Mile 8, the inspirational biographical cookbook by acclaimed Chef David Higgs, was recently named as a finalist at the 24th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards held in Macau, China.
The awards, which were first introduced in 1995 at Frankfurt Book Fair, are widely recognised as the Oscars in gastronomy. Mile 8 was nominated in the category of “Best Cookery Book Written by a Restaurant Chef”.
Mile 8: A book about cooking. Picture supplied
“To be listed as a finalist is an incredible honour, especially against Mirazur which has just been voted as the number one restaurant in the world,” says Higgs. “It’s a tribute to the team who worked on this book with me.”
The number one spot was awarded to Ireland’s Brian McDermott for his book Donegal Table. Alongside Higgs and McDermott, the list of finalists for the award included, from Argentina: Mirazur, Mauro Colagreco (Catalpa); from Belgium: Gert De Mangeleer Unplugged (Lancaster); from France: La Cuisine de Guy Legay, Henri Bouniol (De Boree); from Hong Kong: Chicken and Charcoal, Matt Abergel, Lindsay Jang (Phaidon) and from Singapore: A Dash of Szechwan, Chen Kentaro (Marshall Cavendish).
Asparagus sunflower by David Higgs. Picture supplied.
Mile 8 first landed on shelves in November 2018. It features over 90 dishes and 150 recipes influenced by the journey of Higgs’ career, Mile 8 is a culinary adventure bringing together the unique and interesting flavours of Southern Africa.
Impala Tartare, Snoek & Apricot, Amadumbe & Chakalaka, and his version of the classic Malva Pudding are just some of the delights to be found in this wonderfully illustrated book.
Cheese Willison Karoo by David Higgs. Picture supplied.
“Writing this book was quite an emotional experience, and it reminded me of so many stories from my childhood, and things I had forgotten about,” says Higgs. “It’s lovely to be able to share this with people and tell stories as they are. It’s also great to give everyone a real peak into the ‘behind the scenes’ of a professional kitchen.”
* Mile 8 is available from leading national book retailers and from Marble.