Master chef chews the fat about new book
Celebrity chef Pete Goffe-wood unpacks his culinary journey in A Life Digested, a semiautobiographical cookbook and his third to date, writes Debashine Thangevelo
PETE Goffe-wood is famed for his infectious broad smile and overall rock star coolness. And he was a hit alongside his fellow Masterchef SA judges – Benny Masekwameng and Reuben Riffel, who replaced Andrew Atkinson in season three.
If you have been wondering what he’s been up to since, our tête-à-tête provides clarity. A Life Digested hits book stores from November. He explains: “I have always been a fan of cookbooks that aren’t just an anthology of recipes but give insight into the recipes or the stories behind them: where they came from, who influenced them.
“I have been writing articles on food and my food experiences for the past couple of years, some published, and I wanted to put them all together as they tell the story of my own food journey. I approached Quivertree and they shared my enthusiasm for going beyond the recipes and so A Life Digested was conceived.”
This is his third book. In 2003, he released Blues Restaurant – The Essence of Cape Town, followed by Kitchen Cowboys in 2004.
“There is still nothing quite as exciting as seeing your book on the shelves,” he says. “I’ve always been a huge fan of cookbooks and have a sizeable library of my own.”
It’s impressive spotting the inimitable Michel Roux jr’s name in the foreword. “I have had the pleasure of cooking for and with him on a number of occasions,” reveals Goffe-wood. “He produced all the recipes for a book, Vin de Constance, with Michel Roux jr in 2006 – I did all of the food for the various launches of the book so I was in constant contact with him and we have remained friends ever since.
“So when the time came, I asked if he would do me the honour of writing the foreword and he obliged.
“One of my finest ever experiences in a restaurant was at his one in Mayfair, London – Le Gavaroche. It’s one of the pieces in my book.”
Of the quirky themes of his book, one of my favourites was “Vegetarians, There’s Always One!”
“Rather than take the usual route of dividing the book into starters, main courses and desserts or the seasons, I wanted each chapter to be led by a story, then I built the recipes in each chapter around that story.
“One of my favourite parts of the book is the illustrations – Colin Fraser is bit of a genius when it comes to watercolours, and we sent him the stories for each of the chapters and he did all of the illustrations.”
Although he has a special connection to every recipe, Goffe-wood notes: “My absolute favourite is the roast chicken breast with oven-dried tomatoes, straw potatoes and bearnaise. I think it best expresses my style of cooking – rich, robust and rustic.”
As for the cuisine he enjoys when he isn’t manning the stove, he says, “I love Indian food. It’s not all about curry. The different regions have different styles, different nuances, different ingredients. I love how a subtle manipulation of spices can bring about such varied results. I am always in awe of authentic Indian cuisine.”
A Life Digested retails for R350.