Author and mastermind of Real Food Projects, Kate Walsh.

If you’re in a pickle just thinking about what to cook for your next meal, there’s absolutely no knead to worry as Kate Walsh has all of your food dilemmas solved.

Walsh is a self –taught cook whose Real Food Projects was established in 2012 teaching the importance of supporting local producers through cooking seasonally. She has also created cooking schools.

Here’s some food for thought. There is a food revolution happening at the moment. Once eating patterns have been established, it can be difficult to alter them. Difficult –yes. Impossible –no with Walsh’s easy to digest, well laid out and user –friendly cookbook.

Real Food Projects is all about sustainability, meaning how to feed the world without damaging the environment or threatening human health, without degrading rural communities, harming workers, compromising animal welfare and local and regional food systems. Sustainable food has many socio-economic benefits in the way it is produced, processed, bought, sold and in the ways it is eaten. It also avoids questionable ingredients such as pesticides, unnatural preservatives and colourings, genetic modification and artificial fertilisers.

Even if you’re a novice and culinary challenged you can cook with Kate’s non laborious, step by step instructions and it is beautifully presented with clear photographs by Cath Muscat. There is a brief introduction to each recipe.  It not only tells the reader what equipment to use but the cook book offers suggestions and ideas on other ways to utilise the recipes. For example, Nut Butter can accompany Wattleseed Pancakes or Labne can be marinated to be used on a Mezze plate.

The homemade dishes are varied from preserved garlic, jams, milk kefir, cornbread, to sauerkraut or passata.

Walsh promotes healthy eating. It is not a fad. It is a way of life. She provides you with the tools to do this and enables the reader to be equipped with knowledge.

I made the Granola from Walsh’s book. There was an aroma of honey and cinnamon wafting through my kitchen as it was browning in the oven. The finished product had a crisp, nutty and crunchy texture. It was a great success.  I couldn’t fault it. It was filling and satisfying, a great way to start the day. It sure beats store bought cereal.

So cook up a storm with Kate Walsh’s Real Food Projects – 30 skills. 46 recipes from scratch. The proof is in the pudding…or the Granola. R.R.P $39.99. Published by Murdoch Books.