Nina Timm – Cook – Teacher – blogger – author
Not only is Nina a food stylist, photographer and chef, she is also a mother who understands that someone working fulltime, needs help in the kitchen. They are looking for recipes that are easy, affordable and yet delicious, exactly what inspired her to start her blog!
Nina runs a successful cooking school from her studio at home and teaches a variety of techniques and cooking methods. At the moment she takes great pride in her classes for Domestic workers and butlers that she runs every Saturday morning. Seeing her student’s passion and skills develop, is the best kind of satisfaction.
She also travels throughout South Africa speaking and motivating students, children, ladies and corporate groups to not only be better cooks, but also become the best they can be!
In March 2014 Nina launched her first cookbooks. The titles are Easy Cooking from Nina’s Kitchen & Maklike Etes uit Nina se Kombuis!
Nina’s blog. www.my-easy-cooking.com is one of SA’s most popular and in 2012 she won the Eat Out/Foodnetwork award for best foodblog in SA.
Nina consults to several companies – develops recipes and invent marketing concepts!
Nina is happily married to Des (a former racing driver from PE) for the last 20 years and they have two beautiful children, Christopher and Chloe respectively 18 and 16 years old. They live in Pinelands, Cape Town!
web: www.my-easy-cooking.com
Facebook: My Easy Cooking
Twitter: @ninatimm
Instagram: @easycooking
Pinterest: Nina Timm

I graduated from cookery school in 2010 after spending the year at La Colombe with Luke Dale-Roberts who then asked me if I would like to be involved in The Test Kitchen. In 2013 I moved to London started working at The Ledbury, which was a real learning curve. I moved to Dinner [by Heston] and worked there for just under two years. And now, I’m back. The restaurant ASH is one of those punny names. Obviously my name’s Ash and we’re cooking on an indoor barbecue. A very special indoor barbecue called a Josper, made in Spain, of galvanized steel that allows for very high temperatures while maintaining fairly regular heat throughout. It imparts a really intense charcoal flavour in a very short period of time. You can cook anything from a very thin piece of steak to a whole leg of lamb.Our main focus at the restaurant is cooking sustainable and seasonal produce. Whether it be steaks or vegetables.

Secret Sound guesses – August
Tuesday 1 August 

• Typewriter
• Machine dispensing a parking ticket at a parking lot 
• Zippo lighter 
• Release latch on a washing machine
• Locking a bakkie
• Table tennis ball being served 

Wednesday 2 August 

• When cashiers open coin bags at the till 
• Pop up bouncing ball
• Ticket tape machine
• Arm of a record player
• Clip of an old school case
• (no guess)

Thursday 3 August 

• Car key being flicked open
• Wheel on a computer mouse being moved
• Kid’s flipper toy
• The click of a home alarm beam
• Cash register clip in the tray
• Stapler

Friday 4 August 

• Taking the safety latch off a gun
• Glockenspiel
• Snapping of a match stick
• Cracking open a nut 
• Drop of coffee in a percolator 
• (no guess)

Monday 7 August 

• Lid of a melrose jar popping
• Mousetrap clipping closed
• Replacing the water bottle on a dispenser 
• Old fashioned camera taking a picture 
• Clip on the lid of a coffee tumbler 
• Pressing a tablet out of a capsule pack 

Tuesday 8 August 

• Opening an old cold-drink can
• Drop of water on a metal sink
• (no guess)
• Candle lighter
• Taking a picture with a zoom lens camera
• Pedal bin 

Thursday 10 August

• Closing the valve on an air mattress 
• The paper clicking through an old printer 
• Rubik’s cube
• Sand running through and old hourglass 
• Cricket ball hitting a wicket
• A button being pushed on a keyboard 

Friday 11 August

• Lever arch file releasing pages
• Old school price gun
• Boilermaker starting a flame 
• Plugging a phone charger into a two point plug
• A security lock closing on a gate
• The teat of a baby bottle being pulled through and twisted on  

