It feels genuinely unreal to be achieving this dream that Leandri and I have had since we were little girls. At the same time, I am so aware that I am who I am today because of the grace of God and the strong women that were placed around me to teach me and guide me. To my mom Gerda, my second mom Lynette and to my sisters Nadine and Nelia – thank you for putting so much love and passion into my life. This book is filled with memories of you and ideas inspired by you.
To Leandri, for being my co-author and food bestie – this wouldn’t be possible without you! Thank you for inspiring and teaching me every day. You’re my true MasterChef. To the love of my life, Jay, thank you for being my constant companion through all the crazy journeys I take. May we chase our dreams and get old together, sitting on our porch drinking red wine and spoiling ourselves with treats from this book! To my dad, for being such a great supporter and for helping me achieve my dreams. You have sacrificed so much for me and I’ll always be grateful for that
I have been inspired by so many South African culinary geniuses throughout the years, including Chris Erasmus, Richard Carstens and David Higgs – thank you for making the South African chef industry what it is today and for constantly pushing the boundaries. ‘One day when I’m big …’ Arnold Tanzer, thank you for unlocking a passion and drive in me to strive for perfection.
And lastly, to the most stunning book team ever – thank you to Linda, Bev, Bronwen, Jean, Brita and Sean for putting our dream, vision and passion onto the pages of this book. It felt like you lot understood our words, read our minds, and put exactly what we wanted into motion. You’re the A-Team!
x Seline
First of all, my heart pours out thanks to Seline, who patiently wrote this book with me and pushed me to pursue my dreams, even when I lost sight of the vision. Sharing this process with you beside me has been a joy and something I will treasure for all my days. My darling treasure Nelia, you are the apple of my eye. Dream widely and bravely – the world waits for you. My dad has been my biggest supporter and has sacrificed so much along the way to provide me with the most amazing opportunities. Thank you Dad, I love you endlessly. To Nadine and Jaco, thank you for being pillars of support and for pouring out unconditional love on me. I love your little family! I’d like to thank the Jonkers and Wissinks for adding joy to my life and for being willing tasters of all our concoctions! I’d also like to thank my discipleship group who encourage me to share what I have with others. You guys challenge me to be less selfish with my talents and blessings. Thank you for praying for me without ceasing. MasterChef changed the course of my life forever, and I’m grateful to the ‘family’ for the platform they provided me. Richard Carstens has inspired me by challenging how I view food, what goes onto a plate and why, and I am grateful for having worked under his generous instruction at Tokara restaurant. Patricia Forbes, the Kemps, Renske and Yolandi, thank you for encouraging me to pursue all of my dreams. Joshua, I’m delighted that you like eating Marmite on bread with me. Tessa Wagener, my foodie friend – let’s work through this entire book together? I’d also like to thank the team at Penguin Random House for the enthusiasm and professionalism with which you undertook this project. Lastly, thanks to you – the one holding this book – may it bring you a lot of joy, happy memories shared around the table and, most of all, a fresh curiosity in the kitchen.
Leandri x