CELEBRITY DISH
Global fame for SA chef
SHE is 29, often referred to as South Africa’s Nigella Lawson, and she hosts a cooking show that is beamed into millions of homes across the globe. But Cape Town celebrity chef Sibahle Mtongana is just getting started.
The former food editor of Drum magazine launched her TV show, Siba’s Table, locally last year, making her the second South African after Jenny Morris to host her own show on the Food Network.
Last week, the show’s first season began airing on the US’s Cooking Channel, which has a potential audience of 60 million.
It has also aired in countries across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
“It’s really exciting. It’s more than I could have dreamt of,” she said of the US release. “And I’m not just excited for myself, but for South Africa to be seen in a positive light.”
Shot in Cape Town, it shows Mtongana visiting her favourite foodie haunts, the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Melissa’s in Kloof Street, where she waitressed as a student, and shopping for cupcakes and chocolates at the Waterfront.
Her husband, Brian, and 18-month- old son Lonwabo also feature prominently after the show’s producers “fell in love” with her baby boy.
“In Poland my show has been topping the charts, and when I was in Dubai a young girl made me a card with a protea on it and she wrote: ‘I love you. You’re my favourite. You’re epic,’ ” said Mtongana.
She grew to love cooking from watching her mother in the kitchen. She would fetch the blackberries or vegetables from her mother’s garden
It’s an honour to be compared to Nigella. I love her. But I would like to be known as Siba
for the family meals.
“She had a back yard garden before it became fashionable,” she said.
And later, she fought with her brothers for control of the TV remote. They wanted to watch cartoons, whereas she wanted to watch British TV chef Delia Smith.
“She was really prim and proper in how she explained things. I learnt how to make a soufflé from her.”
And she has respect for Lawson, who she said “made cooking sexy”.
“It’s an honour to be compared to her. I love her. But I would like to be known as Siba.”
The food the Americans see on her show will not be strictly South African.
“In the show, I make mfino fritters, which are a traditional dish made with spinach, onion and maize meal.
“My mom used to make them for us as an after-school snack. After I had Lonwabo, I asked her to make them for me. I played around with them and made a canapé that I fried and added soy sauce, lemon zest and mayo and then topped it with salmon.”
Another of her recipes, although not featured on the show, is called a “papizza”.
It involves baking a thin layer of pap to create a base and then topping it with pizza toppings.
Mtongana said her current obsession was food from Dubai.
“I’ve just come back and I’m really into spices — but more flavour than hot.”
Her face lights up as she talks about a Middle Eastern soft cheese that she recently made.
“I love food that makes it look like you’ve toiled and worked forever, but with a wink because it’s actually so easy.”