Don Dunstan's Cookbook - vintage hardcover recipe book (2024)

Don Dunstan's Cookbook - vintage hardcover recipe book

Hardcover book with dustjacket in very goodcondition. 1976 edition, 96 pages with delightful drawings by Robert Inkpen. Dustjacket laminate has started separating in places, mostly at edges and corners, first page has a name and a couple of notes on it. Cleanbook, tight binding, minor chipping to board edges, no other marks, tears, looseor missing pages.

Measurements are in both metric and imperial.

One of the few Australian politicians ever towrite a cookbook!

A review of Don Dunstan's Cookbook by Genevieve Harrisin 2006 in AdelaideNow

Thirty years after SouthAustralian renaissance man and premier Don Dunstan published his cookbook, therecipes remain as modern as ever.

Courage, innovation and change were the hallmarks of one of South Australia'smost remarkable premiers, Don Dunstan, who served in the post for a short timein 1967 and again from 1970 to 1979.He not only steered many forward-thinking changes to our state's laws andlegislation but also challenged our perspective on food, cooking, restaurants,theatre, the arts and even fashion.

Who could forget his parade of short-sleeved safari suits, long socks and pinkshorts?

In the middle of his most productive time, 30 years ago this year, Don Dunstanfound the energy and inspiration to write a cookbook. Don Dunstan's Cookbook defined the '70s in terms of kitchen arts, he laterdescribed it as 'a period piece', yet its text and recipes remain relevant andsometimes innovative.

It was developed around his home and garden.He had a fowl pen as the foundation of his garden, and chicken features heavily.He describes chicken as 'the best basis of Australian cuisine' - more truetoday than ever.

Culturally diverse even then, many of the recipes are drawn from and influencedby Mr Dunstan's travels.Indian and Malay cooking each take up a chapter, with healthy smatterings ofFrench, Italian, Greek and Swedish and other flavours in between. Desserts were omitted from the original 1976 edition, but were introduced in a1998 edition, focusing on fruits from the garden.

These four recipes, taken from his cookbook and reproduced faithfully, are notout of place in 2006.

The scrambled eggs are a delicious brunch idea and a strikingly similar versioncan be found today at Citrus restaurant in Hutt St.

The chicken with chickpeas is an easy, hearty winter stew.It matches wonderfully with the simple but flavoursome bean recipe.

Mr Dunstan was quite passionate about beans and begged us not to boil them outof existence.

Last, there's the rhubarb fool, and Mr Dunstan certainly was no fool to allowthe aromatic, sweet, sour flavour of home-grown rhubarb dominate.

In the Joy Of Cooking chapter, Mr Dunstan explains: 'I find a continuoussatisfaction in growing, preparing, serving and eating food, and want to shareit with you.'

Another flavoursome variant onscrambled eggs goes this way.
Beat your eggs and add cream and stir it in well. Chop some fresh ginger, andfry it in ghee. Add a chopped onion and fry until soft. Now add 2 tbsp of freshcoriander leaves chopped, and a tsp of turmeric. Stir them and add the eggs;continue stirring. As the eggs commence to set, add some finely chopped freshred hot chilli, or if you haven't these, sprinkle in a scant half tsp of hotchilli powder. Continue stirring, and when the eggs have set, serve. Sprinklethe top with powdered cumin seed, and garnish with fresh tomato wedges andsprigs of coriander.Rhubarb fool
1 bunch rhubarb
1 cup sugar
300ml cream
A slug of brandy

String and chop a bunch of rhubarb. Put in a saucepan with a cup of sugar andenough water not quite to cover, and simmer until soft.
Blend with 300ml cream and a noggin of brandy. Put in glasses and chill.

Don Dunstan's Cookbook was first published by Rigby in 1976, and a secondedition by Calypso Press. It is now out of print. The recipes are published herewith metric measurements.

About the Author

Donald Allan Dunstan was born in Suva, Fijion 21 September 1926. After early schooling he transferred to South Australiaand attended Murray Bridge High School, St Peter's College, and the Universityof Adelaide, graduating with a law degree in 1948. For some years he practisedlaw in Fiji and later in Adelaide. He was appointed a QC in 1965.

Don Dunstan became involved in Australian Labor Party politics, and in 1953successfully stood for the House of Assembly seat of Norwood. In Frank Walsh'sgovernment Dunstan held the position of Attorney-General and Minister ofCommunity Welfare and Aboriginal Affairs. When Frank Walsh retired as premier inMay 1967 Dunstan was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party (SouthAustralian Branch) and became Premier. The Labor Party was defeated in the 1968election but in 1970 Dunstan was re-elected Premier, and thus began theso-called "Dunstan decade" of political reform. Dunstan resigned frompolitics due to ill health, in early 1979. Dunstan was awarded The Companion ofthe Order of Australia in June 1979.

During Dunstan's premiership South Australia was socially transformed. AmongDunstan's many reforms were those concerned with Aboriginal land rights, equalopportunities, consumer protection, town planning and the environment and therestructuring of electoral law. He also encouraged a flourishing of the arts,with support for the Adelaide Festival Centre, the State Theatre Company, andthe establishment of the South Australian Film Corporation.

After leaving politics Dunstan published his political memoirs Felicia in1981. He became the first director of Tourism Victoria in 1982, and thenchairman of the Victorian Tourism Commission until 1986. He was nationalpresident of the Freedom from Hunger Campaign 1982-87, president of the Movementfor Democracy in Fiji from 1987, and national chairman of Community Aid Abroad1992-93. Always interested in food, and the author of Don Dunstan's Cookbookin 1976, he established, in 1994, the Don's Table restaurant, The Parade,Norwood, with partner Steven Cheng. He was an Adjunct Professor at AdelaideUniversity from 1997-1999.

Dunstan was married twice: to Gretel in 1949, with whom he had a daughter andtwo sons; and to Adele Koh in 1976.Don Dunstan died in Adelaide on 6 February 1999.

Don Dunstan's Cookbook by former South Australian Premier Don Dunstan

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