Food content creator transforms basic dishes into art

Food content creator Kesolofetswe “Keso” Monnakgotla has used digital storytelling to transform culinary experiences into artistic showstoppers.

The 22-year-old culinary student is the magic behind the viral TikTok page @Yo.Meal.

Monnakgotla transforms kitchen basics into full-blown food artistry with cartoon-inspired dishes and playful pop culture-themed plates.

Think scrumptious, fluffy bacon pancakes (bacon dipped into pancake batter and fried), Mr Krabs’ Krabby Patty from SpongeBob SquarePants, cheese curl cream spinach, sushi pap and the viral Doritos-encrusted Russian corn dogs, which garnered a whopping million views.

“When the corn dogs video went viral, it was unexpected. What I did was I made it South African by using a Russian and not a sausage. Then I also added Doritos in my crumbing. At the time, I think I had maybe 5,000 followers. It was so surreal and really cool to have so many people engaging with me,” says Monnakgotla.

Monnakgotla discovered her content niche in the kitchen by recreating favourite cartoon meals into real-life dishes.

“I draw a lot of inspiration from other creators. I had bumped into a video where another creator had recreated a meal from a cartoon and I thought no one’s doing this in SA. Let me try this,” she says.

Monnakgotla has since pursued a culinary qualification after her food page gave her direction to pursue cooking professionally.

“After high school, I wasn’t sure what it was that I wanted to do and I had just started my food page way before I went to culinary school,” she says.

“I initially started with an assistant baking course, which I did and graduated and I then took up the full three-year course.

“We go to the industry and work in an industry kitchen. The things I learned from chefs and in the real world I use at school and in my content creation.”

Monnakgotla’s love for food is rooted in the nostalgic childhood meals back home in Mahikeng, North West.

“My mom is the biggest contributor to the type of person I am because she used to cook and I’d assist here and there. Gradually, I moved from being the taster to becoming the cook. My mom’s Sunday lunches were exceptional,” she says.

Cheese curl cream spinach

Ingredients

1 tbsp margarine or butter

1 tsp minced garlic

½ onion (or 1 small onion), finely diced

3-4 cups spinach, washed and chopped

½ tsp smoked paprika

Garlic salt, to taste

¼ cup fresh cream

1 tsp flour (to thicken)

1 cup crushed cheese curls

Method

Melt butter: In a pan, melt the margarine or butter over medium heat.

Sauté aromatics by adding garlic and diced onion to the pan. Cook until soft, fragrant and golden brown.

Add the chopped spinach and cook until wilted.

Season the spinach with smoked paprika and a light sprinkle of garlic salt. The Cheese Curls will also add to the saltiness

Pour in the cream and stir.

Thicken the spinach by adding a sprinkle of flour, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.

Stir in the Crushed Cheese curls just before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Enjoy as a side dish or use it as a filling for pies or pastries.

Russian corn dogs

Ingredients

For the Batter:

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

1 ½ cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour)

½ tsp salt

For the filling:

4-6 smoked Russians, halved

150-200 g cheese (Gouda or mozzarella), cut into thick sticks

For coating:

2 cups panko breadcrumbs or crushed Doritos (about 100g)

1 cup finely diced parboiled potatoes for extra crunch (optional)

For Frying:

Oil, for deep-frying

Method

Activate the yeast: Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy.

Make the batter: Stir in the flour and salt until smooth. The batter should be thick but still pourable.

To prepare the fillings, cut each Russian in half and place a thick stick of cheese on top of each half.

Insert a skewer through the centre to hold them together.

Coat the Russian-and-cheese combo by dipping it into the batter, making sure it’s evenly coated.

Crumb the Russian and cheese by rolling them immediately in panko, crushed Doritos, or a mix of diced parboiled potatoes for extra texture

Fry the crumbed corn dogs by heating oil to 170-180°C and deep-fry until golden brown and crispy (about 3-4 minutes).

Serve hot with tomato sauce, mustard, and a sprinkle of sugar for that classic sweet-and-savoury street food