Comfort reading

In the latest issue of Book Chat, I wrote about my habit of reading cookbooks when I’m stressed or anxious. I find it calming to flick through the recipes, admiring the photos and reading the stories.

For me, reading a cookbook is not just about looking for new recipes, although that’s part of it. It’s more about getting off the computer, getting away from the news, and simply curling up in bed with a cup of tea and no real purpose. It’s the ultimate in self-care.

As a lover of cake, I’m particularly drawn to books about baking. They have the best, drool-worthy pictures. But I also like vegetarian cookbooks and international cookbooks.

I might end up trying a recipe if it’s easy and I have the ingredients at hand, but mostly I read cookbooks because they let me imagine that I’m a different, more adventurous kind of person. More sociable, more organised. More like my best self.

Cookbooks offer a vision of who you might be if only you had the energy to apply yourself, but they do it in a way that is gently encouraging. They don’t challenge or confront you. They just offer a peek into another world.

Reading A Table for Friends by Skye McAlpine allows me to daydream about being the kind of person who could host the perfect dinner party without getting stressed.

Let’s be honest, I’ve never hosted a proper dinner party, but I think that if I did, I would find it quite stressful. The most I’ve ever attempted is inviting a couple of friends over for dinner, which doesn’t quite qualify in my book. In my mind, a dinner party involves candles, fancy clothes and fancy foods. Think soufflés and chocolate mousse! I’ve cooked for family events, birthdays and Christmases, but that’s more like an exercise in logistics rather than organising something elegant. Mostly it’s just a case of buying enough food and having a variety of dishes, so everyone is happy.

Love is a Pink Cake by Clare Ptak encourages me to believe that one day I will learn to decorate a cake to perfection, or assemble the perfect Swiss Roll. My usual method of decorating a cake is to plonk a bunch of fresh flowers on top, and mostly it works well, but I admire people who can decorate a cake with skill and artistry and I love to think that one day that could be me.

Around the Table by Julia Busuttil Nishimura, reminds me I should really get around to buying some lovely linen tablecloths with contrasting napkins and then I could be a smiley person with a lovely tidy home. I know the photos in these books are staged, but still, they are gorgeously attractive and appealing. Unfortunately, I also have a thrifty streak and I cannot bear to throw away all my perfectly good tablecloths and cutlery, even if they have seen better days.

I imagine I will just stay the way I am, and that’s okay. A person can dream.