'Homegrown Tastes South Africa' take two

Celebrity chef  Lorna Maseko who wowed us with her culinary skills in the first TV series of Homegrown Tastes South Africa is back — this time taking us off the beaten track as she traverses the country visiting the areas where local ingredients are produced.

We can't have the food without the people and Maseko has woven in celebrity guides including personalities such as Luthando Shosha, Gert-Johan Coetzee,  Anton Jeftha, Blue Mbombo,  Sandile Mahlangu to deliver a double helping of good entertainment.  And of course we see them in the kitchen creating some culinary magic, highlighting dishes inspired by local cuisine.

I was delighted to catch a snippet of the new show. This time round Maseko looks way more comfortable; her enjoyment as she discovers new things and meets new people is palpable. The show has a more spontaneous feel about it and her forays into the kitchen produce some excellent and innovative results.

I enjoyed her journey to the West Coast in search of 'bokkems', the pungent small whole salted and dried fish, the back story of this valuable protein source and how by putting an Asian spin on her 'bokkems' dish Maseko was able to create some culinary magic.

And there's more, lots of it. It's a local culinary adventure enhancing the value of truly South African ingredients and in this series you get to meet the producers, the celebs and enjoy some armchair travel of our beautiful country too. Viewers can look forward to dishes like pan-seared abalone with Cape Malay curry butter and exciting cocktails like the ones made with the potent South African drink mampoer.

Homegrown Tastes SA, will be screened on BBC Lifestyle, DStv channel 174, from Wednesday March 8 at 8pm.

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