As the Head Chef at Sydney’s Red Lantern restaurant, Mark Jensen is passionate about producing great tasting food. He is also passionate about creating simple recipes that take sustainability into consideration.
More and more people are looking at where their food comes from so they can make choices that are healthy and informed. It’s easier than you think - from buying seasonally and growing your own vegetables, to using all parts of the animal and selecting free range options.
In The Urban Cook, Mark shows you how to make over 100 seasonal recipes that are good for you and the planet. From eggplant and mozzarella bake or rainbow trout cooked in yoghurt with Indian spices, to chicken roasted with lemongrass, chilli and garlic or apple and pecan pie, it’s never been easier to cook and eat for a sustainable future.
The Urban Cook contains 106 seasonal and easy-to prepare recipes, all accompanied by stunning photographs. Mark also provides illuminating facts about food production across food groups to make it easier for consumers to make ethical choices about what they eat. He travelled across Australia visiting food production sites in research for the book.
Mark Jensen left a career in hairdressing to become a chef at the age of 27. He worked in Matt Moran’s Paddington Inn Bistro and also the Bennelong Restaurant, before making his mark on the Sydney dining scene when he opened The Dining Room at the Olympic Hotel in 1995.
In 2001 his brother in-law Luke Nguyen invited him to join his new restaurant, Red Lantern, and he has been there ever since. Mark is a co-owner of Red Lantern and has made guest appearances on Channel Ten’s ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ and ‘Junior MasterChef’. Mark is passionate about ethical eating and has transformed Red Lantern into an environmentally sustainable restaurant.
