COOKED SISTERS Jessica and Nicole joined Martin and Eddie, Larcé and Jabu and Azraa and Waven into the Challenge Round of My Kitchen Rules SA this week, pipping Mark and Mbali to secure the final spot.
With the leaders from Group 1 having been decided, a second group of five pairs will be out to impress judges David Higgs and J’Something from this Sunday 9 October on My Kitchen Rules SA (6pm on M-Net Channel 101). They’ll be doing their best to bid for the R1 million prize as they look to deliver, dazzle and delight in the MKRSA kitchen. Let’s get to know them a bit better.
- Abraham (34) & Michelle (35), Johannesburg & Pretoria: Abraham didn’t hesitate for a second when his food bestie Michelle texted him and invited him to enter MKRSA. He’s always loved cooking and did Home Economics at school, helping his mom in the home kitchen and watching his dad closely as he worked his magic in front of the braai. He prides himself on making delicious sauces, great salads and a mean picanha steak on the braai. His cooking style? “Fresh, simple, hearty, real and honest”.
Michelle thinks it’s fair to say that she probably spends more time thinking, dreaming and focusing on food than she does on anything else because she loves to bring joy by cooking for others. She loves building big bold platters of food – and keeping them coming. A self-taught cook, she would love to have her own cooking show, having studied drama and never pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.
- Kirsten (28) & Detlev (62), Edenvale: Mechanical engineer Detlev and daughter, HR and admin professional Kirsten, lived together until she recently got engaged – but also work together and love cooking together. Detlev entered MKRSA because he and Kirsten watch a lot of cooking programmes and had often spoken about entering a cooking competition – so when Kirsten asked, he went for it. A self-taught cook, he loves cooking for friends and family on the braai – his spare ribs and picanha are huge hits.
Kirsten feels that food and cooking are great ways to develop the skills and knowledge required to navigate daily life and all its challenges – particularly for young people. She’d love to write a sequel to her grandmother’s autobiography, Sauerkraut and Turkish Delight that is filled with family recipes, old and new. Her signature dishes are mostly nutritious, tasty meals like her famous bean brownies and homemade ice cream.
- Shaeem (38) & Masud (40), Johannesburg: Masud is passionate about life, family, food and the desire to always improve himself by making himself better than he was the day before. Friends with MKRSA partner Shaeem for the better part of 32 years, he entered the competition to prove to himself and those he identifies with culturally, religiously and geographically that it is possible to achieve whatever you believe in if you adopt a positive outlook. His signature dishes are butter chicken and roti, and chicken and mushroom pie. He’d love to own his own restaurant and feed the world food from the heart, packed with love, passion and flavour.
With signature dishes of steak, escargots and a killer crispy chicken burger, educator Shaeem dreams of owning a restaurant and have a sauce of his own design on the shelves of stores, across the country. He says his biggest strengths in the kitchen are his ability to learn – and stay calm.
- Timothy (36) & Shereez (38), Gqberha: Social media service consultant Tim dreams of opening a little bistro where people can connect and feel at home. He learned to cook from his wife, Shereez, and from watching cooking shows on TV and entered MKRSA after his wife had persuaded him. His go-to dish is a saucy mince pasta and he loves Mexican and Indian food but has an adventurous palate.
Though she shares her husband Tim’s food dream of running a small bistro, Shereez would also love to find a way to show people at home that whatever they have in their cupboards can be used to make a wholesome hearty meal that can feed a big family, or the same ingredients can be refined to showcase a beautiful fine dining experience. She loves Indian and Italian food while her favourite South African dish is Cape Malay flaky roti, sugar beans curry and yellow potato. Shereez entered MKRSA to be exposed to different types of foods and flavours and to help her grow her technical ability in the kitchen.
- Tšepang (32) & Refilwe (20), Alberton: Refilwe learned how to cook from her mother, grandmother and sisters – one of whom she’ll be sharing the drama of the MKRSA kitchen with. Currently a student, Refilwe says her signature dishes are nachos, engagement chicken and Crêpes Suzette – though she loves nothing more than tucking into steak and chips or a boerewors roll with caramelised onions.
A comment on her Instagram feed about entering piqued Tšepang’s interest in entering MKRSA. She’s worked in the food and wine industry for 10 years and was curious about the prospect of leaving her comfort zone and sharing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cook with her “baby sister”. She’s been cooking since she was 9, under the watchful eyes of her parents and dreams of turning her grandmothers’ recipes into a cookbook.
My Kitchen Rules SA is produced by Picture Tree and proudly sponsored by Nederburg. The series is available on DStv Premium on M-Net (Channel 101) every Sunday at 6pm, as well as live streamed on the DStv App, and is also available on DStv Catch Up after broadcast. Visit the M-Net Website for exclusive show content and join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, using #MKRSA.
