The General Store, Dressed & Seasoned

Part celebration, part secret-weapon manual, Dressed & Seasoned is the debut cookbook from Colette Maclennan – chef-owner of The General Store, a small but mighty café at the bottom of Bree Street in Cape Town that’s been feeding locals since 2015. With recipes built on simplicity and flavour, this is unfussy food done well. From learning the secrets to making the juiciest grilled chicken to The General Store’s iconic chocolate brownies, this book promises café favourites and midweek winners alike. Delivered with the signature General Store flair: veg-forward, herb-heavy, seasonally inspired and deceptively simple but impressive. Home cooks will learn the art of cooking the humble chicken breast to perfection (with half a dozen different flavours), how to make a salad you can’t wait to eat, and how to use an arsenal of sauces and dressings to turn everyday ingredients into crave-worthy meals. Whether you’re cooking for one, feeding your family or hosting friends, Dressed & Seasoned gives you the blueprint for good food – no overthinking required.

Colette Maclennan is the proud owner and head chef of The General Store, a much-loved café and catering company in Cape Town. Colette, aka ‘The General’, hails from KwaZulu-Natal and honed her skills at the prestigious Silwood School of Cookery in Cape Town. After graduating, she worked in some of the city’s top restaurants before moving to London, where she spent a decade working at Finns of Chelsea. With a wealth of experience under her belt, she returned to Cape Town to start her own business. Opened in the spring of 2015, The General Store has become known for its fresh, ever-changing menu and irresistible daily baked goods served up by a powerhouse team of women. As The General Store celebrates its 10th birthday, the recipes collected in this book represent the hard work, delicious food and the vibrant community that supports it.