Ashleigh and her partner, Jared Campbell, have spent half a decade travelling across Australia and the US in a campervan. During that time, Ash drew on her love of cooking, experimentation, and work as a cook in small cafes and, often, caterer to the giant gatherings organised by @vanlifediaries (a social media platform of which Jared is a co-founder), to become an expert on preparing great food in small spaces, often with little more than a two-burner gas stove, a good knife, a mortar and pestle and pantry basics.
Her first collection of recipes for tiny kitchens, called The Small Kitchen Cook, will include tried-and-tested recipes perfect for anyone who regularly cooks in small spaces while camping and travelling, in campervans, caravans tiny homes, or even on boats and yachts. It is slated to go on sale in mid-2022.
The book’s focus is on preparing healthy, wholesome food that is easy to store, uses everyday ingredients, and reduces food waste. Recipes are as wide-ranging and delicious as prawn tostadas, oven-less pizza, rogan josh, van-made ricotta, and cacao and coconut mousse. Ash suggests ways to make them vegetarian and vegan in most recipes if they aren’t already.
‘The cookbook targets people who travel in campervans, caravans or other rolling homes. It is also perfect for people who live or stay in tiny homes, studio apartments, or other living spaces with limited kitchen space.’
Ash’s book will contribute to our commitment that our books do more good than harm by helping plant native, biodiverse, Australian forests.
Follow Vanlife on Instagram @vanlifediaries or follow Ash’s personal account – @youandiandthesky