Monday 14 August

• Tapping your fingers on a table
• Conductor’s ticket punch
• Adjusting the length on crutches
• Dancer’s castanets
• Gas hob switching on
• Snapping a piece of biltong

Tuesday 15 August

• Cellphone screen being turned off
• Photo being taken in an old photo booth
• Biscuit cutting machine
• Crushing a garlic clove 
• Cutting an electric wire
• Old slide projector 

Wednesday 16 August

• (no guess)
• Seat-belt on a airplane 
• Lighter
• Opening a laptop
• Ceiling fan spring being pulled 
• Wooden frog musical instrument

Thursday 17 August 

• Pressure release button on a blood pressure test device 
• Musical toy button
• Biltong packet sealer’s arm
• Cigarette lighter
• Sound of a rowing oar touching water
• Ratchet mechanism of a tie down strap 

Friday 18 August 

• Fish paste bottle popping 
• Button at the back of a fan
• Stamp at the police station
• Pet flap on a door
• Bobbin clicking on a sewing machine
• When you maneuver the car seat 

Monday 21 August

• Clicking sound of an eye test device at an optometrist
  
• Turnstile
• Pedal on a dustbin
• Clicking cycle shoes into the pedal
• Car key with a button that flicks out the key
• Closing the lid on a coffee pot

Tuesday 22 August

• DSTV explorer remote middle button being pushed 
• Old price gun
• Opening a metal lid on cold drink bottle
• Stapler
• Hosepipe connecting to a tap
• Lever on a shotgun 

Wednesday 23 August

• Handcuffs opening 
• Taking a phone of the receiver
• The sound of an egg hatching 
• View-master button being pushed 
• An electric fence sparking if touched 
• Shaking coffee grounds in a glass bottle 

Thursday 24 August

• Race horse gate opening 
• Putting a butane gas bottle in a gas cooker 
• Closing a DVD box
• Filter of an Espresso machine clipping in
• Tin being opened with a key that comes with the tin
• A safety from a fire extinguisher 

Friday 25 August

• Bottle cap landing on a counter
• Pin from a grenade
• Flicking bank cards together 
• Umbrella opening 
• Pinball machine lever
• Glow-stick snapping 

Monday 28 August

• Knitting needles
• Clip of a watchstrap 
• Stapler
• Opening a safe by turning the dial
• Someone stepping on twigs and leaves 
• Fridge door being closed 

Tuesday 29 August 

• Foot switch on a vacuum cleaner
• Button on a handbrake 
• Welding torch igniter 
• (no guess)
• Staple remover 
• Seat-belt ejecting 

Wednesday 30 August 

• Opening a top loading CD player
• Power failure and all the switches shut down
• Way finder that blind people use 
• Ping pong 
• (no guess)
• Someone playing the drums in a band

Thursday 31 August

• Spring door of a bathroom cabinet closing 
• Desktop recycle bin emptying sound on a windows computer
• Manual clicker counter 
• Clicker for dog training
• Automatic washing machine coming to the end of a cycle 
• Removing the plastic wrapping on a bunch of flowers

Secret Sound guesses – July
Monday 10 July

• Pressing a button to receive a parking ticket 
• Clipping an animals ear for tagging 
• Wheel clamp
• Pushing the power button on a laptop
• Pushing a button on a keyboard
• Breaking a piece of spaghetti 

Tuesday 11 July

• Closing of an umbrella
• Piece of paper going into the bin
• Ratchet spinner
• Padlock
• Digital cash register 
• (no guess)

Wednesday 12 July

• Desktop lamp chain
• Sugar pill dispenser 
• Castanets 
• A down lighter switch 
• Clicking a pen
• Drum brushes on a snare drum 

Thursday 13 January 

• (no guess)
• Toy hand clapper
• Train going over a track
• Typing on a computer keyboard 
• Breaking a toothpick 
• Applying roll-on 

