Macri - Eat Drink Paleo Cookbook

It all started in May, 2012, when I quit my corporate job to pursue a passion read: obsession for cooking and all the other things that qualify me as a life-long foodie. Yes, I know, there are millions of other people who share the same passion hello MasterChef and Food Network but Im talking about a slightly different fixation. What I have, and Ive had it ever since I cooked my first dish in my grandmothers kitchen, is an insatiable desire to play with food to whisk it, mould it, whip it, sizzle it and drizzle it till the cows come home. For a long time now, Ive seen the kitchen as a playground where I can create and let my instincts go wild, where I experiment and where I dont follow instructions. Its a feeling of wanting everyone else to see cooking through my eyes and to show that its completely normal to get stupidly excited about a truffle mushroom or a piece of amazing grass-fed beef. And waking up in the middle of the night to write down a recipe I just dreamt about because I feel like its the most brilliant one Ive ever come up with and everyone will love it.

This inner vocation slowly grew into a nebulous dream, but for a long time I didnt know what to do with it. I left it there like a reserve batter, sitting on a side bench of a playing field. I kept looking for an outlet, something to pour my passion for food into. I thought about going to a culinary school, opening my own wine bar or a caf, starting a catering business and, yes, maybe for just one second, I imagined going on MasterChef or some other cooking contest. None of it sat well in my head or in my heart. I like to believe Im a live in the moment, be free, make your own rules kind of gal and I just couldnt commit. Then I discovered paleo, a diet and lifestyle I will touch on in the next chapter, and everything fell into place. I found a way to combine my passion for cooking with my skills and background in digital media and create something that allowed me to play by my own rules. My website, Eat Drink Paleo, was born.

Focusing on paleo was a no-brainer for me I was getting into the lifestyle and feeling fantastic as a result, and I was cooking a bunch of great, new food and trying new ingredients. At the same time there was a lack of exciting, paleo-friendly recipes around. It was a perfect combination an opportunity to unleash my culinary experiments and kitchen prowess; to learn and, consequently, educate others on how to feel great by eating real, delicious food. In addition, I felt the need to demystify paleo as a diet, which I thought was perceived as a fad or as a boring, impractical, restrictive and meat-heavy way of eating. I knew first-hand that it doesnt have to be that way and that my approach flexible, affirmative and personal is an easier way to integrate the paleo diet into your life.

For nine months Ive been developing, testing and photographing paleo-inspired recipes for the site, building a community, educating myself and advocating good nutrition and healthier lifestyle habits. My audience grew quickly and I knew I was onto something. You know youre doing something right when you start receiving emails and comments from real people telling you they had a fabulous dinner with their family thanks to your recipes, or that your content and passion inspires them on their journey. I realised that Id found a way to connect.

Making a cookbook was a natural progression. I had so many fantastic recipes in my head and I really wanted to produce something that was different to what was available. I envisioned a cookbook that reflects my 80/20 philosophy, showcases real food and natural ingredients, and screams cooking is fun.

This cookbook is direct from the heart of someone who really loves to cook. Its been created in a very small kitchen using basic equipment and common ingredients, demonstrating that the recipes can be cooked by pretty much anyone. Its also special because it was originally self-published and made possible by many friends and strangers who believed in my crazy dream and gave me an unbelievable opportunity to share it with you.

• My cookbook is for everyone paleo, non-paleo, occasional cooks, MasterChef wannabies, mums, dads, singles and people living anywhere in the world. I tried to develop a variety of recipes, suitable for cooks of any level with an occasional advanced task or technique thrown in.
• All recipes featured in this cookbook are grain and gluten free, and contain no legumes, processed sugar, artificial ingredients or chemicals.
• You will find that some of my recipes contain healthy, full-fat dairy and natural sweeteners; some are a little naughty and should be left for special occasions and consumed in moderation; and a few contain alcohol, because thats the way I like it I enjoy it in moderation and in good company.
• Use this cookbook as an inspiration tool. Try ingredients you havent cooked with before, follow the recipes but also play with and adapt my ideas to your own liking.
• My existing Eat Drink Paleo readers will notice that a small number of recipes are not new. Thats because I wanted to include the most popular recipes from the website in this cookbook for everyone to enjoy and to have my best of in one place.

• I was born in Ukraine, in a small city near the Carpathian Mountains. I moved to Australia when I was 16 years old.
• I had an unusually developed palate when I was a child I was obsessed with salo, a type of Russian salty lard, loved herring, olives, salami and liver pate, and I even ate raw meat.
• Sydney, Australia, is my home but Im a bit of a digital nomad. I love Tuscany in Italy for food, Tonsai in Thailand for adventure and Tokyo in Japan for all the craziness.
• I eat paleo 80 per cent of the time with the remaining 20 per cent consisting of occasional butter, cheese, rice, quinoa, fresh corn, beer, dumplings and gelato.
• I learnt to cook from my family, through my travels and by watching lots of cooking shows. I own a lot of cookbooks and food magazines but I hardly ever cook from recipes.
• My foodie icons include Jamie Oliver, Maggie Beer, Lotta Lundgren, Nigella Lawson, Heston Blumenthal and my inspiring late grandmother.