When you find that special lunch hangout you feel as if you’ve hit the jackpot, but you’ve definitely won when the person preparing the food at that same hangout, releases a cookbook.
Nirit Saban has drawn inspiration from her childhood and her travels across the globe for the dishes she serves at her Bree Street, Cape Town restaurant, as well as for her cookbook.
“I grew up in Cape Town in an Israeli home; my memories are filled with us as a family cooking in the kitchen,” said Saban.
“Everyone helping out in one way or another, with a family of 6six a lot of action took place and we all managed to make every day a fulfilled one.
“The smell of onions cooking as a base immediately comes to mind, the addition of garlic and spices filling the house with that strong aroma is very popular in the Saban households.”
Saban is a champion of “no fuss” foods and keeping it simple in the kitchen. “It means look at your ingredients and let them speak to you.
“Let the natural quality of the ingredient be the number one director and then simply add a little extra touch of whatever feels right on that day, be open-minded and play with your imagination, but listen to your gut most of all.”
The atmosphere and spirit of Olami, the hangout in Bree Street, is perfectly captured in the cookbook and it’s a treasure trove of flavourful ideas you can recreate in your own home.
Saban tries to draw you into her world of Middle Eastern food markets, exotic spices and soul food so that you, too, can embrace the mantra of “Simple, Nourishing, Fresh”.
She said it is truly her heart’s work come to life in print form in a cookbook.
“We are delighted to share these recipes and stories with the world as much as the world
is continually giving us substance to use for further creation and development and we look forward to many more volumes of sharing and experiencing life, using food as the medium and base.”
Olami – Simple Nourishing Fresh by Nirit Saban is available from loot.co.za for R303. Click here to purchase