Sally Andrew on how a fictional agony aunt wrote a cookbook called Recipes to Live For
Already known for her much-loved series of Tannie Maria novels, writer Sally Andrew can now add to her cap the feather of “Gourmand-shortlisted” cookbook author. She shares with TASTE how the book developed, and what fans can expect next from the main character, Maria.
First there were the celebrated Tannie Maria murder mystery novels – of which there are now four, published in 14 languages across five continents. Then came the highly entertaining TV adaptation Recipes for Love and Murder (already in its second season, produced by Acorn TV). And now, writer Sally Andrew’s cookbook, Recipes to Die Live For: A Tannie Maria Cookbook, has not only found a devoted audience, but has also been shortlisted for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in two categories – the Acknowledgements Award and the Local Regions Award.
It seems there is no end to the appeal of Sally’s character Tannie Maria, who she describes as: “an agony aunt from a small Karoo town who responds to her readers’ appeals with recipes, and who uses food to bribe people when she’s investigating murders”. We all have our unique talents, right?
The making of Recipes to Live For
“Isn’t life funny, how one thing leads to another?” This is the opening line of the first book in the series, Recipes for Love and Murder, and it’s also the words Sally uses when asked about the success of her cookbook. “To think that a recipe book built around a fictional character could be shortlisted for a worldwide award like this just feels crazy to me!”
All the same, she does feel that the book came together magnificently. The recipes, of course, were already there. Each Tannie Maria book is brimming with mouthwatering suggestions of what Maria thinks her readers should cook to feel better or solve their problems – and all the recipes are shared in full at the end of the books. But when you add to this mix stylist Caro Alberts, with her flair for colour, and Struik/Random House designer Helen Henn’s vision for making the book feel “rich and alive”, and gorgeous photography by Ed O'Riley, the final product is quite something. Shot over a week in a cottage in the Karoo, Sally calls the end result “a beautiful collaboration with the place and the people involved”.
Tannie Maria’s style of cooking
If Sally were to describe Tannie Maria’s mantra for or style of cooking, it would be “moan-out-loud delicious”. “Tannie Maria’s skills way surpass my own,” she laughs. “I worked with lots of chefs and helpers and tasters – research is a massive part of my recipe writing. Some of the recipes are my own inventions, and many come from working with others to create something completely new.” This explains, in part, why the book was nominated in the acknowledgments category – her list of collaborators is impressive.
Even so, the recipes in the book are meant for readers, not chefs. “It’s traditional South African food and, of course, lots of Karoo food, with a fresh twist. I would say slow food, but not overly complicated.”
Speaking of complicated, I ask Sally whether it’s true that her character Maria has an emotional relationship with food and if she sometimes falls into the trap (as so many of us do) of “eating her feelings”. “Oh yes,” she answers, “and this is something that I explore particularly in the fourth book, Milk Tart Murders. Maria is going through some big emotional challenges with her romantic interest Henk and it reaches a point where she wonders whether she has an eating disorder. She realises that she has started eating to avoid life instead of celebrating it. She has to come to terms with the fact that she’s been squashing her feelings by overeating and that not only is it bad for herself, it’s an insult to the food! But she gets there and goes on a healing journey with food. “My books always have happy endings,” explains Sally. “In each book Maria develops more, emotionally and spiritually.”
What’s next for Tannie Maria?
Can we expect a fifth Tannie Maria adventure? Sally confirms that she has finished the first draft of the next book, titled Wild Things Never Die, which will be on the shelves next year. “The book revolves around succulent poaching in South Africa, so there is both a political and environmental theme. But in the bigger scheme it is also about choosing connection rather than control as a way of relating to things – to nature, your relationships, your cooking, and to yourself!”
The metaphor she uses comes back to cooking: “It’s like when you’re making sourdough bread and you try to control it – you can’t win. Connection is so much more relaxing and fun than control. Especially if you can act from a place of kindness. The general theme of all my books is to be kind. Be kind to yourself, and be kind to others. And whatever you’re doing, try to enjoy life.” Words to live by, indeed.
Sally Andrews in 6 questions
1. What do you ALWAYS have in your fridge?
Sourdough culture, often neglected.
2. What's your go-to comfort dish? Or something you would make to offer comfort to someone else?
Avo mashed with lime and olive oil on wholegrain sourdough toast.
3. Any guilty pleasures?
Dark chocolate. Dried mangoes.
4. Do you a have first food memory? The first time you registered something as truly delicious or special?
Jaffles made with my dad on the fire – with cheese, tomatoes, biltong, banana.
5. Is there a particular meal or dish that stands out for you as your best ever?
Tannie Maria's Venus cake. It’s a buttermilk chocolate cake with chocolate-coffee ganache icing and a layer of peanut butter and apricot jam in the centre. Decorated with peanut brittle and rose-geranium petals. It’s out of this world.
6. What are your favourite products from Woolies?
Deli free-range chicken salads with quinoa. Cold-pressed ginger juice. Limes. Lindt chocolate.
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