I love to brag about my foodie friend Sam Linsell:  She’s a fancy pants food stylist and has made all sorts of yummy things look even yummier for big ass clients both locally and abroad. Whenever I’m in Woolies with my boyfriend and he points out an especially delish-looking pic on the front of one their microwaves dinners I always go ‘yes, Saaam probably did that… she does the styling for evvverrryone…’

Sam’s also got her first cook book on the shelves, Drizzle & Dip, so named after her super popular foodie blog.

I popped into Sotano in Mouille Point the other day for the book’s launch, got my mitts on a copy (thanks Vivian!) and it’s now sitting pride of place on my microwave, waiting for a day I run out of heat n’ eat ‘cancer in a bag’-type meals and decide to get jiggy with my stovetop.

Of all Sam’s beautiful recipes, I’m most keen to try her Tequila bolognaise (sound good, right?!) but in the mean time I shall leave you with this, a link to her totally sinfull red velvet ice cream recipe.

Sam’s always come up with the most divine super-imaginative treats, like the butter chicken pizza (!) she created for Balducci’s in the V&A a few months back.

Anyway, if you want to buy Sam’s book you’ll find it in most good bookstores going for R195. It’s also available via Kalahari, Exclusives and Yuppiechef. If you’re a total cheapskate and want to stock up on some of her recipe’s for free, pop on over to her beautiful blog.

Love, love

Leigh