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KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP

SISTER CHEF DUO ARE BRINGING IT HOME

For the last decade, sisters Zainab and Faatimah Paruk, both qualified chefs, have been making their indelible mark on Durban’s collective palate through their catering company, Chilli Chocolate Chefs. Now they are passing on that knowledge to their followers through a luxurious 240-page book entitled Bringing It Home.

“Our inspiration for this cookbook stemmed largely from listening to our customers. They want simple, uncomplicated yet delicious food. We wanted to showcase the flavours we grew up with, together with different preparation techniques. The book encapsulates the simple joys of creating food that tastes as good as it looks – if not better,” say the sisters.

Each of the easy-to-follow recipes have been created using ingredients which are readily available so there won’t be any searches for obscure, hard-to-find ingredients. And, in keeping with the visual element of eating, each of the more than 85 recipes is accompanied by a photograph to take the guesswork out of plating.

Whether it is a ladies’ brunch, an intimate picnic, a big fat Indian dinner or anything in between, the recipes in Bringing It Home are ones that you’re sure to return to again and again.

FOR MORE INFO: Bringing It Home costs R500; visit www.ccchefs.co.za to order

UNIQUE DESIGNS, ELEGANT PATTERNS, COMFORTABLE FIT

Nonzwakazi Pretty Zongolo, who has worked full time at Beehive Montesorri in Kloof since 2007, lives in Clermont with her husband, 14-year-old daughter, 19-year-old son, and 22-year-old brother.

“In 2009, my boss, Margaret Courteny, gifted me with a sewing machine. I joined a course in Pinetown, and rushed to the lesson every day after work for three months,” says Pretty.

Pretty then made herself a beautiful uniform, which led to Margaret suggesting she make one for all the ladies working at Beehive. Margaret then shared it on the Beehive moms’ WhatsApp group, and Pretty started getting a few orders. “It’s been 10 years, and it was slow at first. But now I have a business,” smiles Pretty.

In the beginning, Pretty used any fabric she could get her hands on, but when clients said they’d be happy to pay more for better quality fabric, she started using shweshwe. “My son does the cutting – I have patterns for the sizes. And my daughter helps with overlocking. I get the fabric in Durban,” says Pretty, who now delivers nationwide via a courier.

The domestic helper uniforms come in five colours, and Pretty says they will last at least three years. She also makes gardeners’ uniforms. Working evenings and holidays, she loves to be busy and wants to add kids’ skirts and shorts to her range – in matching material for siblings.

Go on, place an order and bless your staff this Christmas!

FOR MORE INFO: 078 301 0578; W Uniforms by Pretty

COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR AFRICA - THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

“The biggest response from those who get their hands on Collective Nouns for Africa is the delight at the enormity of information jam-packed into this book,” says author Meggan Schaefer – adding that their second response is surprise at how reasonable it is. “And their third response is to determine how many more copies they should immediately get as gifts for a child, a visitor from abroad, a grandparent, a bush-loving friend, or for overseas family.”

This light-in-weight, fun-fi lled, fabulous handbag A5 size, 212-page, all-in-one wildlife book includes birds, mammals, and other Southern African species. It’s the perfect wildlife identifi cation tool, and the only one you need for your next safari, or simply to identify the birds in your garden. “Also including collective nouns, diminutives, and genders, it contains everything from spoor identifi cation, what to pack for your safari, slang, interesting facts, and so much more,” says Meggan. “Species names have also been translated into Southern African languages.”

The creativity, effort, love, and detail that the author and self-publisher has put into compiling this fun-fi lled book are wonderful. It’s printed in South Africa on eco-friendly paper, and is a must-buy for anyone who loves the quirkiness of collective nouns and the bush. It’s a book for all ages and occasions, making it an ideal and unique Christmas gift.

FOR MORE INFO: www.collectivenouns.africa; 083 663 3774; meggan@collectivenouns.africa

KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP

MEET HILLCREST HOSPITAL’S NEW MANAGER

Busamed Hillcrest Private Hospital recently welcomed its new hospital manager, Rafeek Nakooda, to their team. He brings with him 17 years’ experience within the healthcare industry.

“It is a proud moment to join Busamed Hillcrest, which boasts a rich history in the healthcare industry and the Upper Highway area. It is a beautiful hospital with incredible doctors and staff,” says Rafeek.

