Books published by publisher Struik Lifestyle

Unwind with 150 relaxed, multicultural dishes from the award-winning celebrity chef and New York Times–bestselling author! Born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, and trained in European kitchens, Marcus Samuelsson is a world citizen turned American culinary icon—the youngest chef ever to receive three stars from the New York Times, a five-time James Beard Award recipient, a winner of Top Chef Masters, and a judge on Chopped. He was even chosen to cook President Obama’s first state dinner. In Marcus Off-Duty, the chef former president Bill Clinton says “has reinvigorated and reimagined what it means to be American” serves up the dishes he makes at his Harlem home for his wife and friends. The recipes blend a rainbow of the flavors he has experienced in his travels: Ethiopian, Swedish, Mexican, Caribbean, Italian, and Southern soul. With these recipes, you too can enjoy his eclectic, casual food—including Dill-Spiced Salmon; Coconut-Lime Curried Chicken; Mac, Cheese, and Greens; Chocolate Pie Spiced with Indian Garam Masala; and for kids, Peanut Noodles with Slaw . . . and much more. “Highly recommended for adventurous and well-traveled home cooks, as well as fans of Susan Feniger’s Street Food.” —Library Journal

Africa has a wonderfully rich store of folk tales that have been passed down from one generation to the next. There are stories about how the world came into being, stories that tell of the relationships between human beings and between man and his environment, and of the lessons to be learned from everyday experience. The tales are like the fairy talkes told all over the world, but they have a strong African flavour that is as real as the smell of rain on hot earth. The Best of African Folklore takes the reader into an enchanted world where animals can talk and humans are often changed into different forms, where magic is commonplace and reality is turned delightfully on its head. Despite numerous setbacks, things usually turn out all right in the end. Wicked and greedy people (and animals) come off worst and the good receive their just rewards. The gods are stern but fair, and every story has a moral for those who are wise enough to see it.

Folktales are timeless and, although they are a product of a particular culture, they have universal relevance because they give insight into the human condition. In Folktales from Africa, award-winning South African author Dianne Stewart has retold stories from the length and breadth of the African continent. Beautifully illustrated by Marjorie van Heerden, this collection of twenty stories is certain to entertain and delight the reader, as well as give insight into the countries from which the tales have been sourced.

Champion of South African home cooking, Errieda du Toit set out to write a cookbook about the food we most love to eat and the culture of sharing these recipe in community cookbooks. Intrigued by our strong attachment to these dog-eared, food-stained recipe collections, she pored over 150 titles spanning a century. SHARE is her tribute to this humble culinary source and a celebration of its collaborative spirit. It’s the first book to deal specifically with the genre, exploring our intimate relationship with these unassuming little books and their role in shaping food culture. The result is a delightful, quirky and thoroughly modern homage to the genre, tapping into our food memories in a unique way. SHARE features a wide selection of recipes as generous, gracious and welcoming as the home cooks who shared them. They’re all here: the keepers (recipes known for their longevity); the never-fails (those epic recipes that never let you down); communal food for come-on-overs; as well as retro classics alongside those defining dishes and bakes treasured as heritage food. Bringing visual expression to Errieda’s vision of bringing community cookbooks out of the dark corner of food literature, SHARE is beautifully photographed by Errieda’s husband Ian du Toit. The witty styling by Hannes Koegelenberg and creative book design by Marcus Viljoen further capture the character and off-beat traits of the genre. With the right blend of nostalgia, modern revival of old-school recipes and captivating story-telling, SHARE is for home cooks, cookbook collectors and anyone curious and enthusiastic about South African food.

This book takes the reader on a delightful journey into Africa and into the world of a little girl called Tippi who tells her unforgettable story on her return from Africa to France at the age of ten. Tippi is no ordinary child. She believes that she has the gift of talking to animals and that they are like brothers to her. Her world is filled with characters like Leon the Chameleon, Abu the elephant whom she calls ‘my brother’, and leopards, snakes, baboons, lions and ostriches … ‘I speak to them with my mind, or through my eyes, my heart or my soul, and I see that they understand and answer me.’My Book of Africa contains the words of a little girl who has the gift of reaching out and touching the people and animals of Africa. It s beautifully illustrated with over 100 magical photographs taken by her parents, French filmmakers and photographers, Sylvie Robert and Alain Degré.

