Happy Cooking: Easy Uplifting Meals and Comforting Treats

From the start of this bubbly book, Great British Bake Off winner Brown (Comfort) is frank about her mental health struggles: “I cook not only because I want to, but because I need to. Cooking is a saviour for me.” Here she shares the joy of cooking in the form of dozens of hearty, comfort food recipes straight from her kitchen and heart. Featured throughout are British classics like beer-battered fish and chips with tartar sauce, roast lamb, and cherry and almond spotted dick. There are plenty of carb-heavy indulgences to bury one’s feelings in, including pesto gnocchi gratin, and brown butter macaroni and cheese (“the ultimate comfort food”). Brown devotes a section to dishes that require a slow cooker—such as chocolate and caramel chia rice pudding, and smoky bean chili—and includes alternate steps for home cooks who prefer to use a stovetop instead. Her judgment-free tone (“please make sure you enjoy a huge slice,” she says of one cake) and helpful side notes are sure to lift home cooks’ spirits as much as the recipes themselves. “This book doesn’t aim for perfect,” Brown writes. “It aims for deliciousness.” Readers will be pleased to learn these tasty offerings deliver exactly that. (Oct.)