Charmaine Solomon

Charmaine Solomon is the author of 31 cookbooks and the creator of her own brand of spice blends and marinades. Called "the queen of Asian cooking in Australia" and part of "the holy trinity of cookbook authors" by the Sydney Morning Herald, she is credited by various commentators with introducing Asian food to Australian households and changing the way Australia eats. The Complete Asian Cookbook, her third cookbook, has sold over one million copies in five languages and is regarded as one of Australia's most influential cookbooks. Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Burgher parents, at 18 she became the assistant to the editor of the women's pages of the Ceylon Daily News, an English language morning paper. She interviewed royalty, film stars, movie directors, authors and covered social events. Married Rangoon-born musician Reuben Kelly Solomon in 1856 and had two daughters before moving to Australia in 1959, where two sons were born. Solomon taught herself to cook while Reuben worked nights as a musician. In 1964, after coming second in the Woman's Day Butter White Wings Bake Off, she was asked by Margaret Fulton to join her team at Woman's Day, beginning her career as a food writer, food editor and, ultimately, internationally acclaimed cookbook author. Medal of the Order of Australia (2007)The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook - Best Vegetarian Book in English in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (2002) The line of spice pastes and marinades, developed with husband Reuben, won a Jaguar Award for Excellence in (1998) Encyclopaedia of Asian Food - silver ladle in the World Food Media Best Food Book awards (1997) and silver medal in Julia Child Cookbook Awards (1996)