Slow-cooking techniques for delicious dishes from the Mediterranean region, from a New York Times–bestselling cookbook author! With the combination of tradition, innovation, and ease that have made her recipes so popular, Michele Scicolone gathers intriguing dishes from every corner of the Mediterranean and streamlines them for the slow cooker. The range is eye-opening: from simplified and freshened classics like Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta to Israeli Sweet and Sour Meatballs to Moroccan Vegetable Tagine to Coffee-Caramel Flan from Spain. Scicolone also serves up a profusion of fascinating lesser-known dishes: Creamy Polenta Lasagna, Port-Braised Chicken from Portugal, Spiced Frittata from Tunisia, and Bandit’s Lamb—as well as her own seductive creations, like Cannoli Cheesecake.

African Myths and Legends is a spellbinding, fascinating collection of myths and legends to enliven the imagination of young readers. No-one is entirely sure whether these legends are fact or fiction, but that is where the magic lies! Each story is accompanied by snippets of information highlighted by the story. Vividly told and illustrated, the book sustains the intrigue of storytelling that has been passed on – often by word of mouth – from generation to generation. Illustrated in magnificent colour by Gina Daniel and Angus McBride, African Myths and Legends weaves fantasy and magic, and is also informative and educated.

When it’s pouring with rain, Gogo decides to pass the time by making some pancakes. But she soon discovers that the family has run out of three important ingredients: flour, eggs and milk. Without those, you can’t make pancakes. But clever Gogo has an idea. She sends Lungi and Sipho to a different neighbour to borrow what they need, and to take each of them a gift of lemons from the family’s lemon tree in return. And so, due to the kindness of the neighbours, Gogo and the eager children are finally able to make the pancakes. In The Lemon Tree, nominated for a prestigious Golden Baobab Prize in 2014, author Katherine Graham tells a simple, moral story with charm and an ability to transport the young reader evocatively into the moment. The story is beautifully illustrated by Wendy Paterson.

Folktales can be described as fictional prose narratives that are not confined to any particular culture. A folktale may appear in a slightly different form in a culture that is geographically nearby, or it may appear in a culture that is quite far removed from its original source. In The Zebra’s Stripes and other African Tales, Dianne Stewart has retold a collection of folk tales that have their origins all over Africa. Aimed at children and adults, these tales include legends such as ‘How Lion and Warthog became Enemies’ from the Lamba people of Togo, ‘How Giraffe Acquired his Long Neck’ from East Africa, ‘Why Hippopotamus Lives in the Water’ from Nigeria and ‘Monkey The Musician’ from South Africa. There are tales from the San, Zulu, Zambia, Congo and West Africa, et al. Each section is devoted to a type of animal, and concludes with some facts about the animal in question, adding educational to the stories. Proverbs from various cultures provide additional insight. Throughout, Kathy Pienaar’s beautiful illustrations show great attention to detail.

In the words of author Dianne Stewart, 'African proverbs reflect both the past and the present, and are as relevant to contemporary society as they were to traditional society.' As with so much of African culture, proverbs have been passed on in the oral tradition so it's rare to find such a treasure trove as this; from across Africa, Dianne has compiled a fascinating collection. The text is given in the language of origin, an English translation and an explanation of the meaning. They are divided into subject groups such as human nature, family life, good fortune, time, animals and nature. Whether you're looking for that special African gift or would like to add to your own collection of reference books, Wisdom from Africa is an excellent choice.

In the author’s own words: “When you live in Israel, it’s plain to see that food holds a special place in Jewish life. From early morning until dawn the next day, Israelis are always noshing on something and enjoying one another’s company. On any given holiday, the festive table groans under the weight of a multitude of dishes and goodies. A Taste of Israel opens a door into the kitchens of the ordinary Israeli home. It is an invitation to explore the country’s diverse street food and get a glimpse behind the scenes at some of its gourmet restaurants. You’ll find recipes for dishes that do much more than just satisfy hunger. Here are memories and stories shared with me over the course of five years by Litvaks from Israel and South Africa, by my Israeli friends, their mothers and their grandmothers. The recipes reflect the traditions, history and customs passed from generation to generation and they are an attempt at returning a piece of Jewish heritage to the small but vibrant community in Lithuania.” Available for the first time in English, A Taste of Israel describes the food through the eyes of a foreigner, and non-Jew, who was lucky enough to become part of the Israeli Jewish community. Chapters are divided into the usual arrangements for appetisers, starters, mains and desserts, but there are also sections on the different Jewish religious festivals, as well as information on what constitutes ‘kosher’. Well-known classics include dishes such as Gefilte Fish, Knaidlach, Latkes and Challah.