Roast Duck on Sunday: Two Sisters, Two Kitchens and a Treasury of Recipes (South Africa)

The sisters Annalie Nel and Zuretha Roos grew up in the lovely Hex River Valley where their great-great-grandfather settled as a farmer during the middle of the 19th century. They have enduring memories of Ouma Sannies farm kitchen and the food and lavish dinners she prepared. Their mother was a splendid cook and had a wide repertoire of dishes, some of which are included here. One of her pièces de résistance was her succulent, roast Muscovy duck, served as a fortnightly Sunday feast with crispy potatoes and home-grown veggies. The sisters fondly remember the golden-brown bird that adorned their Sunday dinner table.

With these culinary doyennes preceding them, its no wonder that an enthusiasm for food is embedded in their genes. Annalie prefers the more traditional, family recipes and is the custodian of the heirloom recipes, while Zuri tends to experiment with new tastes. Their differing approaches to food ensure that Roast Duck on Sunday includes a wide variety of sumptuous recipes, from comforting soups and traditional roasts to zesty salads and surprisingly simple desserts.

Home cooks who are looking for new ideas or more traditional, family recipes will find the recipes in this book, which range from super simple to the more outlandish, a welcome change. The authors chatty style of writing and personal anecdotes will enable the reader to fully engage with the book.

ZURETHA ROOS started her career as a high school teacher, but quickly veered towards journalism, later becoming cookery editor for the late Darling magazine. Over the years she wrote about food for various publications. Since 1995 she has published seven books, including The Saffron Pear Tree and Sea Spray and Cherry Peppers. Zuri and her husband are now retired and living at the sea. She keeps an eye on modern food trends and loves the way traditional cookery is now evolving into fine dining dishes in many top restaurants.