One of the recipes from Bangalow Banquet Cookbook
Challenge was on from the ABC Saturday morning presenters Graeme Stuart and Garden Guru Phil Dudman for me to find an authentic Aussie Gramma Pie recipe. Low and behold that afternoon I came across a beautiful cookbook featuring recipes and stories about Bangalow, a town in the hinterland of Byron Bay, that is popular with tourists for its authenticity but more importantly for the towns spirit and energy.
This book was a community effort, not only to share the towns heritage but to showcase local producers like Coopers Shoot tomatoes, Singhs piggery, Hayters Hill Farm, Nash Stone fruit and the Jarrett’s farm from where this recipe hails, thank you Edna and there are many more stories told throughout. There are also amazing and do-able recipes from local residents and restaurants.
This is not your average community thrown together cookbook. It s a piece of history from the Northern Rivers of NSW. This is a pure voluntary community effort and it is beautifully photographed by a collection of professional photographers in the region, food styling and recipe editing by Jody Vasallo, who has worked in the cookbook industry for a number of years and painstakingly produced by a long list of skillful and generous people in the region.
All profits from this book go to raise well needed funds for the Bangalow Public School and Bangalow Community Children’s Centre. The book retails for $39.99 and you can go online to Bangalow Banquet Cookbook facebook page or if visiting Bangalow pop into the Post Office or Bangalow Cellars and pick up a copy and take home a bit of Northern Rivers history (it is now in its second run of printing…go Bangers!). Enjoy!
