. READING LIST .

Nostalgia is a powerful tool, and A Good Meal is Hard to Find by Amy Evans and Martha Foose captures it flawlessly. The new cookbook reads almost like a historical account; the 60 recipes within are prefaced with vignettes of life in the Deep South, populated by whimsical characters that enjoy nothing more than nourishing and comforting nosh. Recipes like Ivy’s Sweet Sausage Balls and Estelle’s Butterscotch Pound Cake are imagined with eye-catching paintings, elevating the nature of the prose – A Good Meal is Hard to Find, above all else, is a love letter to the South.

Indonesian food has proven its popularity Down Under, with secondgenerational chefs making a name for themselves with traditional flavour and innovative technique. Coconut & Sambal, the debut cookbook from Australianborn chef and food writer Lara Lee, is a compilation of 80 authentic recipes from the diverse archipelago. Lee invites readers to discover her family’s Indonesian roots through timeless recipes like Beef Rendang and Pandan Cake, tales of island life from her time travelling through the nation, and a detailed dive into the soul of Indonesian cuisine – the variety of sambals that are a must at every meal.