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< PreviousA TASTE OF HOMEVOLUME 39 7 COVER Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen reflects on festive memories, the magic of cherries and clove, and a celebratory Christmas pie, sharing how his gorgeous new cookbook, JAN Voyage, inspires slowing down and savouring special occasions. “C hristmas has always carried with it a certain magic for me, a scent of nostalgia that transports me back to my childhood on the farm in Mpumalanga. For me, that magic is embodied in two ingredients: cherries and clove. Both are bold, assertive flavours that tell the story of festive seasons through their aroma and taste. The tartness of fresh cherries balances the warm, unmistakable spiciness of clove, and together they find their way into both sweet and savoury dishes. The smell alone brings me home. My ouma used cloves liberally – she even sprinkled clove powder in her closet to keep it smelling fresh. For me, clove will always be Christmas. Over the years, I’ve come to realise that food at Christmas is far more than nourishment; it’s a language, a compass for life, love, and discovery. The festive season, for me, is all about connection. When I’m travelling or working abroad, I often go long periods without seeing my family. So when I gather around a table with them, sharing a meal becomes profoundly meaningful. It’s in those moments of laughter, conversation, and quiet reflective silence that I find the true joy of the season. Whether it’s over a simple dinner or heated leftovers from the night before, slowing down, enjoying good food, and connecting with loved ones is the essence of Christmas. My work has taken me all over the world, from hidden villages in Italy to tiny restaurants in France, and I’ve been fortunate to experience magical meals that feel like Christmas, even when the calendar says otherwise. One that stands out came from a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant run by three generations of women: grandmother, mother, and daughter. Each day they prepared only a modest amount of food, but every dish was infused with extraordinary love and care. I still remember the slow-cooked rabbit with olives in a rich tomato sauce, paired with a delicate local white wine. The food was remarkable, but it was the people – their pride in what they created, their joy in sharing it – that made it unforgettable. That is something I’ve carried into my own cooking: the belief that food is a vessel for connection, and that simplicity, executed well, can be magical. Throughout my journeys, the people I’ve met have been as inspiring as the places I’ve visited. Locals who have lovingly passed down recipes for generations never hesitate to share what they’ve learned, and their pride in nourishing others is something VOLUME 39 8 For me, Christmas isn’t about the place – it’s about the people I share it with. I deeply admire. I’ve been struck by how the simplest techniques and the freshest local produce can capture the essence of a place. At the holidays, when we often feel pressure to host elaborate meals, I encourage a return to basics. Simplicity and quality ingredients are often all you need to create something beautiful. If I had to tell the story of Christmas 2025 through a single dish, it would be a pie. We’ve perfected it at Le Bistrot de JAN in Nice, and it’s become a recent fixation of mine. My ouma’s short crust pastry forms the ideal base for fillings like guinea fowl, venison, or even a classic country chicken. Served with a creamed truffle sauce, the height and shape of the pie turn it into a statement of generosity and communal eating. For me, that’s what Christmas is about: sharing, giving, and coming together around the table. The holidays are also a reminder that life moves quickly, and our obsession with instant gratification can rob us of the joy in the process. That’s why, in both cooking and life, I try to slow down. When preparing festive meals, I tell home cooks to savour each step: taste as you go, appreciate the ingredients, and enjoy the journey. The act of taking your time transforms the dish, making the final result richer, more rewarding, and ultimately more memorable. My life spans countries – France, Italy, and South Africa – and wherever I am, the festive season has a way of amplifying both presence and absence. In Nice, I miss my family and the people I’ve known all my life. In South Africa, I think of my dog, Elizabeth, and my incredible community in France. That longing is, paradoxically, a gift: a reminder of the people who matter, and the love that surrounds us. For me, Christmas isn’t about the place – it’s about the people I share it with. As long as I am with them, it doesn’t matter where I am. Travel has also shaped the way I think about food and festive cooking. In my book, JAN Voyage, I try to capture more than recipes; it’s about the essence of travel itself. One of the greatest lessons I hope readers take from it is the art of slowing down. Food tastes different when you take the time to notice it: the colour of tomatoes at the market, the texture of bread, the sun on your face during a leisurely lunch. It’s in these moments, when you are fully present, that meals transform from sustenance into an experience. My hope is that this approach carries into your own festive celebrations. Christmas, for me, has always been a time to remember that food is a connector, a storyteller, and a means of celebrating life itself. From the clove-scented kitchens of my childhood in South Africa to the small, intimate meals shared in European villages, I’ve learned that generosity, presence, and love define the season. Pies, cherries, slow- cooked dishes, and simple, fresh