Aunty Beryl's Cookbook

A charming and generous cookbook that celebrates culture, community and home cooking.

'As you read and cook from this book, my hope is that you will sense even a fragment of the deep wisdom, laughter, patience and love I have found in Aunty Beryl's company.' Kylie Kwong

The term 'dead-set legend' often comes up when talking about Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo, a respected Elder and advisor on incorporating bush foods into a range of cuisines. Now, Aunty Beryl is sharing her life's work with this beautiful cookbook, featuring recipes that she holds close to her heart and stories from her life of cooking.

The recipes cover pantry staples, salads, sides, easy dinners, food for feasting, biscuits, muffins, cakes and drinks. This is food that is both familiar and comforting, which also champions native ingredients. You'll discover dishes that will become regulars in your own kitchen, such as pumpkin and honey-roasted macadamia salad with finger lime dressing, lemon myrtle chicken pies, saltbush lamb rump with bunya nut peso, easy chocolate and wattleseed mousse, and Aunty Beryl's famous lemon myrtle butter biscuits.

With stunning food photography and artwork by artist Lakkari Pitt, this cookbook is a way of sharing culture and passing down food knowledge for future generations.

About the Author

Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo OAM is a respected Gamilaroi Elder, educator, mentor and businesswoman. She grew up in Walgett, New South Wales and then moved to Sydney at the age of 16 to find work. Aunty Beryl had no formal education until she was 31 years old, enrolling in a cooking course and going on to undertake a TAFE diploma of education specialising in hospitality. She then became a teacher at Petersham TAFE and set up a Home and Work Opportunities for Aboriginal Women course at the first Eora TAFE in Redfern.

She also founded the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence's Job Ready program. Aunty Beryl has run kitchens for several cafes and now owns her own catering business called Yaama Barrgay (which means hello family and friends in Yuwaalaraay), employing First Nations staff. She is an advisor on the use of bushfoods for top chefs including Kylie Kwong, Neil Perry and René Redzepi.