Salwaa Smith

Meet Salwaa

I was born and raise in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2001 my family and I moved to the UK in search of a better life for our children.

My interest in baking started in the kitchen with my mother. Being her assistant, I would peel the potatoes, taking mental notes of recipes and handy tips. You’d think by me spending all the time in the kitchen I’d one day be a brilliant cook but once I got married and left the nest, I felt lost in the kitchen. I had no clue what I was doing! Cooking was very much my mother’s domain, I was the baker which suited me perfectly at the time because my sweet tooth was always pleased!

My husband will often recall the first time I cooked a meal- what an inedible disaster it was! I bravely and very confidently told him that morning I was going to cook fish frikadel, I wish I hadn’t. It turned out burnt, mushy and definitely did not look like the way my mother’s used to.

However, that did not put me off cooking. I was determined and dedicated my time to perfecting my cooking skills. Inspirational and words of praise from my family was what really determined me to do better. My mother inspired me better my cooking and was always ready to criticise and advise me. My husband bought me Faldiela Williams' cook books and from then onwards everything changed and I can safely say my cooking has evolved for the better. The aromas, colours and pure passion to be found in Cape Malay cooking is a form of art all on its own.

In 2007, I attended a women empowering course where I learnt, suffice to say, words CHANGE LIVES. The course taught us that words can move mountains but they can also break spirits. They can also build, support, and yes, EMPOWER. Words have brilliance and the potential power to set free emotions strong enough to overwhelm each and every one of us. Words provoke us, inspire us, motivate us, make us fall in love, go to war and save lives. We need to, as women, encourage and support each other. After all we can relate to each other. I feel I have honestly felt the support from YOU ALL with your many words of encouragement and kindness.

I finally launched my first cookbook on 7th June 2015, Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook which is readily available from the following stockists:

http://capemalaycooking.me/cookbook-stockists/