Sunday's Kitchen: Food & Living at Heide

by Lesley Harding, Kendrah Morgan, Stephanie Alexander (Foreword)

Spotlighting a passionate cook and gardener, this biographical account explores the home of Sunday Reed and her husband John, emphasizing the importance of home-grown produce, seasonal cooking, and a communal table. Showcasing the Reeds as two of Australia’s most significant art benefactors, this study investigates this couple’s 15 acre property, which they settled on in 1935 and eventually transformed from a run-down dairy farm into a fertile creative space for artists such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, and Charles Blackman. Richly illustrated with art, several previously unpublished photographs, and exquisite recipes from Sunday’s personal collection, this is a behind-the-scenes look at a compelling and complex locale.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 23, 2010

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book for its title as I do love a good book about food. This is an interesting book about the lives of Sunday and her husband John and their lives over many years at Heide in Victoria. I think if you are very much into art and artists you would get a bit more out of this book as it was very much about that the arty friends that came to the house/home to live or visit.

There are some interesting parts, the way they lived, the way they entertained and cooked, etc but it did get a bit repetitive after a while and the recipes although interesting are not the sort of things I would make.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a roll with the whole Heide thing, so read this immediately after Autumn Laing, also because I got it for Christmas. A terrific insight into the life of the Reeds at "Heide" and their important role in the encouragement, mentorship and sponsorship of so many Australian artists. Lots of photos, recipes and anecdotes from their friends included in this lovely little book.

[Marnye Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to know more.

[katherine (winnie) 🏹 · Rating 3 out of 5]

*this is not the date read, but since goodreads has updated i don't know how to add to reading challenge without a date having to be attached anymore????*

[Ormond College Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Herbert: Being very interested in gardens, especially food gardens, I enjoyed visiting Heide. That led me to the Reed’s and their friends, their approach to hospitality, art and food. I read The Heart Garden (pub 2004), a biography of Sunday Reed. The book provides details about that Melbourne establishment family and their support of artists and the symbolic surrealism movement in Australian art – recent history about which I was not very familiar.
After having read that, I found Sunday’s Kitchen (pub 2010) very evocative of what it might have been like to visit and stay at Heide when the Reeds were alive. The latter is a bricolage of many photos of people and art, recipes, quotes from many different characters, arranged in themes, not another chronology of a Sunday’s life. Together these books bring a very human dimension to the gardens and galleries at Heide.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. More enjoyable as a snapshot of life at Heide - don't think I will be making use of any of the recipes. It left me wanting more detail of the Reeds and their set.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting snapshot of how life was at Heide. Wonderful photos.