About Christine

My love of making things crystallised during my high school years where I excelled at Home Economics.

After a gap year doing a secretarial course I majored in Home Economics and History at Wits School of Education, graduating summa cum laude as best all round student including various awards for Home Economics.

After graduating I embarked on a steep, wonderful learning curve teaching Home Economics in local High Schools. Later I opened an Arts and Crafts Studio from home while also working part-time at a cooking school for domestic workers. During this time the Wits School of Education sought me out and I took up a post lecturing Technology and Consumer Science to education students. After the birth of our daughter I decided to focus my energies on being a good mom and so trained as a swimming instructor which I could do part-time. So I’m well versed in many avenues and age groups of teaching!

As I entered my 40’s my interest in cooking blossomed and I began to devote many hours to testing recipes, then combining and simplifying them for the best results as well as creating new recipes where I felt there was a need.

I am happily married to my husband Rod who is a very willing taster of all my culinary experimentation – after almost 30 years of marriage he is still alive and well which I take as a positive sign after all that tasting! We are both born and bred Joburgers living in sunny South Africa. My husband Rod is an engineer as well as a skilled woodworker, welder and mechanic. Between the two of us there is seldom a dull moment in our home!

I just love being a mom to our kind, gentle, thoughtful teenage daughter who shares many of the same skills and passions as I do. We spend hours together in the kitchen and our craft studio working on new recipes or arts and crafts projects together. My daughter is a talented artist and photographer and it is to her that I owe my gratitude for many of the beautiful photos and videos on this website. She is also my tech guru and my guide to cooking likes and wants for teens.

After a year-long battle with debilitating encephalitis as I turned 50, I realised that I needed to act on my dream of opening a cooking school where I could encourage and inspire cooks from all walks of life with authentic, simple, delectable recipes made from commonly found ingredients – with a particular focus on sustainable, healthy living.

I believe that in each of us there is a dormant chef just waiting for the right instructor and recipes to coax it into being. It would be my greatest joy if the recipes and instruction you find here help inspire you and unleash your hidden chef so that you too can blossom from “flop to fabulous” (to quote Joan, one of my BFF’s, who is a newly blossoming Simply Delectable kitchen goddess).

Wishing you happy browsing through these pages as you select and master various Simply Delectable recipes and techniques.