On the Yellow Brick Road

Liz joined volunteers from country shows across the State at their stand at the Royal Adelaide Show last week. The display was part of the extremely popular Yellow Brick Road trail which takes people around the showground collecting food products. Liz spent time at the site most days, signing books and sharing stories about cooking and show cooks. She is pictured (left) with Uraidla Show secretary Rosie Schulz.

First shipment sells out in five days...

What an amazing week it has been for The Blue Ribbon Cookbook. The first shipment of the book sold out in just five days, thanks to overwhelming interest by the media and patrons at the 2008 Royal Adelaide Show. The publishers are expecting the second shipment to be unpacked and in book stores by the end of the month. Apologies to disappointed show patrons hoping to purchase a copy during the event, which ends on Saturday.

Meet the author

Liz Harfull is having the time of her life this week at the Royal Adelaide Show - Australia's leading city-based agricultural show in terms of attendance per capita. More than half a million people pass through the show gates in eight days, drawn by an amazing mix of competitive classes for everything from embroidery (and cookery of course) to livestock, grains and dairy products. Liz is on hand most days between 11am and 1pm, and 2pm and 4pm, to sign books at the Country Shows stand in the Farm Expo pavilion. She will also be joining ABC radio presenter Peter Goers on his evening show, broadcast from the ABC site near the Secretary's Office on Wednesday evening, at about 8.30pm.

The new 'Green and Gold'

It has been an amazing few days in the life of The Blue Ribbon Cookbook, with 180 guests gathering to celebrate the launch in the stunning new Goyder Pavilion at the Wayville Showground in Adelaide. Local ABC radio presenter Peter Goers (pictured left with author Liz Harfull) officially launched the book, describing it as a "love letter" to country shows and country show cooks. And Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA president Charlie Downer forecast it would become the new 'Green and Gold', refering to the iconic 1920s cookbook that is still in print and found on shelves in almost every South Australian household. A highlight of the launch was the afternoon tea, featuring 30 of the recipes found in the book, made by the cooks themselves, who were guests of honour. They travelled from as far as Port Lincoln and Tumby Bay on the West Coast, Kulcurna Station, just over the Victorian/NSW border on the banks of the River Murray, and Mount Gambier in the south-eastern corner of the State.

It should be a hoot

Plans are well in hand for the official launch of the book by popular ABC radio presenter Peter Goers on September 4. To use one of Peter's favourite sayings, "it should be a hoot!"
Many of the cooks featured in the book are planning to bring their signature recipe for what promises to be one of the best afternoon tea spreads people have seen in years. The cooks are all looking forward to meeting each other, and the team of test cooks who put all the recipes through their paces are very excited about meeting the people behind the recipes and comparing notes.