August 16, 2013
Every year hundreds of talented amateurs spend countless hours preparing entries for cookery competitions run as part of local shows across Australia.
These cooks range from stalwarts, well-known and respected in their local communities for their prize-winning efforts over many years, to talented newcomers using tried and true recipes handed down from generation to generation.
These stories and recipes are now being captured in the latest edition of The Blue Ribbon Cookbook, a national version of an already bestseller which concentrated solely on South Australia shows.
One of the cooks to be featured in this latest version is Murgon’s own Edna O’Neill whose dark rich fruitcake and other recipes feature regularly at the Murgon and Goomeri shows.
The process of gathering up nominations for the book took several years and involved author Liz Harfull sending information and nominations forms to every Show Society in Australia.
After many months of interviews, and visits to shows and show cooks, Liz has selected about 70 cooks from across Australia to feature in the book.
Liz said the cookbook was not “just about the recipes”.
Final selections were made on a range of criteria, including the cook’s individual story, what inspired them, how they learned to cook, their involvement in local shows, and their willingness to share not only their recipe, but the tips that make it work.
The recipe must have won at least one first prize in either cookery or preserves classes at an Australian show.
The book will bring together the stories of show cooks, their shows and their recipes.
A special feature will be tips and hints not usually found within the recipes themselves, but which make all the difference to success.
The final design and dimensions of the book will be determined in collaboration with the publisher, however it is envisaged the book will be hard cover, with full-colour illustrations.
The book will be published by Allen & Unwin and is scheduled for release in March 2014.
UPDATE August 29, 2013: Edna O’Neill won nine prizes in various categories at the 2013 Brisbane Ekka!
