A catch-up with Justin Bonello
What drives the engine under Justin Bonello’s hood?
We came armed with a list of questions but, upon realising that this vagabond foodie is an unstoppable Vesuvius of passion on everything Africa, we decided to just sit and listen to Justin Bonello’s take on our current food scene. The last time we had a cup of tea and a catch-up with Justin Bonello, he was stuck into the food and travel documentary genre, so his latest venture was simply a matter of time, really.
Due to a recent plethora of cooking shows being flashed at us via every possible media, Justin notes that the SA culinary scene, while incorporating local ingredients, still does so using generally accepted European methods. Inspiration struck – how about creating content based on the South African psyche towards food preparation instead of replicating international content? It’s in our nature to cook in the great outdoors, despite deep domestication. Indeed, it is.
And so The Ultimate Braai Master was born – the first series aired in 2012 and auditions are underway for the spring 2013 series. The book that captures the adventure and recipes of the first series has also been a hit (check it out on Yuppiechef.com).
The South African braai culture is an amazing thing since, as Justin points out, braaing can be done in all 11 official languages. Braaing is accessible to all, an activity unhindered by the boundaries of creed, class or racial persuasions. We can definitely embrace more of the stuff that brings us together instead of the labels that separate us.
We’re living on the one continent that still retains so much of its ‘wild’. Potjies, rooster brood and open flame feasts were born from the need to prepare food on the go. The Ultimate Braai Master is about embracing just that, the only difference being that this show’s on steroids.
So what’s an average year in the life of Justin Bonello?
Justin’s life continues to be a fast-paced road trip. Imagine four months a year on the open road, traversing 50-100,000 km and producing five or six shows. In Justin’s own words – that’s a monster to feed. A monster maybe, but one the South African audiences can’t get enough of and no matter which dust ridden and beaten tracks Justin Bonello is cruising, his mission is always to reintroduce the love of food into our lives that has largely been lost through urbanisation.
New projects in the pipe line?
As we sit discussing the fantastically valid reasons for why we need to pay more attention to the origins of our food, his crew are bustling around like termites before a rain storm, prepping for their next road trip.
Karoo – Land of Thirst, is his most recent raison d’être. This six part series about a corner of our country often forgotten when it comes to travel in SA, focuses on the plight of farmers and the forgotten knowledge ingrained in the people of these regions.
As with all his road trips, this one is certain to bring about a definitive lifestyle cookbook centering around ‘what to cook on the side of the road’ ideas. Who wouldn’t want to explore the concept of cooking lamb between igneous rocks? Travel with as little as possible. Explore this neglected part of our map. Add quirkiness to the Karoo. With that motto in mind, it’s all systems go.
Quick, best food to take on the road?
If anyone is going to have road trip food know-how, it’s this guy. You can never go wrong with homemade crunchies and obviously plenty of biltong and dried fruits.
Bean salads, in all their vast and thankfully, canned glory, are aces and potjiekos always tastes best the following day. Justin’s crew are currently experimenting with rice wraps. Nice. Where veg come to play, onions and garlic love being on the road as much as Justin does and travel exceptionally well.
If you could take just three kitchen tools with you on a deserted island, what would they be?
A good knife is your right hand man and beyond that… a pot would be great. As for the third tool? ‘Maybe an ice cream scoop to remind me of what I’m missing.’ Plain torture, we reckon.
Best braai experiences?
Asking Justin about the best places to braai in SA is like asking an elephant which bit of green twig was his favourite.
For Justin, the kick of braaing lies in introducing it to other cultures. A six week trip around Thailand which involved spit braaing a wild boar is at the top of his radar. Imagine being in Iceland and cooking fresh fish on an old refrigeration rack over a raging fire with some gobsmacked Eskimos? That’s Justin B for you, folks.
But as far as simple braaing is concerned, we couldn’t agree more. The sun, the open road and the smokey aromas of someone’s steak cooking nearby are the stuff our memories are made of.
Could you cook a warthog? Let’s see when season 2 of The Ultimate Braai Master premieres on SABC 3 in Spring 2013.
Check out Justin’s ever increasing cookbook range on our shelves, an ode to SA food and cooking.
A massive thanks to Justin Bonello and his team for squeezing us in for another catch-up just moments before another epic road trip.