The blackboard on the Prince Albert pavement says it all. “One cannot think well, love well and sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

Now Virginia Woolf, who penned those wise words, probably wouldn’t be my first choice of bon vivant dinner date, but they’re the perfect introduction to African Relish, a recreational cooking school in this quaint Karoo hamlet.

It’s a bright autumn day as I wander up to that sign, ready to learn a few kitchen tricks. In the distance, the towering Swartberg Mountains are showing hints of green after the first winter rains, and the leiwater is gurgling happily in the channel beneath my feet. There’s a happy buzz coming from the Saturday market as I wander past the herb garden and down into Vanie Padayachee’s gorgeous show kitchen.

A bear hug and a huge smile makes our small group feel right at home… there’s certainly no Gordon Ramsay kitchen grumpiness here.

African Relish – and, by extension, Executive Chef Vanie - comes in two halves. In one incarnation it’s one of the village’s best restaurants, offering up a menu that meanders from the Karoo to Asia and back again. Vanie’s Indian heritage makes an appearance in the reworked bunny chow, while her stints in the top kitchens of Franschhoek and the Garden Route come to the fore with some inspired Euro-Asian dishes.

But the restaurant, which is open from Wednesday to Saturday, is not why I’m here. I’m in town to hone my (somewhat questionable) cooking skills on the ‘Culinary Crusade’; one of a dozen or so themed cooking weekends offered throughout the year. Local chef Bokkie Botha, famed for his Karoo creations, is also on hand to walk our group through the likes of Kudu Terrine, orange curry soup and naartjie cake.

All that citrus, I hear you ask? Well, while the pace in the kitchen may be fast, the emphasis at African Relish is all about slow food and using the best local, seasonal, produce. Oranges and naartjies are in season so that’s what we cook with. It’s a gentle return to eating seasonally, something supermarkets have made us forget. Where possible, the kitchen garden outside the window provides fresh veggies and herbs, or they come from local organic farmers. You won’t find out-of-season mange tout flown in from Zambia here!

The three-day weekend starts on a Friday afternoon, with a languid lunch, decadent dinner and an evening ghost walk through the village. Saturday is spent almost entirely in the kitchen, with some more stove-time on the Sunday morning.

Through the course of the weekend our small group of (occasionally clumsy) cooks whips, stirs and chops our way through a handful of recipes, both traditional and innovative, while Vanie watches over us offering encouragement and sage advice. “Always use a metal spoon for folding in egg whites, and never tap the side of the bowl. Nothing goes to waste in my kitchen, let’s see what we can do with that extra batter. It’s easy to make a perfectly poached egg…. the secret is in the vinegar. Let me show you how it’s done.”

And that is one of the real joys of a weekend spent cooking up a storm in Vanie’s kitchen. While cooking your way through new recipes is always fun, it’s learning a few tricks of the trade that I especially enjoyed. Well, that and the fact you don’t have to do any of the washing up.

The themed weekends tend to popular, and although there is ample space in the spacious kitchen the day’s cooking can be rushed as 12 or 14 budding chefs scamper to cook their way through half a dozen recipes. They’re great fun for a group of friends, but if you want to up your game in the kitchen a small-group session with Vanie is the way to go. For once in your life, you’re allowed – encouraged! - to play with your food. Enjoy.

Visit www.africanrelish.co.za or call 023 541 1381 to find out more. Themed weekends are offered throughout the year, or small group – and even individual – cooking lessons are easily arranged upon request.  Prince Albert is about four hours’ drive from Cape Town, off the N1.

Prince Albert - Need to know
Sleep: at one of African Relish’s four delightful cottages scattered throughout the village, or at the historic Dennehof Guesthouse. This secluded B&B offers a range of rooms, but the über-romantic Wagon Shed is the pick of the bunch. www.dennehof.co.za
Shop: for great local produce at the Saturday Morning Market held next to the museum. Artisanal breads, Karoo plants, fresh veggies, preserves and home bakes are all on offer.
Gay’s Dairy: is not to be missed. She produces a wide range of unpasteurised cheeses and yoghurts from her herd of free-range oh-so-happy Guernsey cows. The thick cream, if you can get it, is to die for.
Stock up: on fresh Karoo lamb at the Karoo Slaghuis on Church Street. This old-school butchery takes their meat seriously, and you’ll find some of the best lamb in the Karoo for half what you’d pay in the city. Don’t forget the cooler box and ice bricks.
Take a drive: to the top of the Swartberg Pass, or down the other side to Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves. Pack a picnic and enjoy the incredible views from ‘Die Top’. Before you go, read up on the history of the pass at the town’s quaint museum.

First published in Abouttime magazine, July 2010

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