The fifth season of MasterChef South Africa is underway as it moved to its new home on S3 (formerly SABC3), premiering on Saturday, 13 July 2024 at 7:30pm. This season features 20 amateur chefs from across South Africa, one of which is Ella Bella Constantinides-Leite, affectionately known as the Zulu-Greek Gal.
- With a Master’s degree in Dramatic Arts and Education from the University of the Witwatersrand, Ella Bella blends her Greek heritage with a deep connection to South African culture.
- She’s a director at the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership and Empowerment Programme, which celebrates its 21st year of promoting sustainability and environmental awareness.
- Known as the self-titled kitchen queen of leftovers, Ella Bella infuses Mediterranean flavours with South African influences, like her renowned Baklava with Rooibos-infused syrup.
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Ella Bella’s passion extends beyond the kitchen – she’s an educator, environmentalist, and philanthropist, deeply involved in initiatives like planting trees, creating sustainable gardens, and advocating for recycling. Alongside her sister Catherine Constantinides, she co-founded Merchants of Light during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing meals to vulnerable communities.
ST: What inspired you to audition for MasterChef South Africa Season 5?
EBCL: My sister and my nephew convinced me. My nephew loves my cooking and he enjoys time in the kitchen himself. He said I could go far with my skills. My sister has always said that I was born for TV, so with these two elements—TV and cooking—it seemed like a great idea. However, I didn’t realize the filming took place over so many weeks and in Cape Town. I have a husband and two children who depend on me, so had I known this beforehand, I most likely would have just watched the season like everyone else. I am glad I entered and pushed myself beyond my limitations because I met an amazing bunch of chefs who will forever stay very close friends. I learned so much during the show, during the week training sessions, and the master classes. It was a blessing in so many ways. Pick n Pay gave us access to such delicious produce. Working with Wusthof and My Butcher’s Block equipment was an amazing opportunity for us—we really were little professionals with the caliber of equipment in the kitchen.
ST: Can you tell us more about your unique cooking style and how you blend Mediterranean and South African flavours?
EBCL: I have an awesome Baklava recipe that has a Rooibos-infused syrup that is delicious. I have changed the traditional nuts used inside with my own combination, and even my mom—who is big on tradition—loved it and was asking for more. I have added curry mince to the traditional Greek Pastitsio, which is full of flavor and my children love it. It’s not too hot but has that South African deliciousness, which is fun. I tend to hide veggies in all of these kinds of meals, which helps with eating the “rainbow colors” every day, and it’s healthy. It’s not only healthy for the children but for the adults who keep saying that they don’t eat veggies—well, they do in my kitchen, whether they know it or not.
ST: You describe yourself as the ‘kitchen queen of leftovers’—keen to tell us more?
EBCL: I love to turn leftovers from last night’s cooking into new creations. I am not a fan of eating the same thing over and over again, so I change the recipe as I go along, and what I think I am going to make always turns into something completely different.
ST: How do you incorporate your environmental values into your cooking and kitchen practices?
EBCL: Sustainability is key in saving and reusing water where possible. Separating your recycling with compostable off-cuts of raw veggies is also important.
ST: Can you tell us about a memorable meal you’ve prepared for one of your large dinner parties?
EBCL: I love to cook traditional Greek dishes with a South African spin on them. This always wows my guests as they look at what has been plated and expect one thing, only to be transported somewhere else because of the unexpected twists and flavors. Good balance is key when surprising people.
ST: How has your multicultural background influenced your culinary creations?
EBCL: I am a proudly born and bred South African with Greek and Cypriot heritage. I love learning our native languages and love to shock people with my Zulu and Xhosa. It’s an ice-breaker for sure. I love to bring these influences into the kitchen with me as you meet new people and learn about the things they enjoy eating.
ST: What impact do you hope to have on viewers with your participation in MasterChef South Africa?
EBCL: I want to share the journey of sustainability with people and show them how easy it is to reduce, reuse, recycle, and respect our Earth’s resources in the home, in the kitchen, at work, and even at school. You cannot separate social and environmental issues; they go hand-in-hand. Being part of the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Programme has taught me to keep challenging myself to lower my impact on the Earth and her resources in every aspect of my life.
ST: What’s your secret to sneaking veggies into your family’s meals in a delicious way?
EBCL: It’s important to create tasty food by balancing the flavors, adding to the flavor composition rather than adding bitter tastes that detract from what you are cooking. Sauces, mince, stews, curries, quiches, bakes, pies, and omelettes are easy avenues to hide delicious food within.
ST: What’s the story behind the Bella Bella Food Trucks concept, and how do you envision it helping communities?
EBCL: My sister, Catherine Constantinides, and I saw the need during COVID to feed our communities. The need for food was huge, and we started going out and doing just that—feeding the most vulnerable wherever we could. We formalized it this year with the start of the NPO Merchants of Light. So we go out every week and feed communities with little to no access to food. We do our best to share some love and light with people in dire circumstances. We get people to help and support these weekly feedings, and I have a dream to go out in my own Food Truck and feed the people of our country.
ST: What’s your favorite South African ingredient to cook with, and why?
EBCL: I love playing with different ideas for variations of Baklava, such as chocolate Baklava and almond and cashew nut variations. I love experimenting with flavours, seeing what works, and making shifts to traditional recipes by bringing in a South African or Greek twist. The kitchen can be a very technical, scientific place, but it can also be fun and sexy too.
With her vibrant spirit and dedication to community service, Ella Bella Constantinides-Leite stars in MasterChef South Africa Season 5, offering viewers a compelling journey of culinary creativity and social impact.
Visit Ella Bella Constantinides-Leite Instagram profile for more.
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