Cookbook author Kohler on food, festivities and family

FOR cookbook author and hostess-with the-mostest Jan Kohler celebrations are synonymous with food.

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"We associate certain dishes with holidays that we celebrate, and the food becomes a tradition that our families look forward to every year. We turn to them because they are familiar, comforting and, actually, downright delicious," says the author of Pink Gin and Fairy Cakes and its successor Celebrations.

"The food I cook and the recipes in my books are created for novice cooks, busy people and parents who have their hands full. I always use local (or easy to find) ingredients and cook delicious, simple food (that would work well for family suppers) but also dishes that can go a long way and will impress at a party over the festive season," the Johannesburg resident says.

We asked the ebullient Kohler some questions as she shares some of her favourite festive holiday recipes.

Who were your food idols or mentors?

It was only when I moved out of home that I discovered chefs who were cooking on TV, like Food Network, and started to get my hands on the books of celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Nigella was definitely my food idol and I became a domestic goddess "wannabe"! I'd have to say about Jamie that I loved how accessible and simple he made cooking for everyone. I like to think that I've since grown up and discovered so many more wonderful chefs and books out there. The world is truly full of incredibly inspiring and talented people.

Tell us about your recipe books and why you decided to write them?