On Valentine’s Day in 2001, Nandile Mtshaha’s mother Zandile was hospitalised and it was left up to the young nine-year-old and her older sister Thobeka to make dinner for their father Nicolas. Mtshaha takes up the story.
“It was our first attempt at cooking and, despite the fact that we were determined to make my dad the type of hearty meal my mother would have cooked, what we dished up for him was terrible. The salad I made resembled what we call uShatini (sambals) but it had green peppers and fish spice added to it and did not taste very nice.
“Thereafter, my dad would ask me to make that salad almost every week. We all knew it wasn’t great, but because of that salad and because my dad asked for it regularly, my love for cooking and preparing dishes developed and I started to learn how to balance textures and the importance of having side dishes that didn’t take the shine off the main course.”
At 17, Mtshaha started her own small business selling homemade muffins at school and, even though it broke school rules, the support she got from her peers and her teachers boosted her confidence in the kitchen.
“My home economics teacher spoke to me about enrolling at a culinary school, and thank goodness she did, because I had no idea what I wanted to do after leaving school. Since then I have not looked back, and today I am delighted to be able to share my knowledge with young aspiring chefs.”
After graduating from culinary school in mid-2013, Mtshaha started working as a junior sous chef for a catering company. But itchy feet and the fact that a number of her friends had started travelling and working abroad, encouraged her to seek overseas opportunities.
“I went for six interviews and was rejected at each one, and just when I was starting to lose hope I got an interview for a job working at Gasparilla Inn & Club, a resort hotel located on Gasparilla Island on the Gulf of Mexico in the US. I got the position, applied for a visa and l started work with them in October 2014.”
Mtshaha worked at the Florida hotel for two seasons before deciding to return home to complete her studies. After writing and passing a few supplementary exams, she was offered a pastry chef de partie position at Grootbos Nature Reserve where she worked for a year, and thereafter followed roles as a sous chef at the Antiques Café in Durban and chef de partie at Sun International’s Time Square in Pretoria.
But long industry hours and a yearning to spend more time with her ageing parents led Mtshaha to head back to KwaZulu Natal and a gig as an executive chef for a big corporate company before she followed some advice and took up a position as a chef lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Durban campus.
It’s a role that she relishes and one in which she strives hard to inspire her students to go out into the industry knowing what to expect.
“I want to equip them with the right knowledge as well as the right mindset to cope with everything they will come across in the hospitality industry. I teach them discipline and how to be authentic.”
Describing herself as “a big girl that’s forever on a diet,” Mtshaha is particularly interested in the field of nutrition and special dietary needs.
“I have several intolerances and allergies so these interests have come about as a result of my own personal experiences. I’m always struggling to find something good and healthy that I can safely eat whenever I go out.”
And she believes she is not alone, saying that “more and more people are becoming health conscious and therefore more healthy meals are becoming very trendy.”
Mtshaha also thinks traditional African food is underrated and that tastebuds need to travel around the world whenever you eat something.
“Food needs to remind you of a time and a place where you made memories with people that you hold close to your heart. I live for good memories and food needs to tell a story that can be an integral part of those fond recollections.”
We asked Mtshaha a few quickfire questions:
What is your favourite dessert?
Wine! It’s made from fruit and the right amount of sweetness, right? So why not put it under the dessert category?
What is your favourite kitchen tool?
A whisk because it helps me firm up my big arms.
Is there anything you don’t eat?
A lot actually. As mentioned, I have several intolerances and allergies so I don’t eat red meat, pineapples, pawpaw, watermelon and dairy products.
Do you have a foodie icon?
My former Executive Sous Chef Dave Blackburn from Gasparilla Inn & Club. He taught me never to doubt myself and how to master my craft. He constantly reminded me why I travelled across the world to pursue my dream, and he also taught me to find my own strength and use it to better myself and set myself apart from the rest.
Is there any dish you still want to master?
I still want to make a Chicken Biriyani as good as my mother’s been making since I was knee high.
What are your favourite three ingredients?
Onions, garlic and black pepper
What is your go-to cook book?
My own recipe book that has all the recipes I have collected throughout my travels.
Can you please share with us a favourite recipe.
Here it is – my ‘Rooibos-infused Spicy Chicken Feet’
Ingredients
3kg chicken feet, cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Kashmiri paste
1 sachet of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of garum masala
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of wet masala curry powder
4 cups rooibos tea
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh coriander, chopped (for garnish)
Method
Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and peppers and stir until soft. Add all the spices and pastes and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring to combine. Add the chicken feet and stir. Once the chicken feet have browned, add the rooibos tea, reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly and the chicken feet are cooked. Taste and season accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with uJeqe (steamed bread) or isigwaqhane (maize meal and red beans).
