The Blue Ribbon Cookbook – Lisa Harfull

Recipes, stories and tips from prizewinning country show cooks

A book review by Franz Scheurer

If you’ve grown up in Australia being taken to country or city agricultural shows then this book will evoke priceless memories and reward you with wonderful, atmospheric images and recipes that could easily be forgotten. Full marks to Lisa Harfull for spending considerable time collecting and collating these priceless jewels from the bush and bring them to the city.

The book is organised by place and if you have never heard of Bordertown, Crystal Brook, Kimba, Mil Lel, Orroroo, Strathalbyn, Yalunda Flat or Yankalilla you haven’t lived! This tome will bring these places to you, complete with the local lore and the prize-winning recipes. You have all the standards from Banana Cake to Tomato Sauce, Rock Buns to Chocolate Fudge or Apricot Jam to Sausage Rolls and the show cooks’ history is as interesting as the instructions on how to re-create the food.

The Blue Ribbon Cookbook is the first book to celebrate the tradition of show cooking in South Australia and the people behind it. The cooks range in age from 3 to 93 and their sense of pride in what they do is exemplary.

This is a must-have book and would make a terrific Christmas present!

Published by Wakefield Press (Aust) Pty. Ltd

RRP $39.95 (NZ $59.90)

ISBN 978-1-86254-792-6

For more information go to: http://www.wakefieldpress.com.au