Something’s cooking in João’s kitchen

Publicity Shoot

Publicity Shoot

Published Oct 27, 2014

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MiCasa’s J’Something has always been at home on stage. Well, that’s been the standing impression of the performer. But while music is his life, he offsets the consuming craziness with his hobby – cooking. And this has now manifested in Mzansi Magic’s Something’s Cooking, writes Debashine Thangevelo.

LEAD singer J’Something (real name João da Fonseca) is an incorrigible high flier. What he envisions, he sets out to realise. That has always been his modus operandi and it also attests to the success of his award-winning group, MiCasa, with Dr Duda (producer, DJ and pianist) and Mo-T (trumpeter).

While he leads a frenzied life, which is par for the course when you are a success story in the music industry, he has found a diversion to offset the craziness. But rather than succumb to golfing or yoga as a coping-mechanism, J’Something prefers cooking.

An uncontainable ball of energy, he couldn’t find a more fitting pastime. On his culinary skills attracting heaps of attention on his social media sites, he says, “The whole thing came about through music. It can get really crazy in this profession. I needed to create some me space and time.

“I went out on a venture to try and create some personal space. And I started to think of hobbies and things I like.”

And the gravitation towards cooking seemed the obvious choice.

J’Something explains, “I have grown up with food. My mom owned a restaurant called Butlers in Port Alfred. My dad worked for Sun International in their food and beverage department, which involved designing menus for their restaurants. So I’ve grown up with food all around me. When it came to creating a hobby, I thought, let me just get into the kitchen and chill out. I did that two years ago…”

And pictures of his food were uploaded on to Instagram, followed by #somethingscooking.

Over time, he accumulated a ton of likes, comments and suggestions from followers.

A sponge for fresh ideas, he decided to take his hobby further – especially with the TV landscape submerged with food shows.

He shares, “I’m a very focused kid. I’m very specific with things I want. This cooking show, every decision on the show… everything was designed by me. It is something I put my heart into. I did every episodic breakdown. The show is shot in my house; in my kitchen. Approaching Mzansi Magic was my decision too. I said to them, ‘Listen, I want to do a cooking show, this is the music I want on it, these are the friends I want on it’.”

“I wanted a show people can relate to. The format is based on a little window. People haven’t gotten a glimpse of my life. Or my home. Or my dog. It is a slice of my life.

“Sometimes we go to Alex because I feel like having mandasi (fat cake). People that know me know that is what I do. I’m not a chef. I’m just a dude who likes to cook and what I have is a lot of passion for food,” he adds.

Another factor that feeds into this passion is his roots.

“On top of it, I’m Portuguese. I was born in Portugal and I grew up with a lot of good food.”

In the kick-off episode, J’Something made custard, beef ragu, and a samp and beans dish but with a Portuguese twist to it.

The singer enthuses, “We will also be doing an all-day, everyday breakfast. I’m also excited about the ‘It’s love at first bite’ episode, which is about the meals you make for someone you love. There is also one called Kasi foods, which has had a huge influence on my life. There is a whole bunch of variety, from South African dishes to Portuguese to world cuisine.”

He is an avid fan of cooking shows on the small screen.

As for his favourite TV chefs, he shares, “It would have to be Jamie Oliver, hands down. That is where I draw a lot of inspiration. Not only does he come up with amazing ideas, he is good at what he does. Locally, I have to say I love MasterChef’s Benny Masekwameng.”

On what gets him salivating, he reveals, “As cheesy as it sounds, I make some really good pizza. That’s my favourite dish. We have a pizza oven at home and I make a damn good pizza. In terms of a nostalgic dish, it would be caldo verde (a Portuguese soup). It’s one of the things that defines us as Portuguese people. It’s like lamb to Greeks or curry to Indians.”

In the meantime, J’Something says he has ideas that go beyond this cooking show, like cook books and an online series.

He says, “I’m a 26-year-old kid who has a lot of dreams and aspirations. I have told my mother she has created a son who is born to be a success. I will sleep when I’m dead. Right now, I have a whole bunch of things (to do) and I’m working my ass off…”

And J’Something’s recipe for success continues to be flavoured with more and more ideas.

• Something’s Cooking airs on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) on Wednesdays at 7pm.

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