Gordon Wright was the last born of ten children, and entered his first baking competition at the tender age of six, taking first prize with his shortbread. After studying law, and a career in investment banking, he and his wife Rose bought a restaurant and guesthouse – pretty much by accident – in Graaff-Reinet. With no experience, and no formal training as a chef, but an overwhelming love of cooking, and Karoo food in particular, he has put Gordon’s Restaurant, at Andries Stockenstrom Guest House, on the foodie map.

Veld to Fork reflects his love of using fresh, locally available ingredients and good, honest cooking. You will find a wide variety of recipes from soups, through to desserts and preserves, and because of Gordon’s love of working with meat, recipes for lamb (Karoo, of course), beef and venison in many guises, and often with a twist on the traditional. I can’t wait to try out the flash-fried pap-en-sous balls, with Nguni mince and relish. As Gordon says, “This is a fun dish, so have fun with it!”

Gordon and Rose started to make sausages, biltong and salami from a specially built, extra long garage with a fully equipped cold room, when their first child was only a few months old. “The fundamental ingredients to traditional charcuterie are very simple: salt, garlic, fresh rosemary, very good quality meat, time and patience. There is no quick fix…charcuterie is a bit of a dark art, but with practice, perseverance and patience, the results are unbelievably rewarding and tasty”.

This beautifully illustrated book documents his love of, and interest in, the Karoo, its history and its food.  This book is destined for the coffee table, but don’t keep it out of the kitchen, as all of the ingredients can be substituted with easy to find alternatives, and all of the recipes are delicious and simple to make.