Kooking with a Koori Nathan Lyons

Western Sydney dad Nathan Lyons regularly feeds his family of eight for just $8, and his #MadFeedz videos have attracted more than 128,000 followers. Kooking with a Koori is a collection of his best recipes and more Indigenous Australian soul foods that won't break the bank. His aim is to get Aussies back into the kitchen making their own meals instead of grabbing fast food.

Growing up in the inner west suburbs of Glebe & Tempe, Nathan Lyons, a Wiradjuri man, was raised by a single mum in housing commission and money was tight. The family relied on cheap ingredients like devon and pantry staples to stretch every last dollar. Nathan started cooking meals and baking cakes for his family from a young age after his Mum told him 'that the chef doesn't wash up.' He has vivid memories of his Nan and Aunties teaching how to make scrambled eggs, curries and cookies on a shoestring budget that would impress.

In his teens, Nathan adopted a second family with Hungarian and New Zealand heritage, and was exposed to a whole new world of cuisine. He discovered eastern European recipes such as paprika cucumbers and sauerkraut, and when his 'Mumma Porkers made "chicken in pyjamas" (chicken parmigiana) the word would get out and I think I counted 20 there on one night.'

Nathan now works two jobs to feed his own family of eight on a single income. He rose to TikTok fame in September 2020 when he launched his cooking videos, which have been liked more than a million times. The popularity of his content saw TikTok partner with Lyons for NAIDOC Week in 2020, and his followers have continued to grow exponentially from there.

About the author:
Nathan, a Wiradjuri man, was raised by a single mum in housing commission and money was tight. The family relied on cheap ingredients like devon and pantry staples to stretch every last dollar. Nathan started cooking for his family from a young age and now works two jobs to feed his own family of eight on a single income. He rose to TikTok fame in September 2020 when he launched his cooking videos, which have been liked more than a million times. The popularity of his content saw TikTok partner with Lyons for NAIDOC Week in 2020, and his followers have continued to grow exponentially from there.

Kooking with a Koori
Nathan Lyons
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781761102011
RRP: $24.99