “Karoo oysters” (I’ll let you research the last one).

I think that this is a great book, not only because he is a fellow South African and living the life, but because Justin is doing something he loves and at the same time showing us, the general South African public an appreciation for what is in their own back yard.

Interested in buying this book? visit – Red Pepper Books – The friendliest online bookshop under the South African sun, they will be able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for.

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking school runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studios. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.