Saying goodbye twice and sharing reflections from The Kasi Cook

I have probably done something unprecedented at Daily Maverick. Through this column, I am saying goodbye for the second time in less than a year. No one has ever said goodbye twice within the Daily Maverick ecosystem in such a short period. 

Goodbyes are usually a fait accompli. I recently said farewell in February this year when I left Daily Maverick after five incredible years with a media outlet that has been a torchbearer for truth and its defence.

After signing off in February, the folks at Daily Maverick — mainly my editor Tony Jackman — were gracious enough to allow me to keep my food column going. It was an act of kindness on Jackman’s part that gave me the chance to stay connected with readers and explore new culinary ideas. This support meant I could continue sharing recipes, stories, and insights without interruption, keeping the conversation around food alive and vibrant.

This will be my last column as I am now exploring a new career opportunity. 

With your patience and indulgence, I’d love to reflect on how this column was born. In mid-2024, I had an intense craving for amagwinyas (or vetkoek), a much-treasured food item in South Africa that is personal to me.

Growing up in Soweto in the early Nineties, amagwinyas were a breakfast staple made by my long-deceased grandmother, Nomalizo. I have memories of her amagwinyas being golden brown, with a fluffy, bread-like centre, served with generous slices of polony and spoonfuls of atchar. I wanted to recreate those memories and flavours.

However, at the age of 33 I am a lazy millennial who loves convenience and cutting corners, especially in the kitchen. So, I leaned into Woolworths, which sells an amagwinya/vetkoek mix formulated to make baking quicker and easier. It was far from easy! My failure to follow the instructions on the mix — mainly not adding yeast — meant the dough failed to rise, resulting in a culinary disaster. Unsurprisingly, the amagwinyas turned out dull, lumpy in the centre, and rock hard on the outside.

It was this horrid experience that gave rise to my food column, all thanks to Jackman’s idea that I write about my culinary experiences and disasters in the kitchen.

Read more: Fail! How I shamed myself with my amagwinyas-of-mass-destruction

(Here is a pro tip: If you’re craving amagwinyas but want to avoid the hassle of measuring dry and wet ingredients, kneading dough, and leaving it to rise, most retailers sell ready-mixed dough that is ready to fry into amagwinyas.)

Since the column began, it has been rooted in experimenting with recipes and turning kitchen chaos into edible miracles. This experimentation led to me being called the K@k Cook, a name I recently shed to embrace being called The Kasi Cook, as I’ve graduated from my early kitchen mishaps. 

Beyond experimenting, this column has offered many light-bulb moments about cooking and food. If I may, I would love to share some of these moments:

• Recipes are usually a guideline, you don’t have to follow them to the tee. Through this column I learned that recipes can be tweaked and personalised. Cooking is as much about creativity as technique, and making a dish your own often leads to the most satisfying results. This flexibility allows you to adapt to what you have on hand and to suit your taste, making every meal unique.
• You don’t need fancy kitchen tools or equipment to make incredible dishes. Through my column, I’ve made hearty casseroles without ever owning a traditional casserole dish — often using disposable foil trays instead. To this day, I don’t own a casserole dish, proving that great food is about resourcefulness, not gear.
• You don’t have to break the bank to make delicious meals. Often, the ingredients already in your pantry or fridge are enough to create a mouthwatering dish. You’d be surprised how simple items like canned tuna or pilchards can be transformed into flavourful, satisfying meals with just a few fresh additions. This approach makes cooking accessible, practical and rewarding.
• Have fun and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s through those mistakes that you learn, grow and discover new ways to improve your cooking. Each error is a step towards mastering techniques and finding flavours that work for you. Embrace the process as a journey, where experimentation leads to creativity and confidence in the kitchen.
• Most importantly, cooking is about connecting with the ingredients, the food and the people you share it with. It teaches patience and rewards curiosity. This column has shown me that the simplest meals often carry the heartiest memories.

I’m in a celebratory mood, not a sombre one. And because of this, I figured that my last dish for Daily Maverick should be festive. I opted for a prawn cocktail. It’s a classic that feels both special and approachable, perfect for marking the end of this chapter. With its bright, tangy flavours and elegant simplicity, it’s a dish that brings joy to the table and invites you to celebrate good food and good company.

Thank you for joining me on this delicious journey. It’s been a pleasure sharing recipes, stories and moments with you. As I say goodbye, I hope you continue to cook with curiosity, joy and confidence.

Ray’s prawn cocktail

Ingredients

12 small to medium frozen deveined prawns (thawed and shelled)

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp Greek yoghurt

2 Tbsp tomato sauce

Juice of half a lemon

1 tsp mixed herbs 

1 tsp Tabasco sauce 

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce 

Black pepper to taste

Lettuce leaves, shredded or whole

Baby tomatoes, halved

Bacon, cooked and crumbled (alternatively pancetta)

Breadcrumbs, toasted for garnish

Method

In a pan, fry bacon until brown. Add breadcrumbs and toast them in the same pan. Set aside to cool down. 

For about 4 minutes, fry the thawed prawns until just pink and firm. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, mix Greek yoghurt, tomato sauce, lemon juice, pepper, mixed herbs, Tabasco sauce and Worcestershire Sauce to make the cocktail sauce. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Toss the cooled prawns gently in the sauce until well coated.

Arrange lettuce leaves in serving glasses or bowls as a base.

Spoon the prawn mixture over the lettuce.

Scatter halved baby tomatoes on top.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon and toasted breadcrumbs over the prawn cocktail for extra crunch and flavour. Garnish with lemon quarters.

Serve chilled and enjoy. Au revoir. DM