Australia’s food culture during the 1930s and 1940s was overwhelmingly influenced by British tradition, economic austerity and rigid gender roles, and has been much maligned as being a tasteless, ‘muttonous feast’. The blame for this boring fare has often been laid at the feet of Australian women; although this claim has not been uncontested. As the preeminent women’s magazine of the 20^th century, the Australian Women’s Weekly had an immense influence on Australian food culture. This paper argues that despite the enforced economic austerity of the Depression and war years, the Australian Women’s Weekly was an unfailing supporter of women’s experimentation, adaptation and innovation in the kitchen. This is no more evident than when looking at the ‘mock’ foods featured in both editorial and reader-submitted recipes during these years. Whether a joint of mutton was being dressed up as lamb, or cheap cuts of beef were being passed off as roast duck, these mock foods not only reveal an interesting facet of Australian eating practices but also shed light on the interaction of class and gender in the kitchen.