By Lindsey Kin
I was recently invited on a
Valentine’s lunch date with actress and National Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Hlubi Mboya, and celebrity chef and author of
Curry Me Home, Yudhika Sujanani, at the Bakos Brothers Showroom in Rosebank. The day was all about learning how to ‘heat it up in the kitchen for Valentine’s Day’ with a three-course meal all in heels I might add, allowing you to spend the over commercialised day in doors – close to the bedroom and to avoid the hustle and bustle of this day.
First on the menu, making for a super sexy and impressive starter, was the calamari. Sujanani says, “When stir-frying the calamari, it’s important to always wear a shower cap – this protects your hair from the oil and ensures that when your guests arrive, you’ll still look fabulous, with good hair.” To say the calamari was delicious, is an understatement – this was my favourite dish of the day. Moving onto the main course, Sujanani’s express 10-minute prawn curry will have you looking like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen. The prawn curry is as tasty as it looks, and ladies, if your man loves his prawns, then this dish is a simple, quick and easy way to satisfy his taste buds. “When you cook a meal, you create an aroma and then enjoy the meal,” says Sujanani. At this point, I wish I had a
4D camera, just so that I could explain the aromas of this dish. “Prawns are my absolute favourite,” says Mboya. She adds: “Having a savoury tooth, this dish is definitely my favourite of the day.”
Moving onto dessert, I can officially say that Sujanani’s crème brulee is the best I have tasted. With the custard as light as a feather with a perfect ‘jiggle’ and touch of vanilla, and the sugar crust perfectly caramelised to a light crisp, I was in heaven. Angela Day, Food Editor for
The Star, concurred: “This is one of the best crème brulee’s I’ve had.” Another impressive dish on the dessert menu included a decadent chocolate cake. Sujanani dressed her chocolate cake with some melted chocolate, cream and fruit including fresh strawberries and figs.
Once all the hard work in the kitchen was complete, we were ready to try out the dishes Mboya and Sujanani had prepared, with Mboya not only proving to be an excellent student, but a good cook, too. Pink champagne, gorgeous food and great company made for a memorable lunch date. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and although for Valentines Day this year I won’t be cooking for anyone, the recipes I learnt will definitely be used at my next dinner party.