This is simply a stunning book. It is a poetic, autobiographical cookbook that will make you laugh, cry, and struggle to put it down. This is a healing book full of healing recipes, and the way that Ella Risbridger writes is so comforting that it really makes you feel that everything will be fine, and that cooking can help with that. A perfect mix of memoir, food writing, and cookery, this is a must-read for anyone new to cooking or needing a pick-me-up.

Full disclosure- I’ve not cooked from this yet.... but I will. It’s a wonderfully tactile book with beautiful illustrations. The recipes and their accompaniments are soothing for the soul. I find myself pausing, smiling, nodding - closing the book and rubbing the cover. (Is that odd)? The recipes include delicious details such as making yourself a cup of tea mid ‘make’. It’s a book for book lovers and cookery book lovers alike. I’m reading the breakfast section and I’m smiling - I think pikelets will be in order

I bought this book on a whim after stumbling across Ella on social media and I am so glad I did!I am by no means a confident cook and I have so far made eleven recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and Ella is a gentle cheerleader motivating you along.

No matter your dietary preferences or cooking abilities, this is a book that should grace the shelf of any household. Ella Risbridger takes readers through the basics in cooking whilst sharing what cooking means to her, with it being what sparked joy after an event with a bus to Oxford Circus. This spark will without a doubt carry through to each reader, helping them to find their spark.

First of all - the chicken turns out beautifully, I couldn't believe how easy and flavourful it was. Second of all, I read this recipe memoir (if that isn't already a subgenre then... it is now) at exactly the right time, in midwinter, when I wanted to make nourishing things for myself. I love that Ella understands how daunting cooking can seem when you have a tiny kitchen and can't afford or justify a million pieces of cookware. Her approach is down to earth and relatable - no snobbery around pre-made ingredients, shortcuts, substitutes, or less-than-perfect presentation. There's a good range of recipes, from ridiculously easy to impressively challenging, and they're helpfully divided by occasion: weekend cooking, breakfast, picnics etc. Between the lines of the methods, you quickly understand that Ella has already had three lifetimes' worth of experiences, magical and devastating. Her writing voice is as elegant as the breakfast pastries she recommends you shape like wrought-iron curlicues, and as warm as the mug of fresh ginger and lemon tea she tricks you into making while prepping the titular chicken. We reluctant home cooks of the world can only hope she conjures up more enchanting collections like this one for years to come.