BELINDA JEFFERYFrom when I was a little girl I always knew that cooking was what I wanted to do. I used to tell my mum, "When I grow up I'm going to be a cooka in the kitchen." Little did I realise just how true those words would prove to be! It's now many years ago but I still have such clear memories of those special times with my mum. I used to drag a little chair in beside her as she cooked, stand on it and insist on having my own bowl and spoon and then making my very own version of whatever she was cooking. She must have had infinite patience to cope with me constantly underfoot! But she was a wonderful mum and I loved pottering about with her.As time went by I just kept on cooking. When I was ten she bought Margaret Fulton's first big cookbook and that was a real turning point for me. I would immerse myself in it during the week and on the week-ends practice what I'd read. Frying eggs, cooking bacon, learning how to roast and most importantly for a little girl with a very sweet tooth (I'm told I could sniff out chocolate at 40 paces!), baking cakes and puddings. All through my teens I continued to cook. I cooked when I was happy, I cooked when I was sad, I cooked when I was in love, (and cooked even more when I was out of love!) I cooked to avoid studying and so it went on. Until finally the great day came when I actually started to do it for a living. First in restaurants, then writing for magazines, then onto teaching, television, radio and finally, and to me ... most importantly ... writing cookbooks. I'd love to think that you use my books a bit like the way I cooked with my mum. To feel that I'm there beside you in the kitchen and that we are both sharing the special joy that comes from cooking together.TelevisionFor six years I was the food presenter on the multi-award-winning lifestyle TV show Better Homes & GardensMagazinesI was Food Editor of Better Homes & Gardens magazine for ten years and I now write a regular monthly article for Australian delicious magazine, so if you would like to try more of my recipes you will find them there; and you will also find my work in Nederland's delicious magazine. RadioIf you would like to hear what's fresh and delicious in the local markets, and what to do with it, then tune into my regular fortnightly chat on Thursday mornings (repeated on Saturday morning) on ABC North Coast Radio.AwardsOver the years I have been fortunate to receive a number of awards for my work. These include,* Best Desserts Book in Australia, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, 2007 (France) Mix & Bake (Lantern Books)* Highly Commended, Best Recipe Book over $36 Australian Food Media Awards, 2008 Mix & Bake (Lantern Books) * Joint-winner The James Beard Foundation Cookbook Awards 2003 (New York) for Best Food Photography - Belinda Jeffery's Tried-and-True Recipes * Highly Commended, Best Soft Cover Food-related Cookbook over $30, Belinda Jeffery's Tried-and-True Recipes * Australian Food Media Awards, 2003 - Belinda Jeffery's Tried-and-True Recipes * Gold Ladle Award (1997), Bronze Ladle Award (1999) in the biennial World Food Media Awards for Best TV Food Show Segment within a Show (while for six years I was cooking presenter on the Better Homes and Gardens TV Show.).* During my association with Better Homes and Gardens the show collected a string of Australian television industry awards, including five TV Week Logies for Most Popular Lifestyle Show, and two People's Choice Awards. RECIPES My recipes are easy. They're for the food I like to eat. Simple, fresh, full of flavour and just a bit different. You certainly don't need any great cooking skills for them, you just need to like food and like eating - just like me. The rest is simple.