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J'Something is cooking with love

Cape Town - The Mi Casa frontman and these-days celebrity cook is in love with food.

"I cook with a lot of love," confesses J. His real name is Joao Da Fonseca and "when I came over to South Africa at age 7, a lot of people had a hard time pronouncing my real name, so I said that they can call me anything with a 'J' – that's how the name J'Something came about”.

Viewers will see him in action on My Kitchen Rules South Africa from Sunday 13 August on M-Net at 18:00 and he made time to chat to us about his love for food.
 
How did you get involved with My Kitchen Rules SA?
I received a call from M-Net and at the time I was totally hooked on the Australian version because it’s a show all about home cooks, so it was easy to relate to. So when I got the call, it really was a no brainer!

What do the contestants need to do to impress you?
Contestants have to push themselves and what they are capable of. They shouldn't be afraid of pushing their culinary boundaries. Also what is key is to cook from the heart and make home-cooked meals – don’t try to do fine dining. We are looking for the top home cooks in SA.

What do you think people get wrong when they cook?
They stress too much. Let the ingredients do their thing and you do your thing. Read the recipe in advance and make sure you have done your planning. When it’s time to cook, just execute.

As a kid, were you always interested in food?
Definitely! When I was growing up, both of my parents were in the food industry. I grew up in the kitchen with my mom and I loved watching her cook. Watching her put so much love into each and every meal that she prepared is really where my love for food originated.

Which family member is your greatest supporter?
My beautiful wife Coco. She has always been my greatest supporter. She's always supported all my ideas.

What do you think you're good at in the kitchen?
I pride my cooking skills on my ability to be creative with the recipes and most importantly to have fun in the kitchen.

How do you balance being a chef, restaurant owner and musician?
The key to balancing all of this is loving what I do and having an incredible, kick-ass team behind me who allow me to dream while they do the groundwork!

Lastly, why should viewers tune in for MKRSA on 13 August?
It's going to be such a VIBE! Come for the food and stay for the drama! There are lots of both.

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