00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - How is this chef keeping culture alive
00:06 and bringing new excitement to local cuisine?
00:09 - So every South African will know what seven colors is.
00:13 It's something we traditionally have almost every Sunday.
00:17 You have to have those seven colors on that plate.
00:20 A delicious, beautiful plate that's vibrant.
00:23 After we've made these lamb chops,
00:25 we're gonna make a nice basting sauce with pineapple.
00:28 Then we're gonna serve it with a pineapple salsa.
00:30 So think about those colors, you know, the yellows.
00:33 I'm gonna add some peppers in there.
00:35 So it's gonna be nice and colorful.
00:37 The person that I feel I'm really talking to
00:40 is obviously the person living in the city
00:42 that doesn't have a whole lot of time to make these foods,
00:46 wants to learn how to make them simpler, easier,
00:50 therefore making them more accessible
00:51 'cause who has an entire day to cook?
00:55 - Award-winning cookbook author and trained chef,
00:58 Mokhao Sishweni, started a business in 2014
01:03 after she left her corporate job
01:05 to focus on a passion for food.
01:07 Now she is simplifying and modernizing local cuisine,
01:11 bringing recipes to her large following on social media
01:15 through cooking classes and her cookbooks,
01:18 all under the name, The Lazy Makoti.
01:20 - Well, the story behind The Lazy Makoti
01:25 is a few years ago, what feels like a lifetime ago,
01:29 I was an auditor working in corporate
01:32 and a friend of mine asked that I teach her how to cook.
01:35 And she specifically wanted to learn
01:37 to make traditional food to impress her in-laws.
01:40 And I remember that she would say the whole time,
01:43 "I wanna impress them
01:44 'cause I don't wanna be called The Lazy Makoti."
01:47 I mean, I thought that was funny and witty
01:48 and just so South African,
01:49 like everybody's gonna get it once they hear the name.
01:52 And when I decided to go to culinary school
01:54 and turn it into a business, I kept the name.
01:57 My love for food really began in my mother's kitchen.
02:04 My mother is an incredible cook and even better baker.
02:08 So growing up, helping her out in the kitchen
02:11 really ignited a real love for cooking.
02:13 And then cooking with my grandma as well was really special.
02:16 She taught me to make a lot of things.
02:18 So yeah, I'm from a family that really loves food
02:21 and really loves cooking.
02:22 Throughout my career,
02:23 I knew that what I really wanted to do was to teach,
02:26 was to share all of these recipes
02:29 so that we are able to keep them for future generations.
02:31 I knew that I wanted to become a chef
02:34 but not be stuck in an industry kitchen.
02:36 That's not really where my passions were.
02:39 I really wanted to get a chance to share
02:41 what it is that I know
02:43 to make cooking simple and accessible.
02:46 My fondest memory of the cooking classes is,
02:49 you know, when someone comes in
02:50 and they really believe that they'll never be able to cook.
02:53 And then by the end of the class, you know,
02:55 they're the ones really confident
02:57 about their abilities in the kitchen.
02:59 That always brings a smile to my face.
03:01 For Mokhao, food is a celebration.
03:05 There's joy in preparing and sharing food
03:08 that you enjoyed growing up.
03:10 While not always your typical
03:12 traditional-looking African dishes,
03:15 Mokhao's cooking is full of vibrancy and local flavor.
03:19 Stylish yet simple to prepare.
03:22 Now, let's not forget that as a celebrity chef,
03:28 she is something of a food influencer
03:31 and a largely popular one at that.
03:33 I just came back from Sweden
03:39 where I won a Gommand World Cookbook Award
03:43 for my cookbook hosting with the Lazy Makkoti.
03:45 And tonight I'm getting ready to go to the LAX Awards.
03:49 It's a big night for culinary professionals
03:52 and I'm really excited.
03:53 I think that I'm lucky to be working
03:58 in this industry at this time
04:00 'cause now culinary professionals
04:04 aren't just stuck in the kitchen.
04:05 There's so much more to do
04:07 than to be in the industry kitchen.
04:09 So I'm lucky that I get to do some of these things
04:12 like glam up and look pretty,
04:14 but still be able to cook and do what it is that I love.
04:18 And the winner is...
04:20 Last year at the LAX Awards,
04:22 I got Cookbook of the Year
04:24 and it was really exciting,
04:25 especially to get such recognition here at home.
04:29 It's always such great validation to get celebrated at home.
04:33 I think what made the cookbook
04:36 and I guess the brand so special
04:37 is that so many South Africans can relate to it.
04:40 I think at the heart of the Lazy Makkoti
04:43 is a desire to celebrate South Africa
04:45 and South African cooking.
04:47 With modern ways of cooking and modern appliances,
04:50 you don't need a cast iron pot to make your favorite stews
04:54 or hours and hours to prepare a feast for family and friends.
04:58 The Lazy Makkoti is making cooking
05:01 less daunting for the masses.
05:03 (upbeat music)
05:06 (upbeat music)
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