For the last decade, sisters Zainab and Faatimah Paruk, who are both qualified Chefs, have been making their indelible mark on Durban’s collective palate through their catering company, Chilli Chocolate Chefs (CCC). Every meal which has left the CCC premises has been prepared under their precise guidance. Now, they are passing on that knowledge to their followers through a luxurious 240-page book simply entitled ‘Bringing It Home’.
The Chilli Chocolate Chefs culinary signature reflects Zainab and Faatimah’s commitment to exceptional quality. In August 2022, their lovingly curated recipes were committed to print in their fourth recipe book which is intended to inspire as much as it is to delight. Each recipe is unique, presented with an earthy panache and a contemporary twist.
You would be on point in saying that Chilli Chocolate Chefs places equal emphasis on taste and appearance when it comes to food. Both matter in equal measure since eating is a multi-sensory experience starting with what we see on the plate. As chefs, they are committed to selecting only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure the resulting dish tastes as good as it looks!
Where others are trying to adapt their restaurant recipes for delivery and catering, Chilli Chocolate Chefs are not. Everything they chop, dice, mince, tenderise, boil, bake, sauté, simmer, prepare, cook, arrange and plate, is done using specially created, carefully studied and skilfully developed methods of preparation. Equally important are safe transportation and temperature control so that whether it is a salad, sandwich, soup, lasagne, dessert, vegetables or salmon, the food delivered is perfect! They have carried this ethos over into their recipe book, it was a natural imprint.
So, what has inspired these exceptionally talented sister chefs to publish their FOURTH recipe book?
“Our inspiration stemmed largely from really listening to our customers. They want a choice of simple, uncomplicated yet delicious food. After 10 years in the food business, we really wanted to create something that went right back to basics and spoke to our customers’ needs. We wanted to showcase the flavours we grew up with together with the different preparation techniques that we have accumulated between us over the years. For us ‘Bringing It Home’ encapsulates the simple joys of creating food that tastes as good as it looks – if not better – with even the most basic skills and in a short amount of time.”
What can you expect to find inside ‘Bringing It Home’?
Each of the easy-to-follow recipes in ‘Bringing it Home’ – which are suited to any occasion and any skill level from novice to expert – have been created using ingredients which are readily available so there won’t be any hard-to-find obscure ingredient searches. And, in keeping with the visual element of eating, each of the more than 85 recipes is accompanied by a photograph taking the guesswork out of plating.
These tried and tested recipes – which are also on the daily menu in their Musgrave Road kitchen – are inviting, infused with love and all that is required to share a meal which will become a cherished memory with family and friends. They are recipes which reflect this sisters’ love for food, travel, entertaining and, most certainly, eating delicious food. By capturing the recipes in a book, Zainab and Faatimah give their readers free reign to put together their own feasts. Sometimes that feast may be an intimate one for two people and at other times it can be a raucous family gathering for ten. So, whether it is a ladies’ brunch, an intimate picnic, a big fat Indian dinner or anything in between, the recipes in ‘Bringing It Home’ are ones that you’re sure to return to again and again.
Where can you get a copy of ‘Bringing It Home’?
‘Bringing It Home’ – published by That Food Guy Publishing, a division of That Food Guy Group – will retail at R500. Books can be purchased from online via ccchefs.co.za or at the Chilli Chocolate Chefs store which is located at 5 Tinsley House 225 Musgrave Road Entrance on, St Thomas Rd, Musgrave, Durban.
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