Bino serves the winning dish
He won the Dads Cookout battle
Bino Rasedisa is the ultimate winner of the inaugural Dads Cookout Battle. The finals of the competition took place this past Saturday at the Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino. Three finalists namely Rasedisa, Head of Consumer, Private & Business banking for Standard Chartered, DJ Gouveia of RB2, and Leatile Bakwena, Corporate Affairs Manager at BITC had sailed through to secure themselves places in the finals. His prize is a weekend stay at Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino. He has also previously won a blender from the past weekend round of the competition.
The Dad’s Cookout Battle is a UNICEF and Men and Boys for Gender Equality initiative, in partnership with Avani Gaborone Resort and Casino. The cook out is held under the theme: Reimagine Parenting. The whole idea behind the competition, which is held during the month of June, set aside as the Global
Parenting Month, is to break cultural norms and stereotypes, and expected to inspire men to also do their part in the kitchen. The competition brought together different fathers from different fields and professions such as the Media, and the corporate fields in a fun filled environment where they showcased their skills in the kitchen.
For the father of two, a six- year- old daughter and a 11- month- old son, the win was not an easy one. For starters, Rasedisa, himself takes his time in the kitchen. He does not take anything less than two hours in the kitchen. And the pressure to whip up a dish in a limited time was not a walk in the park. Add to the equation, the fact that when it is his time to cook, which is normally on a Saturday, he plans his meals a day before, and will even take the time to buy fresh ingredients. But for the competition, he and the other Dads, had no idea which ingredients they would find. Essentially, this meant that they had to think on their feet to create a mouth- watering dish with what was provided. Sharing his experience, he notes that this was not an easy win. “I had to think on my feet,” he says.
He further says that his family was even surprised that he could actually finish cooking in the time that they were required to. But above all, he learnt a valuable lesson from the whole experience. “I actually learnt that I can cook in such a short time,” says Rasedisa.
He also notes that one of his cheerleaders, his daughter, is still trying to wrap her brain around why Dad is always winning.
His many years of learning from his mother, who is very passionate with traditional cuisines, as well as his uncle and other family members, has paid off. “I have always had an interest in cooking and learning from family and friends,” he tells this publication. Whenever he has an opportunity to travel somewhere, he always makes sure that he learns about the cuisines of that place. He will even try and make the dishes. This kind of interest shows that he takes the craft of cooking very seriously.
For the finals, he whipped out a scrumptious dish of mashed potatoes, seasoned and transformed with some milk and butter for that creaminess. Clearly, Rasedisa knows his way, not only around the kitchen but also nutrition. For the mashed potatoes, he did not peel them as he wanted to maintain the nutrients from the peels. The potatoes had a side of gravy. He also served carrot and butternut seasoned with cinnamon, a bit of butter and sugar, creamy spinach as well as Pan fried fish for protein. They also had to tantalise the tastebuds of the judges and audience with something sweet. His sweet treat was a French toast, coated with cornflakes, with a bit of pineapples and apples with a dash of cinnamon and sugar.
On Saturdays, when it is his turn to cook, he loves to braai, and usually opts for lamb, fish and on the days when he really wants to just relax, he goes for oxtail, and will cook it in a threelegged pot.
Lastly, he encourages his male counterparts to also take to cooking for their families. Cooking, he says, can be used as an instrument to bond with family. It will also save the family money, as compared to eating out at restaurants.
“Cooking is a fun activity that can help the family to bond,” he shares.