Julia Jenkins

It seems almost a constant in the Beer Community – Good People doing Good Things. The latest offering hoping to make some small difference in the lives of those less fortunate is a cookbook which focuses as much on the people and produce of a region as it does the recipe itself.

Forage Cookbook is the brainchild of Julia Jenkins and Cal Foulner who are hoping to raise funds for a charity called Upside Nepal which has been set up to create and sustain agricultural enterprise in Nepal.

The Forage Cookbook is not simply a collection of recipes but something of a ‘love letter’ to the state of Victoria. The book’s editor, Julia Jenkins, told Brews News: “It’s such a gorgeous book – we did a giant road trip around the state collecting recipes and photos from chefs, cooks, producers and food people from all around Victoria, and the proceeds go to local charity. If the project proves successful we will then repeat the concept with other states of Australia.”

Making Forage Pozible from Forage on Vimeo.

As the venture’s Pozible Campaign page so eloquently states: “Forage is a way to change the world, to help those less fortunate, all wrapped up in the guise of a simple cookbook, albeit a beautifully designed cookbook with stunning photography and recipes from iconic chefs from around Victoria. Forage captures a snapshot of the food industry as it is right now; a celebration of excellence, environment and inspiration.”

While not strictly speaking a ‘beer-related’ cookbook it does feature beer-as-ingredient recipes and also a visit to Bright Brewery. Beautiful photography by WA based Jessica Shaver helps tell the story of each chef, each producer and each dish. The book is part of a Pozible Campaign to raise funds in the form of pre-selling the book and offsetting some of the printing costs.

Further information on the project is available here.