Our First Press Article - Sheffield Star

Today is the official publication date of our book, and we're pleased to include our first piece of press coverage courtesy of Martin Dawes at our local newspaper The Sheffield Star. Big thanks to Martin!

When guinea pig doesn't fill

Published Date: 28 July 2010
By Martin Dawes

WHEN you're out travelling the world there are a lot of funny things you get the chance to eat and probably wisely decline, as Penny Paterson has found.

She avoided dog in Vietnam as well as three-quarter turn eggs, which means there's an almost formed chick inside. "I was in the same restaurant as someone eating them and they certainly have a crunch," she laughs.

But she did have roast guinea pig in Peru. "It's a bit of a cliche but it tastes like chicken. It came with a celery hat and a cherry tomato in its mouth and there was hardly any meat on it."

At 31 Penny, from Brisbane, who has spent the last two years in Sheffield, is a seasoned traveller. When she first set off round the world - so far she's taken in Europe, South America, Australia and Asia - she didn't have a cookery book in her rucksack but she did have a lot of recipes in her head, thanks to her mum Caroline.

Now the two have got together to produce The Backpackers Kitchen, a handy stick it in your rucksack collection of 100 recipes aimed at gap year students who may not have been as lucky as Penny to have a mum like hers.

"A lot of money is spent on food. Most of us don't eat out every night at home so why do it when you're abroad. These recipes are an alternative to baked beans or noodles or a trip to McDonald's," says Penny.

They'll probably be cooking it in a hostel kitchen where facilities can range from the primitive to restaurant standard so ingredients and equipment needed is kept to a minimum.

"My favourite is the Parmesan chicken drumsticks where you only need three ingredients," says Penny, who being from Oz, has happily wolfed down crocodile and kangaroo.

She has spent the last two years living in Sheffield while her boyfriend Rob did a masters degree in journalism at Sheffield University. They met in Rio and started eating and travelling together.

"In Brazil they have these 'pay by the kilo' buffet restaurants with skewers of meat they take between the tables. One looked a bit strange and it turned out to be chicken hearts so we didn't have that!"

Rob was obviously impressed by Penny's cooking, Rio was the place where the idea for the cookery book was first suggested.

While in Sheffield Penny worked in marketing for the Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust and lived above some restaurants in Hunter's Bar so she was never far from food.

"Ecclesall Road is great for restaurants and we loved Dim Sum on London Road.

"But now Rob has finished his studies her wanderlust has resurfaced so they're about to set off for Rwanda in central Africa and spend over two months travelling down to South Africa where the national dish is bobotie - mince, mashed potatoes, apricots, raisins and almonds.

And there's always the chance to renew her acquaintance with crocodile.

The Backpackers Kitchen is published on Friday by Robert Hale at £9.99.