Cape Town - Having cooked at billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson’s luxury private game reserve in Sabi Sand, for billionaire Warren Buffett’s son and for several South African celebrities, chef Lesego “LesDaChef” Semenya’s culinary accolades are certainly impressive.
It’s also proof that the Joburg-based chef, who studied at the Prue Leith Chefs Academy, was right in abandoning his original career path – working as a process engineer for six years.
“I grew up seeing both my mom and dad cooking, and food has always been a part of my life. I just chose to formalise it and make it a career when I quit my corporate job and decided to chase a dream. I didn’t have an idea that I would eventually fall in love with this industry,” says Semenya, 33.
“I was 20 years old when I started working in the corporate world. I left Wits University while doing my first year and, based on my aptitude and IQ, happened to be employed as a process engineer while completing my studies. I came to realise that I was just working for a pay cheque and not for the love of my career and profession.
“I honestly didn’t go to chef school solely because I wanted to become a chef, but more to understand chefs and the industry so I could have a successful business… life just decided to make me fall in love with the uniform and the job itself. I’m now a proud qualified chef and embrace the title,” he says.
Semenya so loves the job that he is on a mission to educate as many South Africans as possible about food and the culinary industry, offering classes on cooking and regularly blogging about food.
He’s gained quite a number of followers on social media where he also regularly shares cooking tips, and is a nominee for the Mail & Guardian’s list of 200 young South Africans to watch.
“My brand would not exist at all if it was not for social media. My business name and the title I go under, ‘LesDaChef’, came about by mistake. I actually just wanted the username to be my first name when I signed up for Twitter but someone else had used the name and after a lot of mixing and matching names I stuck with LesDaChef,” says Semenya.
“I’m not your typical food blogger, I’m a chef and it’s a selling point that helps. The majority of food bloggers in the country tend to be female and are mostly from Cape Town. More guys and people from Joburg, and specifically from the townships, need to start blogging. The most popular recipes on my blog are on food popular in the townships, such as amagwinya (vetkoek) and ledombolo (dumplings).”
Semenya draws inspiration from the food he ate while growing up in Soweto.
“Everything I remember my parents making and what I ate while outside in the streets and from spaza shops, I tap into all my experiences. I try to make my food as accessible as possible. A lot of people shy away from cooking simply because the words and terminology seem overwhelming. I take simple food most people know, dress it up a bit and give it some attitude,” he says.
Semenya, who says the weirdest thing he’s ever eaten was snake soup in Chinatown, enjoys cooking stews such as a Moroccan lamb tagine.
“I love spices and herbs. My favourite ingredient right now is smoked paprika, the imported stuff from Spain. It’s awesome with everything… I use it in all my savoury meals. Besides stews, I love making Paella. When made properly and from scratch, a good Paella is the closest thing to paradise.
“My pet peeve is processed food and how readily people buy it and serve it to their kids without fully understanding what’s in it and all the additives added to it. Cooking fresh food really isn’t that complicated. With Google we have all the info at our fingertips.
“Research the ingredients before you buy anything,” he says.
Semenya says his ideal dinner party guests would includeMichael Jackson who would be seated at the head of the table, Steve Biko for his intellect, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to say grace and Brenda Fasie for entertainment, but for now he has his sights set on former talk show host Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu.
“I love cooking for people who understand food and what we chefs do. She (Maholwana-Sangqu) has been on my case on Twitter for months now to open my own restaurant. She asks me really foodie type questions online, I appreciate that knowledge,” he says.
Besides giving private cooking classes, Semenya also offers services such as menu design and menu consultation and bakes designer cupcakes and cakes to order. He recently launched an African print LesDaChef apron range, and has plans for his own cookbook and opening his own restaurant.
When he is not in his well-equipped kitchen or on radio as the resident chef on Amon Mokoena and Pearl Modiadie’s Metro FM show, Semenya spends time enjoying the outdoors or travelling.
“I also love music and sports, and go to the stadium as often as I can. A few weeks ago I baked a victory cake for Kaizer Chiefs for winning the league.”
But it’s cooking that he finds relaxing. “(It) helps me release stress and tensions. I love how it allows me to be creative, passionate and analytical all at once. I also love the attention it’s getting in South Africa now, the more people who understand food the better for the industry.”
* http://www.lesdachef.com/
Cape Argus