ingredients all tell stories – stories of family, of travel, of tradition, and of the beauty in slowing down to savour each bite. That is the spirit I try to capture in my cooking, whether in my restaurant, on the page, or at the festive table at home. Ultimately, Christmas is a recommends COVER Ultimately, Christmas is a reminder that our lives are threaded with connection. Th e food we share, the people we gather around, and the moments we take to truly be present, all weave together to create memories that linger long after the dishes are cleared. Th e holidays, in all their complexity, are a celebration of togetherness, love, and generosity – just as the simple, bold fl avours of clove and cherry, or a perfectly baked pie, remind us: it’s not the extravagance of a dish, but the heart behind it, that makes it unforgettable. And so, as you prepare your own festive table this year, my advice is simple: slow down, embrace the journey, and celebrate with the people who matter most. Fill your kitchen with the aromas of your own memories, whether it’s the tartness of cherries, the warmth of clove, or the comfort of a pie straight from the oven. Let every dish be a story, every bite a connection, and every moment a reminder that Christmas, at its best, is not just about food – but about the love, laughter, and togetherness it brings.” “My reimagined Christmas table would swap out the traditional turkey centrepiece for something simpler, yet even more delicious. A wonderful showstopper for the table is the classic prawn cocktail, given a fresh twist in JAN Voyage. It’s light, summery, easy to prepare ahead of time, and the perfect way to start a festive meal. It’s especially fi tting for a warm South African Christmas.” 6 mini gem lettuce heads, washed and patted dry 600 g cooked prawns, shells removed Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 100 g good-quality mayonnaise 80 g tomato chutney 20 g tomato sauce 15 ml Worcestershire sauce 15 ml horseradish Juice and zest of 1 lemon (keep some zest as garnish) A generous amount of Tabasco sauce A small handful of fresh chives, chopped, plus extra to garnish Break up the gem lettuce heads into single leaves, ready to be added to 6 crystal glasses. Season the prawns with salt and black pepper, then set aside. Mix the remaining ingredients together, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add a spoon of this dressing to the bottom of each glass, then place the lettuce leaves next. Arrange the prawns attractively on top of the leaves and over the rims of the glasses. Finish the cocktails off by spooning the remaining dressing on top of all of the prawns and garnish with chopped chives and lemon zest. Recipe extracted from JAN Voyage, out now. Prawn Cocktail SERVES 6 PREP TIME 25 minutes JAN Voyage is out now. Try Jan Hendrik’s Parmesan Potatoes on page 30recommends VOLUME 39 10 Charlie Mackesy’s four unlikely friends are wandering through the wilds again. They’re not sure what they are looking for. They do know that life can be diffi cult, but that they love each other, and cake is often the answer. TO GET THROUGH THE STORM C harlie Mackesy is back, and the world is waiting. His hugely anticipated new book revisits the much-loved universe of Th e Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, the bestselling adult non- fi ction book of all time, with more than ten million readers worldwide. Mackesy’s gentle, profoundly moving storytelling has captured hearts everywhere, blending whimsical illustrations with timeless wisdom, and this new work promises to do the same. Once again, Mackesy’s four unlikely friends wander through open landscapes and untamed wilds, unsure of exactly what they are searching for. What they do know is that life can be challenging, that love and friendship are anchors, and, as always, cake is often the answer. Th e characters’ tender conversations off er refl ections on courage, kindness, and resilience, reminding readers that even when dark clouds gather, hope and thoughtfulness, a gentle companion for uncertain times, and a reminder that connection, compassion, and simple joys are what help us weather life’s storms. Mackesy’s latest work reaffi rms why the world fell in love with his boy, his mole, his fox, and his horse – and why they remain unforgettable guides for all of us. Always Remember is out now. understanding can carry us through. ‘One day you’ll look back and realise how hard it was, and just how well you did,’ the new book off ers, capturing the quiet strength and optimism that has made Mackesy’s work so cherished. Th rough his signature blend of sketch, story, and sentiment, he explores life’s small truths and monumental lessons alike. For fans old and new, this is more than a book; it’s a sanctuary of PHOTOGRAPH: Charlie GrayVOLUME 39 11 ON DISPLAY ON DISPLAY Coffee table gems The Last Lions by Don Pinnock & Colin Bell Lions, once rulers of vast territories, have lost 85 percent of their range, with fewer than 21 000 remaining. As habitat shrinks and persecution grows, their survival hangs in the balance. This powerful work follows rangers, scientists, and communities fighting to save them, pairing breathtaking images with stories of resilience and hope – an urgent call to rethink how humans and lions coexist before it’s too late. Veld: The Gardens and Landscapes of Patrick Watson by Garreth van Niekerk Patrick Watson is South Africa’s most innovative landscape architect, designing everything from mega-sites like Sun City to intimate restorative gardens. Guided by intuition, botanical expertise, and conservation, he creates bold, nature-inspired spaces. Covering 23 of his more than 200 landscapes, the work celebrates Watson’s visionary skill, creativity, and