Yum-mo (or what I'm all about these days)

My great big exciting news is that I've launched a cookbook this year (2014). It's called Yum-mo: Fun Fresh Food for students and beginners. It was hauled off a ship in the docks of Cape Town harbour at the start of May.

And now it is in major bookstores (real life bookstores) for people to pay R200 for. And cook from. They pick up my book (which is adorned with the face of Martha, a friend of mine) and then they read those words I wrote back in 2012 during my final, buzzing, dancing year at Rhodes. And my sister goes into bookstores and rearranges the displays so mine is on top. It's marvellous.

And they make decisions about what to cook. They buy things I recommend. It all blows my mind.

And that, dear folks, is the reason why I am never on black pepper plum anymore. I thought of exploding this blog - but no. It's a sweet, virtual monument to three years worth of rambling, cooking, tasting. It stays.

But if you want to see my student/ beginner/ everyone cookbook (and it really is for everyone - the recipes are often classics with twists. They're food you can eat every day) then move along to my website at yum-mo.co.za (where you can order it) or like the Facebook page.

Some pictures:

That's me and the main commissioning editor, Daleen, on the day I first saw the book. I was so delighted I danced in the elevators on my way up to the twelfth floor of Media 24. 

This is an example of some of the beautiful photography in the book. Photographers Andrew Brukman, Chris de Beer and Sara Garrun did a beauty job. I styled (or learnt to) and it was quite a journey. 

Here's a photo of stage two of the launch, when there was a lucky draw to win books. The students of TUKS University's Honours Marketing Management class made it all happen quite magnificently.

That's me, signing a book. I've never felt so swish in all my life.

And that is le front cover. Beautiful.