Cookbooks have been on my mind for the last couple of weeks. I don't usually write about books, but as the Franschhoek Literary Festival is taking place this weekend, I thought it was well worth a mention.

The small food writers’ discussion forum takes place on Friday morning and we will be chatting to award-winning author Marita Van Der Vyver about the makings of her cookbook, Summer Food in Provence. We’ll also talk local with chef and restaurateur Reuben Riffel, and sisters Zuretha Roos and Annalie Nel will share about their collection of recipes and storytelling in Roast Duck on Sundays.

Whilst doing a bit of research, I picked up a novel called Just Dessert, Dear (one of Marita's many novels), which is about a food editor. The hilarious, funny and witty words were about real, honest life, love and plenty of food.

My best is when her lover – a chef, of course, from Hermanus – did not send her a bunch of pink carnations mixed with red roses, but rather a box of delicate small purplish artichokes. I also loved her revenge over the superb dish of Tournedos Rossini eaten with her ex at a well-known Waterfront restaurant. (I couldn't help imagining where it was…) And my third favourite was the bit where her heavily laden fig tree inspires her to carry on the tradition of making jam, and the list of five interesting jams that one can make when a bit sad.

On that note, the miracle book I spoke about a few months ago, Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold, has just been named cookbook of the year by the James Beard Foundation.

Happy reading! 
Abigail