Celebrate this festive season with cookbook author Jan Kohler
For cookbook author and hostess-with the-mostest Jan Kohler celebrations are synonymous with food.
Author of Pink Gin and Fairy Cakes and its successor Celebrations, says:
“We associate certain dishes with holidays that we celebrate, and the food becomes a tradition that our families look forward to every year. We turn to them because they are familiar, comforting and, actually, downright delicious.”
The Johannesburg resident says:
“The food I cook and the recipes in my books are created for novice cooks, busy people and parents who have their hands full. I always use local (or easy to find) ingredients and cook delicious, simple food (that would work well for family suppers) but also dishes that can go a long way and will impress at a party over the festive season.“
We asked the ebullient Kohler some questions as she shares some of her favourite festive holiday recipes.
Who were your food idols or mentors?
It was only when I moved out of home that I discovered chefs who were cooking on TV, like Food Network, and started to get my hands on the books of celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Nigella was definitely my food idol and I became a domestic goddess “wannabe”! I’d have to say about Jamie that I loved how accessible and simple he made cooking for everyone. I like to think that I’ve since grown up and discovered so many more wonderful chefs and books out there. The world is truly full of incredibly inspiring and talented people.
Tell us about your recipe books and why you decided to write them?
My love for entertaining definitely set me on this journey. These recipes featured time and again as friends and family gathered around my table. I was constantly asked to share my recipes and one day at a ladies lunch party, one of my friends suggested I just put them all into a book for them, and so an idea was born! My first book, Pink Gin and Fairy Cakes was centred around raising my children and making food for my family and friends at the same time. I enjoy making food that people love to eat, so most of my recipes are simple, even though I have a “cook from scratch” approach.
What inspired your choice of Pink Gin and Fairy Cakes as the title of your recipe book?
I wrote this book at a time when my kids were in junior and pre-school, and life was very much about playdates and birthday parties. With moms and kids in the mix – often on a Friday afternoon – this is exactly where pink gins and fairy cakes would collide. I guess it was also to convey that the book wasn’t written just for children. There are lots of delightful grown-up recipes in there too!
Tell us about Celebrations?
For as long as I can remember, there always seemed to be an occasion for a party or celebration. Holidays seldom went unobserved – I would cook, decorate the house, and dress up for just about any occasion. The combination of Halloween, spring parties, many family celebrations or parties “just because”, allowed me to explore ideas, cook and create a collection of recipes that I wanted to share. These are my most loved celebration recipes and the book includes many of the holidays that we celebrate as South Africans.
What culinary dreams to you still have?
I had always dreamed of visiting Ferran Adria’s restaurant El Bulli. But since I never got there before it closed, I hope to explore more of Spain’s culinary scene and discover more treasures. I’ve travelled to Spain a few times and yet I feel that there is still so much more to taste and see. I feel the same about France – I’d like to tour more regions of France with a focus on iconic dishes, methods of cooking and French wines.
What is your favourite go-to meal to cook at home?
Pot roast chicken. I love the simplicity of this dish, the ease with which it can be made, and the way the flavours infuse in this pot of comfort food.
Tell us a bit about your family?
I come from a family of very enthusiastic cooks. Both my dad and my stepdad were very hands-on in the kitchen throughout my childhood, and we all still share a passion for cooking today. I am married with three children.
And a few fun questions:
Name five things always in your fridge or pantry.
Cans of Italian tomatoes
Anchovies
Real butter
Grana Padano (or parmesan)
Chilli
What would be your last meal?
Hands down it is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio.
Is there anything you do not eat?
While there are probably more things than I’d like to admit, I’m just going to say anything produced by a goat is not my favourite!
If you had to cook dinner for five famous people, who would they be and what would you make them?
I would cook for the cast of Friends. Perhaps you’d need to know the series quite well to appreciate my sentiment. But I’d definitely make them a Christmas trifle without Rachel’s mincemeat in it! I’d make the best Italian panini for Joey so he could try something other than a meatball sub, and my delicious cheesecake so they wouldn’t have to steal from their neighbours.
Favourite celebrity cook?
Stanley Tucci – I love his discerning, no nonsense approach to Italian food. He is entertaining and passionate about what he does, and his enthusiasm for life after surviving throat cancer is such an inspiration.
What are three latest food trends?
Sustainable eating
Watching how meals are prepared on social media (i.e.. videos)
Anything pistachio!
What chef do you admire most and why?
Jamie Oliver, for his ability to stay relevant and keep selling books for over three decades. He adapts to food trends, keeps things simple and I love that he is constantly promoting a healthy, cook from scratch approach in a fast paced world.
Connect with Jan Kohler on social media:
Facebook | Instagram
