Bingley-Pullin - Falling in love with food: a cookbook and love story

Copyright 2016 Zoe Bingley-Pullin Published by Nutritional Edge Pty Ltd www.zoebingleypullin.com The moral right of the author has been asserted. Photography by Lee McCluskey Food Styling by Carli Johnston Food Preparation Assistance by Liv Bates Loving Tips photography by Besotted Grace Production Manager Christina Kritikos Illustrations by Judith Cook Retouching by Peter Suchecki Print Design by Studio 1 Design eBook Design by Author Secret Writing Assistance by Cindy Bingley-Pullin Editing Assistance by Casey Dick Publishing Manager Linda Diggle Printed and bound in China by Tap n Play Technologies Pty Ltd Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia. ISBN: 9780994622303 (paperback) 9780994622310 (ebook) All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by means without written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the above address. Disclaimer: The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only and does not represent professional advice.

It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not to take action on any matters which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

Dedication I dedicate this book to my mummy and daddy. Thank you so much for teaching me about my love of food, fantastic dinner conversations and big cuddles when I was, and am, down. I love you both so very much.

Contents Introduction

Throughout my life so far, food has played a number of different roles: lover, friend, and at times, also an enemy. My love affair with food started from a very young age at home. Under my mothers nurturing guidance, I learnt about food as an expression of affection, and how it brings the family together at the table. During my challenging school years, food was a great friend I found comfort in cooking, and took pride in being able to create something that I could then enjoy eating. Where I lost my friendship with food was when I became a disillusioned teenager. The feeling of self-nurture changed, and that feeling of love that food normally radiated within me, disappeared.

A short-lived stint in modelling during my teenage years caused me to see food as a body-image element, as opposed to a nutrition-based one. At that time I was eating purely to fill the void of not getting recognised in what I now realise is an industry that can be unforgiving and unrealistic. The good thing was, internally, I had such beautiful, fond memories of my childhood and my love for food, and with a bit more guidance from my mum, I was able to rekindle that love again. Nothing better than a best friend and family in food! With my passion for food happily reignited, I uncovered a sensual side to food when I moved to the south of France one that involved touching, smelling and feeling ingredients that would later become the highlight of the dishes of that day. It invoked my desire for seeking out the best quality and taste (and not what was most expensive); embracing the freshest and most vibrant fruits, vegetables, and other wholefoods that one can find. I recall being at the local farmers markets and standing at a stall selling what seemed like a hundred different varieties of fungi.

In spite of my limited French and the stallholders limited English, we managed to strike up a conversation about each and every single type of those mushrooms. I realised then and there that food transcends culture and language; that it was, in fact, a universally spoken tongue and indeed, a language of love. Food is the one dialogue that we can all have with each other, and that is what I want people to do: to fall in love with the romance of it, the cooking of it, and the nurture that you will provide yourself and those who are lucky enough to share it with you. As we move through my childhood, education, travels, career and the creation of my own family, Falling In Love With Food is my ode to the decades of discovery, joy and excitement that preparing and sharing food has given me. It is a diary of the recipes and anecdotes I have learnt, written and adapted, that has turned food into nourishment for the body and the soul. With this book, I invite you into my own home where all the recipes you see here were born; where these dishes have been lovingly put together, and the text and images have been produced.

It is my hope that Falling In Love With Food will become curled at the edges, splashed with sauce and spotted with wine as you, my dear reader and my new food family member, create your own memories from my love-filled recipes with your family and friends. CHAPTER 1 Mum & I

Picnics on the beach under blue skies and sunshine, set against a soundtrack of laughter and lapping waves. Backyard BBQs with small mounds of jacket potatoes wrapped in tin foil; the sight, sound and smells of sizzling meat on charcoal were a prelude to the feast that was to come and something that my dad marvelled in. Dishes all hearty, homemade and full of flavour generously doled out in the home. Ever since I can remember, food has been a huge part of my life. Growing up, food was the centrepiece of happy occasions for my family from the epic to the everyday, many of my fondest memories are of eating and being surrounded by love.

Dinnertime was about sitting down as a family and connecting with each other over delicious dishes that have been lovingly prepared, and swapping stories about our days. I would help mum make the meal, my brother Garth would set the table and my dad would clean up everyone had a role in this collective culinary love affair. My mum is an amazing cook with an uncanny ability for conjuring up tasty concoctions everything from simple stews to Thai beef salad with coriander pesto (which was considered fancy in those days!). Mum always involved me in cooking, and taught me all her motherly tips and tricks for achieving the perfect family meal. I remember being age five, asking mum if she could open a caf at the end of our garage, because I loved her cooking so much and I wanted to share it with the world, or at least my neighbours! In some way, I am doing that now... it is my mother who nurtured my relationship with food; and in doing so, set me off on the start of a lifelong journey of gastronomic discovery and delight.

Thank you, mum... and dad, of course. Within this chapter, I share with you the beautiful comfort food meals that are so much a part of my wonderful childhood memories. Whole Food Trifle Serves: 4 | Prep: 1-2 hours | Cooking: 5-10 minutes | Vegetarian