Real Food by Mike

Real Food by Mike reminds us that we are what we eat – but that doesn't mean what we eat can't be delicious. Accompanied by full-color photography, this book from chef Mike McEnearney is perfect for health-conscious people who still adore things like pork belly and gooey French cheese.

The book is based around the idea of the physic garden, in which plants are included based on their medicinal benefits to the body – be that muscular (ginger, tumeric) gastroenterological (dill, oregano) or neurological (lemon, verbene, chamomile). The recipes, divided by season, are annotated with the medicinal plants used and their health benefits. Simply presented and easy to approach, these are recipes you'll want to cook and eat again and again.

About the Author

Mike McEnearney is executive chef and owner of No. 1 Bent Street by Mike and Kitchen by Mike, both in Sydney. Mike began his career in 1990 at Sydney’s internationally renowned Rockpool, before moving to London, where he worked at the Michelin starred Pied à Terre, and ran the kitchens of Mezzo, Bluebird, The Pharmacy and Scott’s. He returned to Australia in 2006 to lead the kitchen at Rockpool. In 2011 he launched Mike’s Table, an acclaimed underground dining experience that gained cult status. Kitchen by Mike opened in 2012 and was swiftly awarded Best Cafe in the Time Out Sydney Food Awards.

In 2014 Mike pioneered the creation of Australia’s first urban physic garden, putting a new spin on the kitchen garden and underpinning his long-held belief that food is medicine. A natural evolution of Kitchen by Mike has been the 2016 launch of No. 1 Bent Street by Mike, in Sydney’s CBD, which offers a slightly more refined dining experience, while still maintaining Mike’s generous-spirited and approachable attitude to food and eating out. In 2015 Mike’s first book, Kitchen by Mike, was named ‘Best Cookbook written by a Chef ’ at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Mike Lives in Sydney with his wife and their three boys.