Published By: Carnival
Pages: 224
Released On: 03/09/2024
Country Comfort contains 90 recipes for quick and easy comfort food, inspired by country living. Each chapter is organised by time – Comfort in 10, 20, 30 or 40 minutes – with a baking chapter at the end for that special treat.
You’ll find delicious quick bites such as Honey-Kissed Camembert and One-Pan Salmon Orzo, and recipes which take a little bit more time, but are totally worth it such as Mushroom and Prosecco Risotto and Butter Chicken Pie. There are plenty of easy wins including Leftover Roast Dinner Hotpot and ‘Wellies Off; Traybake In’, plus a host of moreish bakes from Almond Bundt Cake to Traditional Tiffin.
Every recipe comes with a list of swaps and additional options, so you’ll be able to create a tasty fix for every occasion.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Carnival for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I do love a cookbook, and I often read them as novels, from front to back, reading the introduction, all the recipes, tips and advice. And this book has been on my radar for a while now, and was on my to-buy list, so I was excited to get an early look at it.
I don’t know if Hari did the food photography herself or if it was someone else, but either way, it is absolutely stunning and really shows the dishes off well.
For someone who owns about 50 cookbooks, I am not a very good cook. My disability means it’s not always safe for me to be cooking or using sharp implements etc. but I still enjoy reading all things cooking, and baking. I used to bake practically everyday – I once did 3 wedding cakes in one day, I did birthday cakes, bakes for work, bakes for funerals etc. It was how I dealt with my emotions. Which makes it even more difficult now as I don’t have that regular outlet. But there are definitely some recipes in here that look simple enough for me to, if not do all of, to at least assist with.
Hari covers everything from quick 10 minute dishes to longer 40+ minute main meals, perfect for hosting guests, so there really is something for everyone.
A lot of cookbooks are a bit samey, because surely how many different types of one dish can there be? And yes, there are your favourites – curries, stroganoff, salads – but Hari has put her own twist on them, and has provided us with a few of her own personal and family options.
I love that for each recipe she has provided an ‘alternative ingredients’ list, because we don’t always have every single ingredient ready to go, or perhaps we can’t afford to go out and buy all these ingredients you’ll only use for this dish and then get pushed to the back of the cupboard. So that was good, she gives you options, which is especially good for someone like me who is quite fussy.
It’s got a very clear layout. Sparse pages makes the photos take centre stage and the recipe itself easy to read. It’s not heavy clunky paragraphs or long instructions. It’s clear and easy to read and easy to follow. She has provided both imperial and metric instructions, as well as a list of equipment needed, and a little introduction to each recipe.
I have been writing a baking cookbook on and off for years, mainly so I could preserve the recipes I used to love making. Ad having read this book, it’s exactly the atmosphere I want mine to have. Clear, honest, easy to follow, casual, calm, beautiful, and just very comforting.
I may have been given an early digital copy of this book, but I’ll definitely be buying it upon release to add to my cookbook shelves; I can see it being used a lot!
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