Sunday's Kitchen: Food and Living at Heide

Foreword by Stephanie Alexander.

Sunday's Kitchen explores life behind-the-scenes at Heide, the celebrated haven for progressive modernist artists and writers. Heide was the home and personal Eden of John and Sunday Reed, two of Australia's most significant art benefactors. Settling on the fifteen-acre property in outer Melbourne in 1935, the Reeds transformed it from a run-down dairy farm into a fertile creative space. They extended their hospitality and resources to now-famous artists such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Joy Hester and Charles Blackman, and developed a culture of collaboration, eclecticism and idealism that changed the course of Australian art.

At the centre of activity was Sunday Reed, a passionate cook and gardener, who ensured the artists she championed received sustenance for the body, not just the mind. Drawing on her experiences in the south of France, her emphasis was on home-grown produce, seasonal cooking and a self-styled domestic aesthetic that became an inspirational model.

Based on the reminiscences of friends and intimates, Sunday's Kitchen introduces the history of food and eating that went hand-in-hand with the living and loving at Heide. It is richly illustrated with art, photographs and recipes from Sunday's personal collection, revealing another dimension of Heide's complex and compelling story.