Busamed Hillcrest is a multidisciplinary specialist hospital facility that has serviced the Upper Highway community for 12 years. In addition to its services, the hospital includes the Busamed Oncology and the Renal Unit.

“Our aim is to continue focusing on ensuring our patients’, and specialist and referring doctors’, experience is of high standards. This includes additional support to our teams after experiencing a challenging three years. We will endeavour to keep improving our services and reinforce our commitment to the community,” says Rafeek.

THE MRS GLOBE SA EXPERIENCE BY KIM GRIFFITH JONES

“The Grand Finale on November 12 brought to close a once-in-a-lifetime and remarkable journey of growth for me, at 43 years old, as a Mrs Globe South Africa 2022 finalist,” says Kim. “With a happy heart, I am especially proud, as the winner is ex-Durbanite Zanele Sibiya, and first runner-up Durban’s Rianne Rautenbach – who will be representing SA in Hong Kong in April next year, along with representatives from 83 other countries from around the world.”

Kim says the journey over past four months has been surreal. “I have done a lot of internal work to challenge and better myself over the course of my life, and stood on many stages to present in my professional capacity as MC and speaker. But never like this. Talk about stepping out of comfort zones with a giant leap!” she laughs. Never having participated in a pageant, she was drawn to the purpose behind Mrs Globe SA – the first one in South Africa, but a pageant that has a 25-year-old history and is one of the most recognised and celebrated international pageants in the world.

Mrs Globe SA uplifts and celebrates women from all cultures and all walks of life. “To stand on a national platform with incredible women of substance from all over the country, who advocate for the rights of women and children and all the good the B Loved Foundation does across South Africa, was an absolute privilege,” says Kim. “I have had the most incredible opportunity to meet some phenomenal people, share stories of faith, victory and strength, and raise awareness and support for the B Loved Foundation,” she says.

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LOCAL AUTHOR’S DREAMS TURN INTO PAGETURNING BOOKS

An air traffi c controller at Virginia Airport, Gillitts’s Kyle Pillay is also a self-published author.

His fi rst novel, Black Plane, is about an astrophysicist who builds a radio that can send omnidirectional signals to outer space in the hopes of fi nding extra-terrestrial life. “The journey of him building this radio leads him to a village far removed from the city. The radio, its discoveries and the people he meets completely change his life and outlook of reality,” says Kyle – adding that this book was written at the start of his own spiritual journey and deals predominantly with the painful truths we all shy away from; truths that are part of our intrinsic human nature.

The Riders of Chase Town, Kyle’s second novel, revolves around the lives of three skateboarders who wake up one day and fi nd that everyone else on the planet has disappeared. The story follows their search for others, and for an answer as to why they were left behind. “I have been a skateboarder since 2008 and am very much part of the culture,” explains Kyle. “This book serves as a medium to tell a story with deeper signifi cance, and deals with the impact mankind has on the planet.”

Both novels draw inspiration from dreams Kyle has had. “These dreams were so vivid and detailed that little thought was needed to complete the stories. I also decided to include concepts and ideas I am passionate about, like sustainability, compassion for the planet and the value of one another,” he says.

Kyle has also been working toward and saving for a piece of land to start an urban farm. “I am undertaking an agricultural and plant science degree to deepen my own understanding before using it to teach and serve others – and to be more useful in helping to conserve our beautiful planet.”

FOR MORE INFO: Kyle’s books are available at Ikes Books on Florida Road, or directly from him via W and @kylejpillay

THE SLEEP HOUSE Things are starting to get a little wild around here this festive season. Our nightshirt is about as luxurious as it gets. It’s so comfortable and versatile – so whether you are looking to treat yourself or someone else, this is the perfect purchase. Want a little around-the-house coverage? Slip into our night-shirt – casual, baggy with loads of chic. Featuring long sleeves, one pocket, a fold-over collar, buttondown, and a curved side hem for easy movement (so you can dance around your living room). It’s a classic signature must-have!

www.thesleephouse.co.za orders@thesleephouse.co.za @alsleepwear

Cafe Mayfair caters for all ages and tastes – with a kiddies menu for under 12s, a wide selection of cakes and pastries, and an array of vegetarian, vegan as well as banting options. The menu includes a full array of breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps, salads as well as cafe-style main courses. Open 6.30am – 4pm Monday to Friday, and 6.30am – 3pm Saturday and Sunday.