1. My first food memory is…choking on eating too many fresh garden peas at once in my grandfather's garden. I was 4.
2. My top tips for home cooks are…be inspired but follow your own taste. If you're not certain just add cream or butter.
3. The one utensil / appliance in my kitchen that I couldn’t do without is…my blending stick/ plane-grater
4. The most bizarre thing I’ve ever eaten is…rooster combs and testicles. Luckily the toast was warm and the whole thing was delicious!
5. In my fridge & kitchen cupboards you’ll always find…pickles, cheese, fresh bay leaves, cloves, wholegrain mustard, wine.
6. My favourite recipe from JAN - A Breath of French Air is…the chocolate and cassis tart. This brings together my weakest points.
About Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
South African-born Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen was raised on a rural farm in the north of the country. After completing an Advanced Diploma in Culinary Arts in Stellenbosch he furthered his studies with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Design and Photography. He worked as a contributing food editor for ELLE magazine in South Africa and Paris before relocating to Nice to open his own restaurant called JAN. Since its humble beginnings in 2013, JAN has garnered a reputation as one of the top restaurants in the south of France. This is Jan Hendrik’s second book, which continues the journey first started in The French Affair, also published by Struik Lifestyle.
Books
JAN – A Breath of French Air is a memoir and celebration of the renowned eatery JAN, a South African restaurant in the south of France. The restaurant is a showcase of South Africa’s tradition of hospitality, transported from a farm in rural South Africa to the glamorous French Riviera. JAN, now a one-star Michelin restaurant, is proof that dreams can be lived and how a love for what you do can transform humble ingredients into a masterpiece. Each chapter captures the mood and inspiration of what is served at JAN, and the collection of over 90 recipes covers everything from locally baked breads, amuse bouche and mouthwatering main course meat and fish dishes to what the chefs eat after a long night’s service in a hot kitchen.
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Ook beskikbaar in Afrikaans as JAN – My Franse Kosverhaal
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The French Affair is a collection of recipes collected by author, chef and photographer Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen on his life journey that took him from a farm in South Africa to the French Riviera and Paris. The book is a feast for the eyes and nourishment for the soul, reflecting Jan Hendrik’s love affair with France and its culture of good food, fresh produce from local markets and the meals he has been inspired by on his travels through these epicurean surroundings.
WINNER OF THE 2013 GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARD IN THE BEST FRENCH CUISINE COOKBOOK IN SOUTH AFRICA CATEGORY
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Photographs: © Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd -