Hello Hello Everyone!

There is just something about a macaron some call it ,” The French Cookie” , that makes one feel like a hopeless romantic! Is it perhaps because its originated from romantic lands, such as France? Or is Italy? But truth be told, there is actually a true romantic story behind this amazing cookie.

Once upon a time, 1533 to be exact, in the streets of Florence, in Italy. There was a noblewoman by the name of Catherina de Medicis who was also a Chef at that time. She was the one, who we ought to thank for the “Macaron”. So basically it was born an Italian , similar to the word “macaroni” . Later on in her life at the age of 14, had fallen in love & be wedded the handsome patron of arts Duc d’Orleans(that’s so OMG!). Later on her husband became the king of France known as “Henry II”, making Catherina the queen of France & she ruled there after. Not your typical Cinderella story but one for the movies right? A Chef & a Duc , totally love it!

A macaron specifically refers to a meringue-based cookie made with almond flour, egg whites, and granulated and powdered sugar, then filled with buttercream, ganache, fruit curd & these days flavored ice-creams. The delicate treat has a crunchy exterior and a weightless interior with a soft ending that’s almost nougat like in its chewiness. To add to the confusion, it’s often called a French macaron. Think its safe to say that the macaron is definitely a mix breed. So now we know.

Macarons are currently a world trend even thou they have been part of the patissiers classical repertoire for ages. This macaron recipe should be tested on your specific mixer & oven as it will vary from kitchen to kitchen.

Raspberry Macaron

Difficulty: ***

Serves: 950gr

Preparation Time: 25min

Ingredients:

500gr tant pour tant (250gr sieved fine ground almond & 250gr sieved icing sugar)

200gr castor sugar

200gr egg whites

15 drops raspberry essence

15 drops red colour

Method:

Preheat oven at 145C

1. Sieve the ground almonds & icing sugar separately & than sieve them together for the tant pour tant.
2. Place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl.
3. Whisk on full speed for about 3min add the castor sugar at stiff peaks.
4. Add the flavoring & coloring (drop by drop) in the last 30sec.
5. Add in the tant pour tant in two batches, mix a third by third till the mixture is glossy & runs of the back of a spoon.Place in a piping bag.
6. Using a straight nossle,pipe onto a heavy metal tray squeeze in a circle shape.
7. Knock the baking tray in the bottom with your hand to make a smooth top(loosing the piping peak on the top)
8.  Bake at 145C for 14min for 3cm macarons.(smaller ones bake for less time 12mins)
9. Fill according to your liking.

Tip: For chocolate macarons take out 25gr from the ground almonds & 25gr from the icing sugar of thee tant pour tant & replace it with 50gr cocoa powder.

Bon Appetit!

Raspberry filled Macaron

Chef Tasneem Saith

Good morning all

So this morning I woke up easy & care free, lunch for today was already sorted out last night. I love that feeling of organization I call it a : “Quesadilla”. Simple to create a filling lunch & OMG they insanely healthy. And that is what we looking for a healthier , happier , year 2017!

I make quesadilla’s with Whole-wheat store bought tortilla’s. They quick & easy to use, plus no one in your family will even notice or be able to taste the difference. Unlike other carbohydrates in whole-grain foods they break down more slowly & store as fat. Whole-wheat tortilla’s are a healthy carbohydrate-rich food because they are low in fat, sodium and simple sugars and high in fiber. So they pretty good for you!

Chicken & Spinach Quesadilla

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 chicken fillets cubed

150gr spinach leaves

3 tortilla wraps

1/2 onion diced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

5ml portuguese spice

3ml ground cumin

3ml ground coriander

5ml chilli flakes

3ml aromat

3ml lemon pepper

30ml extra virgin olive oil

30ml chilli sauce

30ml mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated cheese (gouda/mozarella/add pieces of feta also if you like)

oregano

salt

for the Béchamel sauce(white sauce):

15ml butter

15ml flour

+/-100ml milk(depends on the thickness of the sauce)

salt

pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the cubed chicken in portugese spice, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes, aromat, lemon pepper, salt & set aside.
2. De-stem the spinach leaves & blanch(boil for 5mins) in a pot of boiling hot water.
3. In a separate pot add olive oil, sauté onions with garlic brown, add the chicken with the chilli sauce & a little water to cook without burning.
4. Make the Béchamel sauce in a sauce pan on medium heat melt the butter, add flour to form a paste until cooked, take of the heat & whisk in the milk. Whisk until a thick sauce forms & season.
5. Once the spinach is blanched, place in a colander & pour cool water to stop the cooking process.
6. Chiffonade the spinach leaves & add to the Béchamel
7.   Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray place the 1st tortilla spread 15ml mayonnaise, add the chicken, topped creamy spinach, cheese & oregano.
8. Place the 2nd tortilla spread 15ml mayonnaise, add the chicken, topped creamy spinach, cheese & oregano.
9. Place the last tortilla on top & cover with foil.
10. Grill in the oven for 15mins.
11. With a pizza cutter divide into 4
12. Serve with a chilli sauce to dip.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken & Spinach Quesadilla

Chef Tasneem Saith

Good Morning Everybody

I am sure you have heard of that line “Knock two birds with one stone” !  Basically, google says, “It means to succeed in achieving two things in a single action”. Which is true! Well I am thinking, of calling   google & telling them to change the meaning, into a word answer “Smoothie”.

There is just something about smoothies, that knocks not just one bird, but the entire family down, a total wipe out! Okay, not to sound cruel to animals but you get my point!

Smoothies are not just deliciously tasty, they perfect for the ultimate breakfast, especially if you on the go. The plus side is they also packed with a whole lot of goodness, nutrients, for your mind & body to kick start the day, as well as keep you fuller for longer so you do not over eat during the day.

With a smoothie you never limited to what ingredients to blend in. From oats, to nuts, to yogurt, to low fat milk, fruits fresh or frozen, honey, vegetables, ice or even water …

Feel free to try & use any type of mixture or if you like me, try them all in one. Either way its going to give you a very healthy, energy loaded, fuller for longer & a naturally sweet drink all in 1 glass. Indeed, a bargain for the body! The best results for that lovely smooth silky texture you will have to throw it all into a blender. Fancy a smoothie?

Fruit Smoothies

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Number of Servings: 2

1. Peel the banana, add the fruits, yoghurt, milk etc everything actually in the blender.
2. Liquidize until smooth if its to thick add a splash of milk or juice , whiz it again.
3. Taste add honey to your liking.
4. Pour in your to go cup! Ta-DA easy as that!

Bon Appetit!

Peach & plum smoothie

Tip: Most people think a banana like in the picture above, means its gone off. Honestly its actually the best stage for your body to benefit from a banana(ripe bananas with the black spots).

As soon as you’ve got the cooking bug & enthusiastic ideas pumping in your brain, you need to get cracking & cooking towards that good tasting food that is quick as possible to create.

To do that you will need plenty of practice & of course ingredients! That means you need to go shopping again! The pure pleasure I achieve from food shopping doesn’t even make me feel guilty, as food is a basic human need.

But I’ll be honest I do always budget when it comes to food, not only is food pricey these days but when pushing a trolley, one can get pretty carried away. So to start filling up those pantry cupboards with good basic ingredients, we need to have an ingredients list (e.g. spices, herbs, oils…) the fridge with fresh healthy produce (dairy, cheese, fresh fruits & vegetables…) & the freezer too (poultry, meat, fish etc.).

It’s also good to keep in mind that there is nothing bad about frozen vegetables, fruits, tinned tomatoes, tinned tuna…Ideally, we would all be better off if we always ate organic, fresh vegetables at the peak of ripeness, when their nutrient levels are highest. That may be possible during harvest season if you grow your own vegetable garden.

The advantage of frozen fruits and vegetables is they are quick to access while cooking, affordable & just as superior as the freshest nutritionally. However not as much for canned stuff as the canning process tends to result in nutrient loss. (The exceptions include tomatoes and pumpkin.) When buying frozen fruits and vegetables, steer away from those than have been chopped, peeled or crushed; they will generally be less nutritious.

So basically go buy whatever you need, remember to check the best before date & it will all sit happily in your pantry & freezer for months. The truth is having these basic ingredients will allow you to do much more exciting things with your food. As well as it will be a quick & easy cooking operation in the kitchen.

Basic kitchen Ingredients List:

Pantry Cupboard

Baking

• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda

Chocolate

• Cocoa powder
• Bitter-sweet chocolate chips
• Milk chocolate chips
• White chocolate chips
• Cocoa powder

Flours

• All-purpose flour
• Gluten-free flour
• Whole-wheat flour
• Semolina
• Baking powder
• Corn flour
• Tartaric acid
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Self-rising flour
• Dried yeast

Sugars

• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Castor sugar
• Icing sugar
• Vanilla essence

Sweeteners (natural)

• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Molasses

Oils

• Coconut oil
• Cooking spray
• Olive oil
• Sesame oil
• Vegetable oil

Nuts

• Almonds (sliced)
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Pistachio’s

Dried Fruits

• Apricots
• Raisins
• Prunes
• Raisins

Condiments, Sauces & Liquids

• Barbecue Sauce
• Chili Sauce
• Vegetable stock
• Ketchup
• Dijon Mustard
• Peanut butter
• Soy Sauce (low-sodium)
• Tabasco
• Mayonnaise

Vinegars

• Balsamic vinegar
• Cider vinegar
• Rice vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce
• White vinegar
• Brown vinegar

Spices, Seasonings & Herbs

• Bay leaves (dry)
• Black peppercorns (for grinding)
• Chili powder
• Crushed red pepper
• Curry powder
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Dried rosemary
• Dried thyme
• Garlic powder
• Ground all-spice
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground cumin
• Ground ginger
• Ground nutmeg
• Paprika (regular & smoked)
• Cayenne pepper
• BBQ spice
• Lemon pepper
• Salt

Tinned Foods for the Pantry Cupboards

• Cannellini beans
• Kidney beans
• Chickpeas
• Diced green chillies
• Roasted red bell peppers
• Tomatoes
• Diced tomatoes
• Sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed)
• Tomato paste
• Tomato sauce
• Tuna
• Coconut milk

Vegetables and Herbs (fresh)

• Basil
• Bell peppers (various colours)
• Carrots
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lettuce
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mint
• Onions
• Green onion
• Red onion
• Yellow or White onion
• Parsley
• Potatoes
• Russet
• Sweet Potatoes
• Spinach
• Tomatoes

Grains and Pasta

• Bread Crumbs
• Couscous
• Rice
• Basmati
• Brown
• Jasmine
• Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, shells)
• Lasagne sheets
• Tortillas (flour and corn)
• Oats
• Mix seeds

Meats (store frozen)

Beef

• Ground beef
• Various steak cuts

Poultry

• Chicken breast (boneless/skinless)
• Chicken thighs/wings/drumsticks

Seafood

• Fish Fillets (salmon, sole, hake tuna or tilapia)
• Prawns (peeled and deveined)

Basic Frozen Foods

• Peas
• Sweetcorn
• French beans
• Short crust pastry
• Phyllo pastry
• Puff pastry

Refrigerated Miscellaneous

• Butter
• Cheeses (Cheddar, Feta, Parmesan, Cream cheese, Gouda, Halloumi…etc.)
• Eggs large
• Milk (full cream, low fat)
• Sour Cream
• Whipping Cream
• Yogurt (Greek or low-fat)

Organized ingredients is a must! You can even do it yourself, I am a huge fan of DIY projects constantly checking out YouTube videos for new hacks to make my life easier. For me a well ordered, hygienically clean & efficient kitchen storage is a must. One of my favourite is the glass jars & chalkboard stickers. Be creative the kitchen is your playground!

Storage Glass Jars

Chef Tasneem Saith

Hey Guys

So its a typical non-alcoholic hangover Monday morning, oops its actually Tuesday (yesterday was a public holiday). Suddenly the amazing relaxing beach weekend away feeling has left us. With no idea how we had not heard even one of our alarms go off. All I heard was the sound, “Crap! Honey I am late for work!”.

In one swift movement I jumped out of bed. Who says chef’s cannot cook in their pj’s? With breakfast time being delayed,  the race to get to work had started & we were last…So as I launch into cracking & whisking those eggs, mum’s container next to my bread bin calls out,” Open me!” Ohhhh yeah! I had found it! (The croissants that mum baked & sent) Ping! Idea! Fill them croissants! A pleasurable breakfast, for those days you feel like a New Yorker. With a coffee in one hand & croissant it the other “Having breakfast on the go!” , but really if you have time to spare, in actual fact relish the moment! Its pretty close to breakfast for a king, uniquely stacked up, all in one.

So I made two different eggs one scrambled, how the hubby likes it & the other poached. Its just divine, especially with thinly carved slices of meat (you can add cold meat, salt meat , beef , chicken or slices of grilled polony) .

NB: The recipes for all the different types of cooked eggs will be on a separate post.

Breakfast Croissants

Serves: 2

Scrambled Egg Croissant

Ingredients:

2 croissants

2-3 eggs cooked to your liking(scrambled, fried, boiled, poached)

20gr cheese (grated cheddar/gouda/feta)

handful of rocket leaves

handful of grated carrots, capsicums or any salad vegetables mixed

sauté a few slices of red onion

a few slices of tomato (cubed)

thin slices of cold meat/salt meat/polony

5ml olive oil

5ml salad dressing of your choice

1ml cayenne pepper

1ml dried herbs

2ml aromat (optional)

tabasco (optional)

salt

pepper

Method:

1. Slice open the croissants on one side but not all the way through.
2. Place the inside flesh of the croissant down on a pan with a little olive oil to toast.
3. Add the cooked eggs to your liking, sprinkle aromat & seasoning.
4. Topped with the sauté onions, tomato, carrots & other vegetables.
5. Add  salad dressing & dried herbs.
6. Add the meat.
7. Top with the cheese.
8. Grill for 5 mins in the oven until cheese is melted.

Bon Appetit!

Poached Egg Croissant

Chef Tasneem Saith

While most people are into the latest technology in smartphones, laptops, cameras, gadgets…You name it. I am more of a kitchen stuff fanatic! There is just something about kitchen gear that highly excites me. Whenever I walk into a kitchen store, it’s like an adrenaline rush! My heart starts racing & I feel like a kid in Candylicious 😉 Not that I am a compulsive shopaholic, but rather a logical shopper, when it comes to costing. A subject in chef school & a skill you will learn with experience in the kitchen. I must admit growing up I did have one other weakness beside cheesecake & Iced-coffee…Wait for it…A kitchen WHISK! I know right? Weird! Somehow every month I couldn’t help myself but always get the newest version of a whisk.

These days more than ever before you can buy really affordable kitchen gear & it’s great in a way, for anyone. Whether you’re a beginner cook or a devotee, with all the essential equipment in the kitchen, you can get the cooking job done in no time, no matter what your budget is! On the other hand due to cheap quality items out there, we tend to spend on things we could really do without. My advice is rather save up for the best quality products required for you to be an efficient & successful cook! Trust me, it will totally be worth scrimping & saving on, especially when it comes to things like knifes, frying pans, food processors, wooden chopping boards…etc. Not only will it be saving you more money in the long run, but also time & ingredients as the quality of your food will turn out great the first time round.

Here is a bare minimum of what you will need to whip up that storm:

• Knives: 30cm chef’s knife, 15cm carving knife, 15cm serrated knife & a small paring knife(I use victorinox knives in my opinion it’s the best, well worth it, I have been using it every day since my chef school days & is still as good as new)
• Extra-large good quality non-stick frying pan
• Griddle pan
• Set of thick-bottomed sauce pans (small, medium, large)
• Good sturdy baking pans
• Mixing bowls (prefer the stainless steel doesn’t stain)
• Wooden spoons
• Metal whisk
• Speed peeler
• Potato masher
• Ladle
• Plastic Spatula
• Scale
• Sieves (one fine, one coarse)
• Large colander
• Thick sturdy wooden chopping board
• Small plastic chopping board
• Salad spinner
• Measuring jug
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Box grater
• Food processor
• Mixer (hand mixer or counter top depends on your style)
• Metal tongs
• Rolling pin
• Tin opener
• Good quality cooking pots
• Pestle and mortar (perfect for grinding & crushing spices, herbs etc.)
• Blender

I probably can go on for days…Hopefully this post gives a basic understanding to kitchen must haves  &  works best for your cooking style.

Chef Tasneem Saith

Happy New Year Everybody 😉

Wish you all the best for the year ahead & may all your dreams be fulfilled!

So my entire family & I went down to the east coast for the holidays, to Durban KZN aka South Africa’s playground. During new years day we had a mega action planned day, but little did we know God’s plan was better! After an early rise, a top class of mum’s breakfast, we loaded up the car with all our beach things, tents, braai gear & not to forget lots of food.

We drove in a convoy about 50 mins towards the south coast. When we arrived at pennington beach tidal pool it was jam packed, we were stopped by the police telling us, “We cannot enter the crowd is full up” . So we drove along the streets on the side of a railway track until, we spotted a man with a baby walking & next thing he disappeared in the trees… One of my cousins suggested, “follow that man!” . Suddenly, we were on a mission, I felt as if I was in a scooby doo movie, adventure awaits. So through the trees & bush we crossed a railway line, until we stood on a mountain of rocks & as we looked up, all that was in front of us was a pathway of sand, between rocks leading to the ocean. A totally private beach! WOW! It was incredible, I really haven’t seen anything like it before! Amazed at God’s creation! We set up camp, had the perfect swim & awesome braai food, with salads galore! Mum prepared everything that morning, she works even on public holidays. It was the perfect day, totally fun times with loved ones.

Our Private Beach

Enjoy the holidays!

Chef Tasneem Saith

I start with Praise to my Almighty Creator for His endless blessings unto me. Granting me the strength, knowledge & the ability to offer my best.

My name is Tasneem Saith, a Qualified City & Guilds Chef in South Africa. Allow me to fill you in on the latest scoop about me. I’ll be honest the kitchen is my playground, where I am literally on a roll! Totally in my element, making dreams & the science of cooking come to life. Besides sounding like a crazy scientist, which sometimes I feel I am! Especially during those storming rainy nights, working until late hours experimenting with all things than can blow your taste buds away. At the end of it all, it doesn’t even feel like work for me, simply because I love what I do! The kitchen is my happy place. And that is what I plan to achieve with this blog too.

I keep my recipes simple, as well as my pictures natural, just to demonstrate creating food is not rocket science! I always thought that one day I’ll reach my dream by putting all my ideas into something fancy called a, “Recipe Book”. However, I really could not have waited any longer. I had to, spread, spread what I know across the globe! To inspire every person on this planet, to what good food is & how to utilize God’s freshest creation to the best of their ability. Just like every other type of education we receive, we must strive to use our knowledge about food in the most productive manner. That will not only satisfy, but also benefit our every need.

Furthermore, CHEFThyme’s goal is not only going to be about food, but also about health, travel, home fashion & all things creatively entertaining. So watch this space! I started blogging only recently, but I have no regrets thus far. Life has been amazingly busy, juggling priorities, schedules, teaching, Radio Islam MW1548 every Wednesdays programme, working part-time & hosting CHEF Thyme cooking workshops…Super grateful to my “Best Friend” up there, for all HIS Kind Favours onto me throughout life.

My story all begins with my Mother, Hajra Saith. Who to me is the greatest chef in the world! I am fortunate to have developed an identifiable sensation of taste on my palate because of my mum’s home food cooking. All her life she worked long & hard hours, and without fail was still able to put a scrumptious meal, in fact a feast on the dinner table. As if it was all planned, needless to say it was all instinctive cooking, from the heart.

Mums kitchen

Mums kitchen reminds me of a warm cheerful place filled with food. Steaming exotic aromas, emanating from pots & tasting unusual flavours of ingredients, that till today still lingers on my tongue. Combining unlike flavours, contrasting textures & using the freshest ingredients most people would never ever imagine blending together. However, every time, she would pull it off! Her passion for feeding her family & often entertaining guest is what inspired my Father, Siblings & I to make cooking a joyful experience.

After finishing school 2 years down the line of studying Interior Design & Architectural Draughting I had a sudden light bulb moment. I had come to realize that sitting in an office is just SO NOT ME! Even so I did enjoy it, I just felt the urge for something more…More creative, more out there & dynamic…Something more me! I decided to follow my heart, I changed career paths & studied culinary arts to become a Professional City & Guilds Chef.

There I was at 2am like a scientist whipping up my newest formula to a secret ingredient. I became even more in love with the kitchen, an addiction that just needed a spark, finally came to life! After qualifying I grew to perceive that as a chef I had a choice, I could either follow my career goals such as: work in an industrial kitchen, earn big monthly pay checks & get the experience required to work overseas…Or with my skills help inspire people to cook skilfully with energy-enriched, nutritious, good food for leading healthy lifestyles, which at that time was a need in the community & still is. Alike to my role model, Jamie Oliver.

You guessed it, I opted for the latter, hence the birth of “Chef Thyme”. A cooking workshop that I initially started of as a fun pasta making project with a few teenage girls (students of a close friend of mine) in Johannesburg, South Africa. It turned out a hit & the word CHEFThyme escalated.

