The winner of the 2013 Woolworths Taste Eat Out Bursary, Amanda Manyatshe, has been flourishing at Silwood School of Cookery. We asked this UCT graduate and passionate food lover to share her average day’s eating exploits with us.
My days during the week usually start at some ungodly hour as I get up during what I call ‘chef hours’ to make my garnishes for plating that day. This is my free time, my alone time, my ‘me’ time. Where I can be alone to create.

Being at Silwood has given me a great opportunity to experiment and learn new skills. I used to be rather hesitant about cooking large pieces of meat, but have now learned how to debone, stuff and cook a leg of lamb to tender, medium-rare perfection. (I can also debone a chicken!) The only attraction that could possibly sway me from the meaty delights we prepare during pracs is the many desserts, cakes and pastries we make from scratch. I can even churn my own ice cream now.

Every day and every prac is a learning experience, a personal challenge to better myself and push on forward with the new skills I’m being armed with. The theory classes shed so much light on the whys of cooking: why your soufflé won’t rise; why your éclairs don’t pipe well; and the possible reason for a lack of glossy shine…. Small things make such a difference.

I take that knowledge home and create. My mom and I have a new ritual on Fridays now: we share baking notes as we bake bread and cakes for the church tea on Saturday.

Weekends are big breakfast days. Depending on our mood, we can go all-out with fresh croissants, sausages, grilled tomatoes, freshly baked muffins, eggs (I have a poached egg obsession), and fresh seasonal fruits and yoghurts. In this family, we eat!

Leftovers? What are those? Through my cooking, baking and confectionery pracs I have learned that I simply love the process as much as the end result – not just getting to eat, but creating works of art on my canvas, the humble plate.

I’m thoroughly enjoying my Silwood journey. Every day we leave having accomplished something, having learned something, and – the highlight – bearing padkos from our pracs. Weekends are my time to gallivant and indulge shamelessly while exploring the foodie spots around Cape Town. But my average day on a plate looks like this:

8am
I would like to say I jump out of bed with a burst of energy, but the truth is I haven’t been a morning person for a while. It’s a small wonder that I manage to get up at 3am during the week when I do my garnishing preps. My morning pick-me-up is a good ol’ cup of java. My treat when I’m out and about is a luxurious latte from Truth in Buitenkant Street. Their passion and expertise redefine the meaning of a proper cup of coffee – so much goodness!

8.30am
Breakfast time. I get inspiration from many sources during the week, including my vast collection of food boards on Pinterest, Food Network, Taste Magazine (I’ve stuck to one beauty salon because they have Taste dating back 10 years…), food blogs, the recipe books that beckon me to take them home from the bookstore, and my timeline on Facebook and Twitter. Feeling inspired, this is my breakfast today:

Sweet treats
I usually have a truffle or two (or three or seven… Who’s counting?) from Chocolates by Tomes. They are a delicious guilty pleasure and I always have a secret stash somewhere.

1pm – Sabbath Lunch
We have lunch after church as a family.

3pm to late
It’s market day! From the V&A to Bay Harbour to Tokai, these are the food markets I love to get lost in! My favourite stops at Bay Harbour are O’Ways tea stand, where I add to my tea collection, and Bay Harbour sushi bar. Salad Lover at the Tokai Earth Fair Food Market has stolen my heart, too. I would gladly turn vegetarian – okay, maybe just eat more greens – if I could indulge in their salads more often. And I’ve just discovered a treasure chest of yumminess in the form of Sweet Dreams Fudge. So many flavours, such little time…

Midnight snacks
My brother and I always bump into each other come this time of night. While he creates a sinfully good mug of hot chocolate made with my ganache whipped with cream, I allow myself the simple pleasure of a cup of Nigiro chamomile tea from O’Ways and a not-so-innocent serving of mom’s malva pudding with warmed crème anglaise, which is my other favourite thing to make since being at Silwood. (I won’t be buying box custard anytime soon!)