Heart of the home

WE CAUGHT UP WITH THREE COUPLES FROM DIFFERENT PROVINCES TO FIND OUT ABOUT THEIR TREASURED UNWINDING SPOT AFTER A BUSY DAY AT WORK – AND ALL THREE HAD A PENCHANT FOR HANGING OUT IN THEIR KITCHENS

Bringing In The Sunshine

Sharing the cover for this issue is the CEO of Hirsch’s, Richard, with his lovely wife Simone. We loved their sunny, bright and totally seamless kitchen in their home in uMhlanga, KZN.

We enjoyed watching them effortlessly whip up the most tantalising lunch for our bi-monthly Kitchen Capers Zoom event, with recipes taken from their cook book His and Hirsch’s which they collaborated on when they got married eight years ago.

“Simone and I have always had a profound love of food: preparing it, cooking it, but most of all, eating it. The book was a celebration of the food we love,” says Richard.

Is there another cook book on the horizon for them? “Simone and I absolutely loved working on our first cook book together,

however, that was before we had our children and had a little more time. Maybe in a few years’ time there could be another cook book,” says Richard.

We chatted to Richard and Simone about one of their favourite places in the home – their kitchen. “Our kitchen has really become the heart of our home. It is where homework is done, where we eat breakfast and dinner together. When

we designed the kitchen we had the hob facing the breakfast nook in the kitchen so that while cooking, we could still talk and interact with each other,” says Simone.

Favourite feature? “We love that our kitchen is white with very clean lines. It also has great storage with a seamless look.”

Their choice of appliances? “We really didn’t want an extractor fan hanging down from the ceiling so decided to go with a downdraft extractor fan which fits in neatly behind the hob and pulls all the steam and smoke down which is then ducted out of the house through the floor.

“We also chose to go with a fully integrated fridge so it has matching cupboard doors on the front, giving the kitchen a nice clean look. People are often amazed when they open a cupboard and find a fridge inside.”

Favourite small appliances and kitchen gadgets? “For convenience and quick and easy meals, we love our Airfryer, Nutribullet and food processor. Our most loved kitchen gadgets include Jamie Oliver and Tefal cookware, Pyrex glassware, Progressive magnet measuring scoops, Oxo egg lifter – they’re all simple, but wonderfully efficient items!”

Successful Entrepreneur, Influencer And Chef

We popped around to visit Allegro Dinkwanyane and her little pride and joy, her son Elohim, in Allegro’s lovely, super functional home in Gauteng. We wanted to get an idea of how a single mum and successful businesswoman has coped over the past year, and also find out more about her favourite spaces, favourite foods, favourite gadgets.

“I lead a very busy lifestyle by choice and am naturally a multitasker, so I didn’t encounter any huge changes during lockdown. However, I had to adjust my worklife routine – which has been both challenging and exciting at the same time. Working from home has allowed me to spend even more time with my son and I’m incredibly grateful for that,” says Allegro smiling at Elohim.

How would you describe your decor style? “My decor style literally changes

with every season. I like to add a pop of colour in spring/summer, then tone things down in winter, but my overall style is glam farmhouse. I love neutral tones with a touch of black and silver.”

Favourite features in your home? “Definitely my artwork and some souvenir pieces that I have collected from my travels around the world.”

Favourite meals? “My favourite meals to make include seafood pasta and chicken curry. I’m a huge seafood and chicken fan. I also love baking and my son is always with me in the kitchen trying to help me and get a taste of what I’m making. My go-to muffins are vanilla

“I lead a very busy lifestyle by choice and am naturally a multitasker, so I didn’t encounter any huge changes during lockdown”

flavoured, which are quick and easy to make and delicious.”

Favourite appliance and kitchen gadgets? “I love my electric onion chopper because no one really enjoys chopping onions manually and it’s precise and quick. I’m all about making delicious recipes in half the time. Although I enjoy cooking, I don’t like spending hours in the kitchen if there’s a faster alternative. My other favourite gadget is my Nutribullet – it helps me make my yummy morning smoothies.”

Exciting things lined up for the future? “I’m currently working on a few books simultaneously and hope to launch them in the near future. My company, Orgella Group, is going through some exciting changes and growth post-lockdown. Being an entrepreneur is challenging but in my work it’s always exciting and worth all the hard work.”

Unwinding In Their Happy Place

Saumya Gautum and her husband Siddharth – both doctors in the Cape – lead busy lives, and when they’re at home they like nothing better than to unwind in their beautiful home in the Western Cape, the focal point for them being the kitchen which they recently renovated.

“We designed our kitchen to be contemporary, sleek and beautiful. I wanted to create a space that was fresh, airy, bright and which incorporated the outdoor elements. We chose a colour combination of Caraz green and Iceberg white, which are known to bring prosperity, peace, harmony and good luck. I wanted our kitchen to exude happiness and positivity,” explained Saumya when asked about the inspiration behind their kitchen.

“My kitchen is the epicentre of my home, a place to enjoy good food with family and friends. It helps turn meal preparation into a pleasurable activity amidst the busy hustle and bustle of life. It provides a complete experience,” adds Saumya.

Favourite appliance? “I am a fan of Smeg and Siemens appliances. Both brands are known for their reliability, excellent engineering and high quality. Their designs enhance the aesthetics and luxuriousness of my kitchen.”

Favourite go-to menu when you have guests? “I love to serve a variety of authentic Indian cuisines to my guests. Most of my recipes have been passed down through the generations on my mother’s side, so it’s a bit of a secret. However, I’m more than happy to share them. For starters there would be Paneer Cauliflower Roti Rolls, Vegan Baked Eggplant, and Vegan Thai Stir Fry. For the main course there would be Paneer Spinach Green Curry (Palak Paneer),

“My kitchen is the epicentre of my home, a place to enjoy good food with family and friends”

yellow lentils (Dal), Dry Chickpea Curry, Indian Basmati Organic Rice, and Multigrain Rotis. This would be followed by Vegan Chocolate Ice-cream and Mango Sorbet for dessert.”

Do you and Sid enjoy cooking together? “We love cooking together, as we both are passionate about food. It also allows us to spend time with each other and catch up after a busy day at work.” H