• A zippo lighter
• A nut cracker
• The clicking of a caribener
• (no guess)
• CD tray on a laptop being opened
• Pet dog training clicker

Monday 17 July 

• Making a sound with your mouth
• Sound of a bouncing ball dispensing
• Double click of a computer mouse
• (no guess)
• Loosening and tightening a wheel nut
• Tipex being shaken  

Tuesday 18 July

• Price gun for biltong packets
• A key starting to turn in a slot 
• (no guess)
• Domino’s 
• (no guess)
• Cracking of knuckles

Wednesday 19 July

• Electric razor being switched on
• Electric kettle
• Breaking a chicken wish
• Making a copy on a printer
• Old typing machine
• Wire stripping tool

Thursday 20 July

• Pressing the stop button on a cassette player
• Extending the leg of a tripod 
• Train conductor punching a hole in a ticket
• Clicking of the tongue when irritated 
• Coin  being inserted into a piggy bank
• Egg pricker, pricking an egg

Friday 21 July

• To start arc welding
• Combination lock on a wall safe
• Lock button on a doorknob
• Plugging headphones into a phone
• Putting on surgical gloves
• Sitting down on a leather chair or couch

Monday 24 July

• Cocking a gun
• Breaking a slab of chocolate
• Switching sound of a pull chain lamp
• Old stamping machine
• Zipper of a piece of clothing
• A horse’s hoof

Tuesday 25 July 

• Sound buttons in a studio
• Ice grapple 
• Clay pigeon being released 
• (no guess)
• Torque wrench used on a boat
• Cracking an egg open 

Wednesday 26 July

• Opening a can of Coke 
• Replacing an ink cartridge
• Speed camera at a robot going off
• Noise of a biltong machine door
• Light being switched on with a string
• Biting into an apple

Thursday 27 July

• Barbecue lighter
• Carving biltong 
• Putting a pin into an iPhone 6
• (no guess)
• Pressing a jukebox button
• The clicking sound of safety belt 

Friday 28 July

• Closing the back of a remote
• Ripping and cutting sticky tape
• A can of Guinness opening
• Breaking an egg
• Floss breaking off
• Security tag on the clothes being taken

Monday 31 July

• A picture being taken with a DSLR
• Click of a ball point pen
• Tap dancing shoe
• Stapler
• The foot of a sewing machine
• Opening or closing  of a tape-deck player

Secret Sound guesses – June
Thursday 1 June

• Toothpaste cap falling into a basin
• Clipping and unclipping a seat-belt
• Luggage compartment in a plane  
• Coin slot at a public toilet
• Opening a airtight biltong bag
• Ten pin bowling, the last pin falling

Friday 2 June

• Stapler
• Snap on bangle 
• Ear piercing machine 
• Tapping your fingers on your stomach 
• Clipping a leash onto a dog’s collar
• Phone notification 

Monday 5 June

• Old time stop watch clicking 
• Hair clip
• Pruning shears 
• Tearing a piece of foil
• Breaking a kit-kat
• Hosepipe clicking into a fire hydrant 

Tuesday 6 June

• Unlocking a Samsung smartphone
• Pop riveter 
• Tap shoes
• Cats paws landing on a wooden floor
• Meat stamp
• Using a letter opener 

Wednesday 7 June

• (no guess)
• An ATM dispensing 
• A microphone check
• Safety latch on a biltong machine
• Clip on a bungee jumping harness
• Rubik’s Cube

Thursday 8 June

• Pulling a plastic clip off a bread bag 
• Old projector clicking 
• Cattle counter clicker 
• Gas stove clicking on 
• Bar fridge opening
• Lever arch file 

