Hot Off The Press Podcast

The South African beauty queen, award-winning baker and grill master, Linkie Marais, is more than your average chef! With a love for exploring, cooking and the outdoors, Chef Linkie Marais' ‘will to grill’ stems all the way back to her unique blend of South African and Southern roots. Born in Evander, a town in northeastern South Africa, Linkie was raised in the kitchen, helping her mother prepare meals on a daily basis. With a lack of abundant fresh ingredients, she inher- ited her mother’s creativity, utilizing whatever they had available to create fresh and original meals. Described by Linkie as a “melting pot,” South African cuisine incorporates influences from across the globe. “We love our meats – especially lamb – but South African cuisine is really a mix of northern African and European influences,” says Linkie. “We grew up eating everything from rustic cur- ries to fine breads and cakes.” Immigrating to the U.S. in 1999, Linkie and her family settled in Tupelo, Mississippi where she began her cul