Trouvrou Mzansi is more than a collection of recipes. It is an invitation, beckoning us back to that place where fellowship and good food meet. It is a celebration of the spicy, flavourful, and unique mix of ingredients that make up this beautiful place we call Mzansi.

Whenever we gather around a table where there is always space for one more, we enrich one another. Food served with generosity of spirit entices us to linger and to listen. To the whole story. Unhurried, over flickering candles into the early hours of the morning.

Whether it be a table laden with a culinary feast or a gathering around an open fire, food invites us in. Simple meals prepared with love remind us that it is the blessing of togetherness that truly matters. Here, we rekindle hope when we allow ourselves to be real with one another.

Sometimes, our South African hearts long for melkkos on melancholy Sunday evenings, peppermint crisp tart at a birthday celebration, or roosterkoek baked over hot coals at a braai. For those who no longer find themselves in Mzansi, this book will no doubt stir up a sense of nostalgia, bringing back beautiful food memories. And for those still living under African skies, I hope this collection will awaken the desire to explore new culinary adventures.

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika: May God bless Africa and all those who embody love through their cooking.