As we head towards the cooler months, we start thinking of comfort food.
You know: food that tastes great, fills you up, warms the cockles of your heart and doesn't take hours to cook for many of us time-poor chefs.
The Comfort Bake (Murdoch Books, $39.99) by Sally Wise hits the spot and it's no wonder the book is a best seller. The pictures alone make this reader drool and bring on a severe dose of tummy rumbles.
It offers timely recipes for food that gives you a hug from the inside out, by a living legend of Australian country cooking.
Baking is the perfect antidote to busy times, providing a double dose of solace: the contemplative act of baking itself, and the great big buttery prize at the end, which tastes even better when shared or given away entirely.
You don't need fancy equipment or specialist skills. In this foolproof recipe collection, icon of good old-fashioned country cooking Sally Wise serves up recipes that are big on comfort and low on fuss.
Savoury classics (including pies, quiches, breads and focaccia - and the creamiest potato bake ever) sit proudly alongside a glorious line-up of sweet treats, including Coffee Hazelnut Cake with Espresso Drizzle, Rhubarb & Caramel Slice, Spiced Ginger Cookie Sandwiches and a supremely simple Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding.
I'll take one of everything, thanks!
The Comfort Bake is all the invitation you need to nourish yourself and your loved ones with food that warms the heart.
Sally Wise was the 2019 Tasmanian Senior Australian of the Year, and is known as 'Tasmania's favourite nan' for her popular cooking school set in the picturesque Derwent Valley, bestselling cookbooks and decades-long regular spot on ABC Radio.
When she is not running cooking demonstrations at food festivals or community events, or furnishing the local work-from-home group, The Custard Club, with innovative cakes, she can be found teaching locals, tourists, prisoners, young adults, children - anyone - how to turn simple ingredients into comforting meals.
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