SOUND BITES
A sucker for For chef James Khoza, being able to transform ingredients successfully into something that will bring pleasure to a guest is pure magic.
H
ow has the food and beverage industry changed over the past five years? There is a lot more focus
on using the freshest possible ingredients and knowing where they originate – chefs have become far more aware of resource sustainability. Cooking methods have become more of a focus too – it’s no good having the best ingredients at your disposal and ruining them by choosing an inappropriate cooking method. Chefs are getting a lot more exposure now and customers are better informed as a result of the proliferation of cooking shows. This has had a two-prong effect: it has improved F&B development, but has an adverse effect on the chef. There is absolutely no room for error and attention to detail is vital. Some chefs cannot handle the pressure these industry changes have resulted in and either change careers or become emotional wrecks, sadly.
What are some of the current trends in the food and beverage industry? Simple, artistic food that is big on taste but respects the natural flavours of the ingredients. Molecular gastronomy and sous vide are no longer trending; now, we are going back to the classics, incorporating elements of all styles to put a modern spin on food.
stereotypical food moulds. We smoke, we do ‘Alinea’, and we create new-world cuisine that will excite your palate.
What would you identify as the primary mistake people make when catering for conferences? Chefs tend to think that the food expectation of a conference delegate is unimportant; so they tend to cook without love or creativity, forgetting that most delegates have a discerning palate and a good knowledge of what constitutes a good dish. Sadly, poor-quality food has become the norm at a conference.
How can one present ‘plain’ food in an appealing manner? Fresh, colourful vegetables that are cooked in a way that highlights their natural flavour and that are presented in an appealing manner can be as enticing as a more complex dish. If you lack product knowledge and have no respect for the ingredients, your dish will fall short of expectation.
What is your favourite dish to make? Pasta tossed with fresh, seasonal vegetables and leftover braised meat.
What is your number one catering tip? Cook simple food with lots of flavour and present it in an appealing way that reflects the respect you have for the paying customer.
What is your favourite kitchen equipment or gadget? The good, old coffee grinder. It’s not just for grinding coffee, it can be used to transform dehydrated vegetables, fruits or any other ingredient, which, when ground, can then be added to salts or used as flavouring agents. A real cost-saver.
What is your favourite time in the kitchen? Around 10:00, when the stocks are
What can delegates expect to eat when attending an event at Sandton Convention Centre? Fresh and tasty food
simmering away; it’s a smell that really makes you appreciate being a chef. The ability to be a chemist, artist and soldier, all in one, is the ultimate nirvana for us chefs.
produced with a passion that rivals five-star restaurant food. We do not mass produce bland food, and we are not afraid to break the
What dish are you asked to make most often? Lamb shank – everybody loves a fall-off-
28 • MEETINGS l MARCH/APRIL 2016
ABOUT CHEF JAMES Executive chef of Sandton Convention Centre James Khoza’s exhilarating journey with food started almost 20 years ago. His steadfast commitment to improving the quality, variety, research and presentation of food has seen his passion develop within this realm and provide a platform from which he explores the characteristics of ingredients through experience, experimentation and recipes. James says that travelling the world opened him up to a new way of thinking. “Essentially, I embraced a more creative approach to thinking about the nature of food – what you can do to a simple product to turn it into a masterpiece.” His passion for food is what has driven him to always strive for perfection. It is this passion that has Khoza creating culinary experiences to share with the world.
the-bone lamb shank, regardless of what season it may be. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
What is your favourite food? I love all food. Each ingredient is different and unique in the way it needs to be handled and prepared. Creating an exceptional dish requires an intimate knowledge of its ingredients. Did you eat your veggies as a child? I am an African man; I didn’t do vegetables. It was all about the meat for me. But, that doesn’t mean we weren’t served spinach, braised cabbage and butternut at almost every meal.
What is your favourite food memory? That would have to be the 2015 Bidvest gala dinner. My boss suggested we try smoking the salmon gravadlax in petite glass bell jars for 1 200 people. Being a sucker for innovation, I agreed. This crazy risk paid off and executing the dish was the culinary equivalent of summiting Everest.