transformative impact on the profession. South African Indigenous Garden Plants by Elsa Pooley, Geoff Nichols & Andrew Hankey This must-have guide features some 2 400 South African indigenous plants, offering gardeners expert advice on climate, garden styles, planning, and maintenance. Each section provides selection, planting, and care tips alongside brief species descriptions, and a Plant Selector helps choose plants for specific spaces, making this the perfect guide for gardeners, landscapers, and plant enthusiasts alike. A Beautiful World by James Norbury From the global bestseller of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, James Norbury’s fifth book follows the duo on another beautifully illustrated journey through forests, mountains, and ruins, discovering hidden beauty and hope. Inspired by Buddhist philosophy, the story reminds readers to notice life’s simple pleasures, showing that even in overwhelming landscapes, moments of light and joy await those who look closely. The Body Illustrated: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson This illustrated edition of the Number One Bestseller and Sunday Times Science Book of the Year takes readers on a head-to-toe tour of the human body. Enhanced with hundreds of stunning images, it explores how the body functions, heals itself, and amazes with extraordinary facts, remarkable characters, and astonishing stories – making it an engaging, instantly classic read for science enthusiasts and general readers alike. VOLUME 39 12 Weeping Becomes a River by Siphokazi Jonas “Siphokazi has been winning awards for Weeping Becomes a River. If you have been lucky enough to meet her, then you will recognise her powerful voice in the writing world. Originally crafted as spoken performance, the words leap off the page and imprint themselves behind your eyes. They curl up in your amygdala and loiter in your eustachian tubes. It’s an experience.” Sven Axelrad, author of The Nicotine Gospel The Elements by John Boyne This beautiful edition brings together Boyne’s entire Elements series. It’s the story of four intertwining lives – a mother fleeing her past, a young footballer on trial, a surgeon haunted by childhood trauma, and a father connecting with his son, and is a gripping, empathetic exploration of cause, consequence, and human fault lines. Spellbinding, unflinchingly honest, and profoundly moving, this is a story that lingers, and challenges the heart and mind. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus “I didn’t see this one coming. Karen brilliantly spins a mystery around five teens who walk into detention and only four walk out. As we follow the survivors, we’re pulled into a tense, twisty hunt for the truth. I was convinced I knew who did it – until I didn’t. Addictive, clever, and layered with themes of social media, judgement, and honesty, this story had me hooked till the very end.” Ntombi Nkabinde, author of In the Late of Night The Advocate by Jackie Phamotse Secrets, lies, and simmering tension threaten to tear a family – and their rooibos farm – apart. As sinister forces tighten their grip on Clanwilliam, love, loyalty, and legacy hang by a thread. Every twist ratchets up the stakes, and the truth could either save or destroy them. Perfect for anyone who loves suspenseful family drama, this gripping tale makes a compelling gift for readers who crave heart, danger, and unforgettable characters. MUST-HAVE FICTION This edition brings together Boyne’s entire Elements series Read the 3-part seriesVOLUME 39 13 FICTION Canary by Onke Mazibuko “This is one of the novels that stood out for me in 2025. Canary is a tense, realistic thriller about a man who exposes corruption and risks everything for the truth. It’s a powerful story about integrity in a compromised world. It’ll really make you think, and reminds me of why South African fiction is so alive.” Kurt Ellis, author of Deadly Benefits The Promise by Damon Galgut “Arguably, what distinguishes the brilliant writer from the indifferently good one is whether or not he or she is able to manipulate the chosen form, leaving it more resourceful, and pliable, for those who come after. On these terms, Damon Galgut is decidedly a brilliant writer. The Promise is a major achievement.” David Attwell, litnet READ THE EXTRACTS Visit www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za/penguinbooksblog Winner of the 2021 Booker Prize Never Lie by Freida McFadden Newlyweds chasing their dream home get more than they bargained for when a remote manor traps them during a winter storm. Inside, hidden audio tapes reveal chilling secrets about the vanished former owner, a brilliant psychiatrist. As each shocking revelation unfolds, suspense tightens, leading to a jaw-dropping finale. An oldie, but a goodie, and a great one to get you started on your Freida McFadden journey. The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie Two feisty old men, a tragic musician, and a ghostly academic navigate life, love, and loss across India, England, and America. These dazzling stories grapple with mortality, legacy, and the final reckoning we all face, infused with wit and imagination. Thoughtful, profound, and vividly alive, this collection makes a striking gift for anyone who loves literature that questions life, death, and everything in between. Perfect for fans of thrillers to keep you up all nightVOLUME 39 14 Author Holly Black reflects on the inspirations behind Thief of Night, exploring shadows as betrayers, the allure of outsiders, the pull of noir, and the emotional resonance of her shadow-born magic. “W hen I first began working on Thief of Night, the idea of being hunted by your own shadow fascinated me. The inspiration came years ago, when