MOTHER OF INVENTION
WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE of the shoot with Woolworths product developer Zayaan Nordien’s family when TASTE photographer Jan Ras takes a break to download and review the images with food director Abigail Donnelly. Little Leilah (6), oblivious to the fact that Jan is no longer clicking away, is still happily tucking into her mom’s mince curry. “Can I have some fish, Mommy?” she asks staring resolutely at the haddock chowder.
She’s definitely not putting on a show for the camera.
“She has a healthier appetite than the rest of us,” laughs Zayaan, who develops family meals for Woolies (the soups, pies, quiches and family-sized meals you pop into your shopping basket are among the many food products created by Zayaan and her team).
Her youngest son, Ridha (4), wriggles off her lap and slides to the floor, going off in search of someone to bestow his mischievous grin upon. Ultra-polite Ameer (13), meanwhile, has quietly returned to his phone, as teens do. He hasn’t tuned out though: he’s the one who gets up to serve Leilah some of the guava cake dessert she’s requested after polishing off her serving of fish. He makes sure she gets a piece of fruit too, offering extra vanilla-flecked sauce to drizzle on
