Frugal: Recipes for Hard Times
A community cookbook about care, creativity and cooking together
At its heart, Frugal: Recipes for Hard Times is more than a cookbook. It is a collective expression of care, resilience and community. Featuring an introduction by Dr Helen Addison Smith from RMIT, the book brings together recipes and contributions from students, teachers, staff, chefs and food justice practitioners across the RMIT community.
The cookbook is grounded in a simple but powerful idea. Being frugal is not about limitation, but about creativity. It is about making do, making something out of what you have, and making it together. As the introduction reflects, food is something to be respected and shared, and even the most humble ingredients can become something delicious with a little imagination.
The project connects to a broader set of place based initiatives across RMIT’s City North Social Innovation Precinct. In 2025, the RMIT City North Activation Challenge supported a range of projects exploring how the campus can operate as a living lab for community, innovation and inclusion. Within this, a City North Food Festival led by Helen Addison Smith focused on food insecurity, shared meals and creative approaches to eating well in the face of rising costs.
These ideas were brought to life through the City North Shared Futures Festival, which transformed the precinct into a space for experimentation, participation and connection. Food played a central role in this, creating opportunities for people to come together, share meals and experience new ways of thinking about sustainability, access and community through everyday practices like cooking and eating.
Across its pages, the collection moves from quick breakfasts and snacks to hearty meals and sweet treats. Recipes range from simple staples like homemade bread and pasta to inventive, globally inspired dishes that reflect the diversity of the community. Many emphasise low cost ingredients, minimal waste and flexibility, encouraging people to adapt recipes based on what is available to them.
Importantly, the cookbook extends beyond recipes. It includes stories and reflections on food systems, sustainability and the realities of student life, including food insecurity. Contributions explore how food connects to culture, place and environment, showing how cooking can be an act of care, creativity and shared responsibility.
Ultimately, Frugal is a celebration of collective knowledge and everyday ingenuity. It reminds us that even in hard times, cooking and eating together can build connection, support wellbeing and create moments of joy within a community.
