WHO hasn't been to a country show to marvel at the perfect cakes, plump scones and gleaming jars of jams, sauces and preserves?
Entering prized recipes into competitions at country shows is a proud Australian tradition.
- The Blue Ribbon Cookbook, by Liz Harfull. Wakefield Press, rrp $39.95
The Blue Ribbon Cookbook visits more than 50 agricultural shows around South Australia to sample the cream of country cooking and meet the cooks responsible.
While many of the recipes that feature at shows are taken to the grave, some cooks are happy to share, and that is what this book is all about.
If you are looking for the best fruitcake recipe, the tastiest home-made tomato sauce or the tangiest lemon butter, then this is your book.
And if you're looking to enter your own kitchen triumphs in your local show, the book includes tips from the judges, and the cooks themselves, on how to make your entry stand out from the rest.
The book is beautifully illustrated and each recipe includes a colour photo.
Many historical photos are also featured, from old shows and days gone by.
Each recipe reveals some insight into the cook.
And they are not all just little grandmothers - the cooks are old and young, men and women.
Author Liz Harfull grew up near Mount Gambier in South Australia.
A keen amateur cook, she has always had a love of country shows and loves nothing more than preparing afternoon tea for friends.
Liz not only wrote the book, but took all the pictures as well.
The Blue Ribbon Cookbook is a goldmine for keen cooks, especially those looking to take home a blue ribbon themselves.
