Biota: Gather, Grow, Cook. Redefining Regional Australian Food. This item is unavailable.Biota: Gather, Grow, Cook. Redefining Regional Australian Food

Habitat-inspired food that uses local produce to create honest, pure dishes and every dish tells a story. Underlying James' food is an understanding of the balance of animal and plant life in the Southern Highlands and cooking to reflect that, bringing together ingredients, textures, flavours that work together and complement each other. 60+ recipes, with accompanying stories, including the notion of biota (the philosophy of local, use what is at hand) and how it relates to the restaurant Biota (http://www.biotadining.com) . The recipes are home-cook friendly, for home cooks with domestic kitchens and non-professional kitchens/equipment/ingredients. The photography will capture the shooting, hunting and foraging that James does for Biota; the local Southern Highlands flora, fauna and seasons will feature throughout, as the backdrop to the food and the restaurant.

James career began at a young age as chef at The Schoolhouse in the Southern Highlands where he had grown up. As head chef at the restaurant, he received the accolade of being one of the youngest chefs ever awarded a Sydney Morning Herald Chef's Hat, at the age of 23. James then worked overseas for a number of years to gain experience in the kitchens of some of the world's best chefs. Biota Dining has become one of the most awarded regional restaurants in NSW. The restaurant went on to win a second hat in its second year in 2012 as well as the Sustainability Award. Its grounds include a substantial kitchen garden, an onsite glasshouse growing local and imported seedlings and a popular monthly farmer's market. James recently opened 12 rooms on Biota's beautiful grounds. All 13 comfortable Scandinavian-style rooms have queen or king beds, modern bathrooms and facilities, and outlooks onto the Biota Dining grounds and gardens.