Indeed I am ever so Thankful to my Creator, for I currently have a chef career better than I dreamt about & much more rewarding at the same time! Spreading my culinary knowledge is my purpose & with the support of my Husband, Parents, Family, Friends…My goal is to influence people of all ages.

Teach them the basic primal skills, that every individual on this planet should know to cook with finesse & have the confidence to achieve excellence! Soon to be empowered to create truly delicious, wholesome, crowd pleasing meals for themselves, families, friends, etc.

And Yes! I believe anyone can cook! I believe in you, so you should too! LET’S DO THIS!!!

Chef Tasneem Saith

Greetings out there!

I start with all Praise & Thanks is to my Almighty Creator for His endless blessings unto me & granting me the strength , knowledge & the ability to offer my best.

My name is Tasneem Saith, a Qualified City & Guilds Chef in Johannesburg, South Africa. Allow me to fill you in on my totally normal & professional side, before things get crazy over here. For soon you to will begin to develop an addiction to all things that CHEFThyme food does to you internally, mentally, physically & emotionally. I’ll be honest the kitchen is my playground, where I am literally on a roll!  Totally in my element, making dreams & the science of cooking come to life. Okay, besides sounding like a crazy scientist, which sometimes I feel I am! Especially during those stormy rainy nights working until late hours experimenting with all things than can blow your taste buds away. But at the end of it all, it doesn’t even feel like work for me, because I love what I do! The kitchen is my happy place. And that is what I plan to achieve with this blog too. I started blogging only recently due to a busy life & my hectic schedule, being a wife, teacher, working hours & occasionally hosting cooking workshops… I always thought that one day I’ll achieve my dream of putting my ideas all in one, into something thing called “A recipe book”. But I don’t think I could wait any longer. I must spread, spread what I know! To inspire all those beautiful people in the world, to what good food is on a larger scale & how to utilize God’s creation given to us in the best possible manner, that satisfies our every need.

My story began with my Mother , Hajra Saith. Who to me is the greatest chef in the world. I am grateful to have developed an identifiable sensation of taste on my palate because of my mum’s cooking. All her life she worked long & hard hours, without fail was still able to put a scrumptious meal, infact a feast on the dinner table. As if it was all planned, but naturally as always she instinctively cooked from the heart.

Mums kitchen

Mums kitchen reminds me of a warm happy place, with steaming exotic aromas emanating from pots & tasting unusual flavors of ingredients that till today still lingers on my tongue. Combining unlike flavors, contrasting textures & using the freshest ingredients most people would never ever imagine blending together, however every time she would pull it of! Her passion for feeding her family & often entertaining guest is what inspired my Father, Siblings & I to make cooking a joyful experience. After finishing school 2 years down the line of studying Interior Design & Architectural Draughting I had a sudden light bulb moment, I had come to realize that sitting in an office is just SO not me! Not that I didn’t enjoy it, but rather I needed something more creative, more out there & dynamic , something more me! I decided to follow my heart, change career paths & study culinary arts to become a Professional City & Guilds Chef. There I was at 2am like a scientist whipping up my newest formula to a secret ingredient. I became even more in love with the kitchen an addiction that just needed a spark finally came to life!  After qualifying I grew to perceive that as a chef I had a choice, I could either follow my career goals, work in an industrial kitchen, earn big monthly paychecks & get the experience required to work overseas…Or with my skills help inspire people to cook skilfully with energy-enriched , nutritious , good food for leading healthy lifestyles, which at that time was a need in the community & still is. You guessed it, I opted for the latter, hence the birth of “Chef Thyme”. A cooking workshop that I initially started of as a fun pasta making project with a few teenagers, student’s of a close friend of mine’s in  Johannesburg , South Africa. It turned out a hit & word spread. Indeed I am ever so Thankful to my Creator, that I currently have a chef career better than I dreamt of having & much more rewarding at the same time! Spreading my culinary knowledge is my purpose & with the support of my Husband, Parents, Family, Friends…my goal is to influence people of all ages. Teach the basic primal skills, that every individual on this planet should know to awaken a desire within themselves to cook with finesse & have the confidence to achieve excellence! And soon be empowered to create truly delicious, wholesome, crowd pleasing meals for themselves, families, friends, etc. And Yes! I believe anyone can cook, I believe in you, so you should to.

LET’S DO THIS !!!

Chef Tasneem Saith