Nobody knows how to welcome guests better than Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout. We get some expert hosting advice from “the most famous white woman in South Africa”.
There can be no fighting between enemies around a dinner table – too many knives and forks, muses Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout in her latest cookbook, Evita’s Bossie Sikelela. Now in her 80s, the dame of Darling is still politically active – in the kitchen and otherwise – adding a healthy dollop of humorous commentary to our country’s state of affairs.
Rising to fame as the wife of an NP member of parliament in the ’70s, Evita found herself “on the fringes of power, but elbow‑deep in the catering” – and she didn’t mind dishing up stories of what she saw.
Her own political career is expansive: starting as the South African ambassador to the independent homeland republic of Bapetikosweti, she moved on to the ANC and soon formed her own “political team”, Evita’s People’s Party, which champions voter education.
These days, she shares her thoughts on current affairs in her hilarious “Evita Praat Kaktus” sessions at Evita se Perron theatre in Darling, as well as “cooking for reconciliation” through her two cookbooks.
What are your top three hosting tips?
Mix and match. Unexpected guests. Avoid repetitions… And keep cards on each guest through the years – allergies, favourite foods, politics, culture, marriage – so that you have all the facts right.
What was your biggest dinner party fail?
I don’t have failures; I have stages of success. The only true failure happened during the first load-shed, before we knew how to survive in the dark. I also struggled a bit with vegan guests, but now some ‘meat’ is grown from greens and tastes better than the real thing. Politics can easily kill a dinner party, so I am very good at changing the subject. ‘Sub judice’ is my best friend.
What can’t you do without when hosting at your home?
A funny person is essential. At first – before 1990 – they were Afrikaans and promised not to use bad language. Then as the rainbow emerged, they needed to be comics of colour and promise to only swear in their mother tongue, which meant that most of us designer-democrats wouldn’t be offended. A good round of laughter before the hors d’oeuvres can really make or break a dinner party.
What are your pet peeves when you go to a party?
The same old faces result in the same old stories. I sometimes focus on special groups: a Jewish dinner; a boere braai; a gay gavotte (mainly demanded by my three grandchildren, which also means getting the trans/binary alphabet correct and respectful). Remember, you as host are also a guest, so be sure to enjoy yourself.
What makes a fine host?
Invisibility. Allowing guests to lead the conversation. Know when to bring on the next course. Get the perfect recipe of ethnic, cultural and gender representations.
What is the best gift to give a host when you arrive?
At the moment: candles!
What is your most impressive party trick?
An unexpected celebration, usually on a public holiday, and a surprise guest who only arrives for the dessert. Models and TV stars are usually quite expensive, but some are worth the trouble.
Is hosting worth all the effort?
The best combination is always old friends and a few new faces. If it’s worth the ‘effort’, it will just be an effort, so make it an ‘occasion’.
Words by: Christi Nortier
Photographs: Arks Smith, Fresh Living Magazine, Stefan Hurter
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