COOKBOOK EXTRACT
Food stylist and blogger Dianne Bibby shares some delectable dishes from her new book, Bibby’s Kitchen
‘I’m not from a food background at all,’ says Dianne Bibby with a laugh. ‘When we ran into some financial difficulties I started selling baked goods to generate an income. There were two things I knew how to make: rusks and biscuits. That’s really where my journey with food started.’
These days, Dianne is a food stylist, recipe developer and food photographer, a far cry from her previous profession – she’d worked in the fashion industry for 18 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters.
‘At first I did it as a necessity, then it became a creative outlet. I began looking at ingredients in an inspired way, like working with different fabrics in fashion.’
Dianne began a food blog (also called Bibby’s Kitchen) where she shared recipes, ideas and pictures of her creations. ‘Food and fashion are both very image-driven, so I decided to take the photographs myself. It was a bit of self-teaching and just empowering myself with an added skill.’
Once her blog took off, a flood of requests started pouring in. ‘Suddenly people started asking, “Can you do my wedding?” or “Can you do my function?” and I just said “yes!” because I had to. But eventually it pushed me to grow. It became a driving passion to learn more. Then it evolved into people asking me if I could teach them how to cook, which opened up another new avenue.’
Dianne was thrilled when she was approached to write and design her own cookbook. ‘I was so excited,’ she says. ‘In my experience, people read cookbooks like they read novels, so the creativity of that was a new challenge.’ She developed her recipes, cooked the meals and photographed each creation over a year. ‘I wanted to capture every season because I think it lends an authenticity to the way we eat, the mood and the feel of the food. I loved that process.
‘I definitely can’t choose a favourite recipe – it’s like choosing a favorite child!’ she says. ‘I can only say, “This is my current favourite.” I’m crazy about anything that’s Middle Eastern, so I love the Shawarma Chicken Salad with the Spelt Pilaf and Zhoug Yoghurt. It’s a lively combination with incredible texture and colour.’ Welcoming guests into her home to socialise and connect over food is one of her greatest rewards. ‘I eat mostly vegetables and grains with some chicken and fish, but I have a lot of meat-addicted friends and family, and they’re crazy about lamb in all forms, so I usually do a lamb version of the shawarma chicken recipe. In the Greens to Grains chapter, I always go for the Sumac-Roasted Aubergine Salad with Poppy-Seed Tahini Drizzle. I usually do several different platters of hummus and fresh, textured salad.’
Her crowd-pleasing dessert is a Chocolate and Pear Malva Pudding with Hazelnut Cookie Crumble. ‘My girls often say, “Can I have that for my wedding?” It’s a unique take on a classic South African dessert, but it’s also homely, comforting and rich – all the things you want a pudding to be.
‘I like something that’s a little different, so if I had to choose, perhaps I’d go with the Cardamom Crème Anglaise with Hibiscus-Roasted Guavas. It’s classy but not difficult; those are the kind of things I like – something that’s considered a bit of a wild card. It’s all about piquing my guests’ interest and keeping it exciting. I love that!’
Go to bibbyskitchenat36.com to have a look at Dianne’s blog.
Turn the page for tasty recipes from Bibby’s Kitchen.