Friday 9 June

• Magic clip fastener 
• Rubber stamp
• Noise of a hosepipe attachment being attached to a tap
• Train moving over tracks
• Clip on a wrist watch
• Button at a robot crossing 
• Old sewing machine
• Clicking sound of a safety belt 
• Stickeez pulling off a surface 
• Opening a cold drink tin 
• Breaking a piece of droëwors
• Swiping a card through a card machine
• Closing toy handcuffs
• Popping a CD out of a CD case
• An old library stamp

Monday 12 June

Tuesday 13 June

• Dog leash clip being released
• Conduit cutter 
• Security device taking the clip off clothing in shops
• Pop up plug in a basin 
• Letter opener 
• Soap dispenser 

• Putting a coin into a donation box
• Cash register opening 
• Opening a can of coke
• Vice grip
• Metal press stud
• Clicking pen  

Thursday 15 June

• Closing a laptop’s CD ROM 
• Samsung phone taking a picture
• Hand clicker/counter
• Cracking window
• Tearing a packet of sugar
• Light dimmer switch

Monday 19 June

• Staple remover
• Using the trash icon on a computer
• A sheep tagger on a sheep’s ear
• Clicking your tongue
• Fidget toy
• Breaking a wooden pencil

Tuesday 20 June

• Milk on Rice Krispies 
• Safety cap on a pill box
• Battery pack in a toy car
• Breaking an HP pencil
• Biting into an apple
• Skipping rope hitting the floor 

Wednesday 21 June

• Sewing thread cutter
• Shaking a spray paint can 
• Airplane safety belt 
• Little ball dropping into a roulette wheel
• Pez sweet dispenser 
• Ashtray that has a slot that opens 

Thursday 22 June

• Office punch
• Putting a safety pin back into a fire extinguisher
• Flick knife
• Typewriter
• Indicator in a vehicle
• Ice tray
• Closing a  microwave door
• Opening a briefcase door
• Seal of a water bottle breaking 

• Popping a panado out a blister pack
• Water dripping on plastic
• Glass Jar with a clip
• Car key button
• Clicking in a seat-belt
• A Horse galloping
• Clock with a tag number clicking over
• Taking a ticket in a shopping centre 
• Speelgoed blasertjie

Monday 26 June

• Interview recorder 
• Snooker balls hitting each other
• Margarine tab seal being broken
• Air hockey table puck being hit
• Putting a blade in a razor
• Stapler
• A fly swatter
• Loading a razor blade on the handle
• Scissor  
• Train rolling over train tracks 
• On/off button on a multifunction flashlight 
• Changing gears on a bicycle 

Tuesday 27 June

• Opening a briefcase 
• Closing an old suitcase 
• Spectacles case closing
• Coin dropping into a donation box
• Chain on a boxing bag
• Flicking a card
• Newton’s cradle
• Indicator in a vehicle 
• Clicking a Parker pen
• Releasing a vice grip
• Typing on a computer keyboard 
• Extending the blade on a craft knife

Wednesday 28 June

• (no guess)
• Wire coat hanger hooking onto clothing rail
• Key turning in a lock
• Card opening a hotel room door
• Stapler
• Coin in vending machine 
• SMS notification
• Pocket knife opening
• Opening a plastic cap on a water bottle
• Opening a microwave oven door
• The clip of a nail clipper 
• Slapping handcuffs on someone

Thursday 29 June

• Pressing a button an old key board
• Opening a fridge
• The sound a Pop rivet gun makes
• Cracking an egg
• Clipping in a baby car seat
• Lifting the phone off a receiver 
• Tapping on the screen of your phone
• Opening a tin of tomato cocktail
• The sound of marbles hitting each other 
• Opening and closing a Zippo lighter
• Opening a bar fridge 
• Stapling aluminium foil together

• A shock stick
• Stapler
• Putting pods in a coffee machine
• Remote security gate
• Bus conductor clipping a ticket
• A hole puncher
• Two magnets
• Biting into an apple
• Castanets  
• Opening a sweetener container 
• Double click of a computer mouse 
• Newton’s cradle