as she has turned her passion into a successful career
Family means everything to chef and cookbook author Zanele van Zyl so it is apt that she credits them with turning her passion into a hugely successful career.
“My interest in food and cooking began at a young age, growing up in a home where food was central to family gatherings and culture. Watching my elders cook with passion and care inspired me to follow this path professionally,” says Van Zyl who grew up in Bergville in Kwa Zulu Natal and now splits her time between Johannesburg and Gqeberha.
She loved watching her mother in the kitchen but it was also her husband who encouraged her.
“He used to cook for me a lot when we were dating. His food looked like it was prepared at a restaurant and I was always fascinated by how he did it,” she explains.
Forty-five-year-old Van Zyl, who is the mother to two girls, says her culinary journey started in 2012 when she was on maternity leave from a job as an IT technician: “I fell in love with cooking and made the decision three years later to launch a second career after attending culinary school.”
She chose Capsicum Culinary Studio to do a diploma in cooking and food preparation.
“Capsicum had a reputation for excellence and offered a practical, hands-on approach to culinary training. I wanted to learn from the best as I knew the school could help turn my passion into a profession and it did! Attending Capsicum gave me the technical foundation I needed, and from there I worked hard to establish myself in the food industry. Today, I’m proud to be a well-known South African chef, cookbook author and food influencer – sharing my passion with a wider audience every day.”
Her entrepreneurial nature following graduation led her to start the Cooking With Zanele classes where she continues to teach and share her passion for food with keen foodies in different kitchens across the country. She also decided to publish a cookbook so that those who were unable to attend a class could still access her food which she describes as “relatable and tasty”: “I have always made every effort to make the recipes fuss-free. I believe that my specialty is modern South African cuisine – putting a contemporary spin on traditional dishes while staying true to their roots.”
To date she has published three cookbooks, the second of which Cooking with Zanele Volume 2 Find Joy in Cooking won the Cookbook of the Year award at the Luxe Restaurant Awards. Her latest offering is Senidlile Kodwa? which is taken from the isiZulu phrase, which means “have you eaten yet?”.
People and food, she emphasises, go hand-in-hand.
“Where I’m from, we’re taught ubuntu. I can write books but if there are no people to buy my books then they’re useless. I never take my followers and supporters for granted. I know that they’re the people that made me.”
She explains what her job entails: “As a chef and food influencer, my days are filled with recipe development, content creation, brand partnerships, media appearances and working on new cookbook projects. I also engage with my community through social media; sharing tips, ideas and inspiration.
“No two days are exactly the same, but I usually start my day early with a light breakfast like oats with fresh fruit and rooibos tea. Midday is often spent in the kitchen testing or filming recipes, so lunch might be something I’ve just created – maybe a hearty salad or a gourmet sandwich. Dinner is often a bit more indulgent: grilled fish, roasted vegetables or a comforting stew. Evenings are for editing, planning content, or winding down with a book or Netflix.”
Van Zyl still has dreams to fulfil: “In five years, I see myself expanding my brand globally – I still want work in a French kitchen, launch more cookbooks and create a mentorship programme for aspiring young chefs. I’d also love to master pastry and baking more deeply. There’s always room to grow, and I’m constantly learning.”
And a few fun questions:
Name five things always in your fridge at home:
Fresh herbs, homemade sauces, eggs, seasonal vegetables and butter.
What would be your last meal?
A traditional home-cooked meal: Slow-cooked oxtail, samp and beans, chakalaka and malva pudding for dessert.
Is there anything you do not eat?
I generally eat most things, but I tend to avoid overly processed foods and artificial ingredients.
If you hosted a dinner party for four famous people, who would they be and what would you make?
I’d invite Nelson Mandela (in spirit), Oprah Winfrey, Trevor Noah and Michelle Obama. I’d serve a pan-African inspired menu with dishes like jollof rice arancini, peri-peri grilled prawns, chakalaka sliders and malva pudding with rooibos-infused custard.
Do you have a favourite celebrity chef?
Yes, definitely Jamie Oliver. He’s an inspiration and I love his style of cooking.
What is your favourite kitchen tool?
My chef’s knife – it’s the most versatile tool and an extension of my hand in the kitchen.
Van Zyl shares three of her delicious recipes.
Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon
Ingredients:
- 8 Pieces of Salmon Fillets
- 1 Tub of Cream Cheese
- 1kg Packet of Spinach
- A handful of Chopped Peppadews
- 4 Crushed Garlic Cloves
- 15ml Aromat
- 60ml Butter
Method:
Melt the butter. Add garlic then stir for few minutes, then add spinach and peppadews. Let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add cream cheese then season with Aromat. Put aside to cool down.
Place salmon on a flat surface. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Cut a slit or a pocket about ¾ quarter of the way through. Fill the salmon “pockets” with spinach mixture. Heat butter, then fry salmon until golden brown for about 6 to 7 minutes or till cooked.
Brown Rice and Halloumi Salad (taken from Senidlile Kodwa? by Zanele van Zyl published by Penguin Random House South Africa)
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
200g halloumi cheese, cut into strips or cubes
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
FOR THE DRESSING
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the halloumi and fry on all sides until golden brown. Remove from the heat.
In a salad bowl, gently mix the rice, onion, cucumber, ginger, coriander and fried halloumi. Alternatively, place the halloumi on top of the other ingredients.
To make the dressing, mix all the dressing ingredients until well combined. Pour over the salad and toss to
Swiss Roll
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 75g castor sugar
- 75g self-raising flour
- 10ml vegetable oil
- 1 tin of caramel
- 1 tub of cream cheese
- Handful of raspberries
- Baking paper
Method:
Combine cream cheese, caramel and raspberries and gently mix in a bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven at 180° C. Line a Swiss Roll/flat pan with baking paper and lightly grease. Whisk the eggs, oil and castor sugar until thick and pale. Sift the self-raising flour into the egg mixture, and fold in gently with metal spoon until everything is incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cake is firm (Do not over bake as this will lead to cracking)
While the cake is baking, prepare a clean tea towel by sprinkling castor sugar onto the tea towel.
As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, invert the tin over the sugared tea towel. Ease the cake out of the tin and remove the baking paper. Roll up immediately. Leave rolled cake in the towel to cool.
Once cake is completely cooled, unroll the cake, and spread the cream cheese, caramel and raspberries mixture. Roll up the cake again (No need to use tea towel this time) Dust on some castor sugar on top of the cake
Social media handles
- Facebook: capsicumcooking
- Instagram: capsicumcooking
- TikTok: @capsicumculinarystudio
- YouTube: Capsicumcooking
- Linked In: capsicum-culinary-studio
- Website: https://cookingwithzanele.co.za/
- Facebook: cookingwithZanele
- Instagram: @cookingwithzanele