I was walking home with my son. He was still small, and completely mesmerised by the way his shadow stretched under the streetlights, splitting in two when lit from different directions. That moment captured something magical and uncanny – because we’re all a little enamoured of our shadows, and a little afraid of them. I found myself wondering: what if your shadow didn’t move with you? What if it betrayed you? This fascination naturally found its way into Charlie Hall’s story. For her, a shadow is both a literal adversary and a metaphor for unprocessed trauma – something she can’t outrun no matter how hard she tries. In Red, the dangerous Blight that wears the face of someone she once loved, that fear takes physical form. But in many ways, Charlie’s greatest struggle is internal: what she’s done, what she’s lost, and what she might become. I’ve always been drawn to outsiders and tricksters, and that theme continues here. Those who live at the edges of things have a unique vantage point, able to see the seams in the world that others, more comfortably situated, often miss. Charlie Hall fits into that tradition, but she’s different from the other characters I’ve written. She’s spent her life pretending to be someone she’s not, a skilled charlatan hiding from the truth of herself. What makes her both fragile and compelling is that she’s terrified of her own power – of what she could do if she stopped running from it. Beneath the bravado, she’s deeply human, awkward, bruised, and still learning how to own her strength. The way magic operates in this world also reflects those deeper struggles. I’ve always believed that magic has to serve the story and the character’s journey – it can’t just be clever mechanics or rules. It needs to feel emotionally resonant. I think about how it reflects the character’s arc, what it costs them, and how it bends toward the goals they already have. A good magic system should live beyond the page; it should spark the imagination, suggest future stories, and leave the reader thinking about all the unseen possibilities. Shadow magic felt perfect for this series because it’s both seductive and dangerous – just like memory, trauma, and identity, the very things Charlie grapples with. The noir and crime elements bring another texture to the story. I’ve always loved those genres – perhaps because I’m such a people-pleaser in my own life. Writing about characters who break the social contract allows me to explore the audacity of deception. In a way, writing itself is a con, a trick, a lie we agree to believe together. Noir pairs beautifully with shadows – it thrives in half-light, in what lingers just out of sight. It’s the perfect companion for a story about power, loss, and the thin line between illusion and truth.” ABOUT THE BOOK Once a skilled con artist, Charlie Hall is forced to serve the Cabal to protect her boyfriend, Vince, now partially lost to a dangerous Blight named Red. Memory erased and trust shattered, she must track a murderous Blight while navigating betrayal from her own shadow. Vulnerable and outmatched, Charlie faces a final, impossible choice that could save – or doom – the one person she never thought she could lose. Thief of Night is out now. PHOTOGRAPH: Sharona Jacobsrecommends VOLUME 39 15 ENCHANTED SHELF FOR THE MAGIC LOVER Give the gift of fantasy The Rose Field by Philip Pullman In the exciting third volume of The Book of Dust, Lyra and Malcolm embark on a perilous journey across a world on the brink of chaos, seeking lost dæmons, hidden truths, and a mysterious red building. Along the way, they rely on spies, witches, gryphons, and old allies, confronting fear, power, and greed. Their quest uncovers secrets of imagination, special roses, and the alethiometer, all while the Magisterium threatens everything they hold dear. Their paths converge in a breathtaking, world-changing climax. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson At 27, Jet Mason drifts through life back at her parents’ home – until a Halloween attack leaves her with a fatal brain injury and just seven days to live. Jet never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her ex-best friend turned sister-in-law, her former boyfriend – and she’s determined to defy her doubters and solve her own impending murder before time runs out. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao On a hidden Tokyo backstreet, only the lost discover a pawnshop where life choices and regrets can be exchanged. Hana Ishikawa inherits the shop to fi nd it ransacked, her father missing, and a precious item stolen. Joined by a mysterious stranger, she navigates a magical world, across cloud markets, and paper-crane rides, to uncover the truth, confront her own secret, and face an irreversible choice. Alchemised by SenLinYu Helena Marino, once a promising alchemist, is now a prisoner in a world ruled by corrupt guilds and necromancers. With her friends dead and memories fragmented, she faces a perilous journey to reclaim her lost past. Sent to a ruthless necromancer, she must uncover hidden truths and confront deadly secrets, fi ghting to protect her identity and uncover the Resistance’s fi nal, mysterious gambit. Her struggle has only just begun. Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer Evie Sage never expected to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom’s most terrifying villain. From accidental magical mayhem to navigating assassins in the break room and crowned, judgmental frogs, she must survive her chaotic job. Amid prophecy, danger, and a brooding boss, Evie struggles to protect the kingdom, her dignity, and her heart – because being evil-adjacent was never part of the plan, nor was falling for the Villain. Next >