Book Review – My Cape Malay Kitchen

I went on a great storytelling and culinary journey of warm spicy aromas and beautiful tales of Cape Malay heritage. Cariema Isaacs’ beloved father inspired her cookbook which is filled with family, culture, and delicious dishes.

As a girl brought up in a curry loving family, I couldn’t wait to get cooking and try the recipes from My Cape Malay Kitchen. The easy to read instructions and lovely stories and photographs of Cariema’s family created a personal experience.

I felt as if Cariema were in my kitchen every step of the way ensuring I got it right! I tried my hand at the aromatic sweet and tangy Denningvleis which had my family scrapping the pot for the last scoop with a side of pumpkin fritters. The magical ingredient to this cookbook is the undeniable sprinkle of love on each page.

Her father taught her that the only way to eat was with someone, never alone. With his wise words echoing in my head, my own family sat down to eat a delicious meal influenced by Java, Indonesia and India.

I am looking forward to trying all the recipes in this colourful cookbook to add to my own family recipe repertoire. I’m sure Cariema won’t mind!

Tammany Barton
5/5