Onwards

When Karen Dudley closed her iconic restaurant, The Kitchen, in Woodstock, Cape Town, there were tears all over for the beloved establishment. Since then, Karen has found that connection does not necessarily reside only in bricks and mortar. She has found that she can carry that deliciousness onwards. This book is all about how she has done just that.In Onwards, Karen Dudley weaves a compelling narrative of how her life changed after the Covid-19 pandemic forced her to close her restaurant, The Kitchen. From these bleak circumstances arose something beautiful, offering the time and space for inspiration to take root, to rediscover her connection with food, and to shift her perception of what it means to cook, for oneself and for others. Onwards is a book about the way forward, filled with wholesome, nourishing and indulgent recipes, with a story of hope and happiness threaded throughout.

Karen Dudley is a South African chef, food writer and former restaurateur. She is best known for her iconic restaurant, The Kitchen, in Woodstock, Cape Town, a meeting point for creativity and connection. It was visited by former First Lady Michelle Obama in June 2011.Karen Dudley came to the world of food writing along a meandering path. From a historical mansion in Washington DC, via a galley kitchen in London’s Chelsea, a monastic stint running a grand old house in Constantia, to opening the lunch spot on the streets of bad old Woodstock.Since the Covid-19 pandemic forced The Kitchen’s closure, Karen has been putting her creative energies into developing menus for other South African restaurants that have embraced movement towards vegetable-centric dishes. She is also working in television, is a judge for the 2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, and continues to write about food and whatever else is on her mind.

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