Cookbook by 94 year old Nana revives traditional family recipes

A new cookbook edited by Ita Buttrose and written by a 94 year old, one-legged grandmother, is set to bring back childhood memories of ‘real’ home cooking and raise money for Alzheimer’s Australia.

Nana No Hats is a collection of simple and delicious recipes from much-loved Gold Coast nana, Corrie Lee.

Publication of the cookbook is a tribute to Corrie from her granddaughter, Tanya Lee, who is the Founder of The Corrilee Foundation, a registered organisation that stages major events and charitable fundraisers to bring existing charities together.

Tanya’s other grandmother, named Edna, had Alzheimer’s and died at the age of 72.

Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation will benefit from proceeds of the sale of this cookbook, which is edited by its National President and Australian of the Year, Ita Buttrose.

Nana No Hats’ no-nonsense recipes are not for the health-conscious, low-fat, high-fibre, low-sodium, no-added sugar, gluten-free dieter. They come from a time when refined flour, animal fat, sugar and salt were staples of your typical daily diet.

“Nana cooked out of necessity, not for her love of cooking. What Nana enjoyed was to make tasty, simple meals that her family loved and she did that for more than 60 years,” said Tanya Lee.

“This is an opportunity to indulge your inner child and get cooking. To eat in moderation, but mostly enjoy Nana’s delicious recipes from yesteryear when taste was the only consideration and many miraculously still enjoyed good health.”

A modern-day Common Sense Cookbook, Nana No Hats revives recipes of yesteryear like Jam Drops, Sausage Rolls, Bread and Butter Pudding, Golden Syrup Dumplings, Steak and Kidney Pie and the tastiest Rissoles ever.

“This book came about because of one woman’s love for her grandmother,” said Ita Buttrose. “It’s a reminder of the special role grandmothers have in our lives and of just how much they know, especially when it comes to cooking.”

“If you yearn for some of the wonderful old-fashioned dishes that your grandmother used to make, this is the book for you,” said Ms Buttrose. “If you have to watch your budget, this book is also perfect for you. Corrie has the knack of creating delicious meals that won’t break the bank.”

Corrie raised her family while her husband was away fighting during World War 2. She ran her own upholstery business during an era when women typically did not do such things. Corrie lost her leg when she was 70 after being run over by a car while she was on her push bike travelling to the beach for her daily morning swim. She has two children, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Larger than life, and full of amusing ‘nana-risms’, Nana No Hats is a 108-page treasure trove of old-style family recipes, memories and reflections on a wonderful life lived by an extraordinary woman.

Nana No Hats is being sold through the website www.fightdementia.org.au for $39.95 from September 18 and at all good book stores.