Former East London restaurateur Petro Lotz, who now owns an Eat restaurant in Prince Albert, will be rustling up an African-inspired Christmas lunch for her guests with everything from a Marmite cake to Moroccan tagine on the festive menu.
Lotz, who owned Appetito Catering and Cooking School after closing Al Mare Restaurant on East London’s Esplanade, owns Eat in the Karoo with husband Joubert.
They also own Yellow House Guesthouse in the small town and have already celebrated an early family Christmas.
Now they are all set to roll up their sleeves and hit the kitchen on Christmas Day, the way that restaurant owners do.
The Weekender asked the exuberant foodie all things Christmas and what it was like to create a memorable Christmas lunch for restaurant guests:
Q: What did Christmas Day look like when you were growing up?
Q: Christmas growing up was often spent at Jongensfontein near Still Bay where my parents would rent a house for the holidays.
My dad fished and my mom read boxes and boxes of books. I sneaked off to the caravan park where there was a lively dance floor and lots of hormonal teenagers.
On Christmas Day, we would attend the church meeting which, in those days, was quite liberal with people dressed in slip slops and shorts and very different from the dress-up churchgoing during the year.
When we went to Jongensfontein after Christmas, I have one vivid memory: my dad, tall, shirtless, wearing my mom’s short Biggy Best apron, shelling crayfish and chomping away on the legs.
He cooked them on a Cadac gas stove outside as the smell (and sounds of live crayfish cooking) made mom nauseous. We would have the crayfish as a starter for the evening. Mom enthusiastically partook of this.
Q: What traditions did you retain for your children?
A: We still hand out our gifts on Christmas Eve. Everyone dresses up and we share the Christmas message of Jesus’ birth.
Q: If you could ask for anything as a Christmas gift, what would it be?
A: My best Christmas gift is to have our kids with us. It’s getting more tricky as they are scattered across the world, so this year we had Christmas early in November when everyone was in South Africa and all could be together.
Q: How do you decorate your home at Christmas time?
A: My Christmas decor is simple. We live in Africa, so the European decor, as gorgeous as it is, doesn’t work for me, especially not in 43ºC Karoo Christmases!
I love natural textures, certainly a bit of glimmer, and the impact of boldness.
Q: At the restaurant we hang colourful baubles from our pergolas that move with the summer wind and — bonus — help chase the flies away.
A: This year I will decorate the entrance of the restaurant with woven rounds in gold, white and grey.
Q: Do you put up a Christmas tree at home and if so, is it traditional or unconventional?
A: We have not had a traditional Christmas tree for many years. Here in the Karoo it might be a dry bush or an aromatic pepper tree twig.
Q: What is it like to own a restaurant that is open on Christmas Day and what is on the menu at Eat?
A: These days Christmas at home is a bit of an impossibility. We’ll be closed for Christmas Eve so our staff can also spend the night with their families.
We will probably braai and get to bed early. Christmas Day we will be busy serving lunch. We always try do something special.
Q: Last year we did a Greek Christmas menu. This year we are doing a Christmas under the African Sun: Food from Koekenaap to Cairo.
A: The inspiration for this menu was partly the awe that our European guests have for our continent, partly our love for the exotic flavours of Africa, and partly a desire to honour our South African heritage of lesser-sung heroes such as Marmite cake and paptert.
We think we have put together a great feast — from a spectacular Ethiopian wot to a Moroccan tagine.
We have lamb choppies on the braai served with millet cakes from Tanzania. Our friend Marcine sent us the most wonderful green peppercorns from Madagascar, which will of course feature.
I get carried away!
At this stage, we are almost fully booked for the lunch. We will be hosting South African families, European travellers and Prince Albert friends.
Q: Can you describe the atmosphere at home at Christmas time?
A: For me, the atmosphere around Christmas is always one of gratitude. Firstly towards Jesus for becoming flesh and doing the death and life swap for us.
We have a tradition in our family where everyone needs to name something he or she is grateful for. Nobody is ever at a loss for words, because we really have a lot to be thankful for.
Q: In your opinion, what is the one dish no traditional Christmas table should be without?
A: For me it is trifle. And there is a tremendous feud between my husband and myself, because both our moms made trifle in totally different ways. And each believes his or her mom’s was the best. And never the twain shall meet.
Q: Are you handing out any special gifts?
A: Our staff are getting special gifts this year. They are our people and we have immense respect and gratitude towards them.
Q: What would you give planet Earth if you could?
A: I don’t think wars will ever end, and neither will hardship and corruption.
I would wish for every person on this earth to see value in himself or herself. To find a full life within their circumstances.
For young people to find role models that are not encrusted in bling and not to be impressed by noisy cars and vulgar music and messages.
For us all to find quiet in ourselves and acceptance of ourselves, where and how we are.
And if we could stop poisoning our soil with pesticides and be happy with blemished fruit and veggies, that would be an absolute bonus.
Weekender
