Book review: 'Comfort: Recipes to Calm your Fortress' by Gabriella Dyson and Lucy Studley
"In times of uncertainty, we can rely on our kitchens as a source of comfort."
Comfort has been pulled together by the Maverick Guide editor Gabriella Dyson and Cornwall Content's Lucy Studley in just six weeks in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Celebrating the ingredients, producers and chefs of the south-west, the digital cookbook features recipes from the likes of Paul Ainsworth, Elly Wentworth, Jude Kereama and Michael Caines, beautifully styled and photographed by Ali Green (who cooked many of the recipes herself at home).
Everyone involved in the project has given their time and expertise free of charge and all donations towards downloading the book go to industry charity Hospitality Action.
The book is visually stunning, and I would willingly pay good money for it in hardback. It offers a wide variety of comfort food dishes, whether you find solace in soups and stews, big bowls of pasta, hearty breakfasts like porridge and pancakes, or sweet treats. Or in my case, all of the above.
The digital download also includes a directory of suppliers and guides to foraging and growing fruit and vegetables. It respectfully acknowledges the full circle of suppliers and chefs who rely on each other, and each recipe features an introduction to the people behind the recipes and produce.
The simple recipes are designed for the home cook rather than the professional chef, but that does not detract from its ability to provide a distraction as a collection of comforting recipes to be cooked with and for families within the average household budget, and to allow chefs to support their industry colleagues. Donations for the book are supporting a charity that is itself bringing comfort to people in our industry who find themselves in need during this difficult time. This is a comfort in itself: that there is something we can do to help when so much at this time is outside of our control.
Comfort: Recipes to Calm your Fortress by Gabriella Dyson and Lucy Studley. Available to download at justgiving.com/fundraising/comfort-cookbook
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