Chef’s book is inspired by her life

ZOLA Nene, the chef on the TV show Expresso, credits her mom for her love of cooking. “My mother taught me what it means to feed people and to derive joy from that,” she says.

After a two-year stint working in London, she returned home and studied at the Institute of Culinary Art in Stellenbosch. She then worked for a catering company in Joburg before moving to Expresso.

Nene derives her inspiration from having worked with some amazing local chefs, such as Chris Erasmus and Margot Janse.

This is her first book and is a collection of her favourite recipes.

The chapter on Nostalgic Nibbles focuses on the food she grew up eating and favourite recipes from her mother and grandmother.

Scrumptious Scholar Days is filled with recipes from her home-economics school days, where she began to develop her culinary skills.

In Finding my Foodie Fee tina Foreign Country, the recipes are the ones Nene cooked while working overseas.

Tricks of the Trade has recipes inspired by her interactions with local chefs.

Nene has been able to travel extensively, and the book includes recipes from Norway, Thailand and India.

All the recipes have been beautifully styled by her, and look mouthwatering.

There are lots of easy, basic recipes, as well as more challenging ones for experienced cooks.

Here are two recipes from her book to try: