Sally Wise bakes for comfort, creativity and community. Homely and humble, these sweet and savoury treats will bring this feeling into your slice of the world. 

In a wooded valley tucked into an island just off the coast of Australia, you’ll find a wooden cabin with its kitchen window ajar. Step closer and you’ll smell just- brewed coffee, bubbling cherries and buttery pastry. This is where “the gran we all wished we had” lives. 

This small plot in Tasmania is where Sally Wise has been making, baking and preserving treats for anyone who happens to stop by – whether a pal, neighbour, student or delivery man. This is where she has imagined and made all 100 bakes that have gone into her 17th cookbook – The Comfort Bake: Food that warms the heart – and where her husband, Robert, has gladly taste-tested every single one.  

Sally has been hailed one of the best grannies around – and not just by family, cookbook critics and fans. Even the Australian government has put its money on her being the best: in 2019, they named her Tasmanian Senior Australian of the Year and, two years later, awarded her an Order of Australia Medal for her service to the culinary community. Of all of these achievements she simply thinks: “What a privilege, if indeed this were so, to be representative of a whole group in society that has so much they would love to share with younger generations.” 

In fact, it is her own grandmother who inspired her love of baking. This paternal “nan” was a pastry chef in her own parents’ bakery, not far from where Sally now lives, and stood by the mantra that “When visiting, it’s always nice to take a little something delicious to share with others”.  

Sally has infused her life and The Comfort Bake with this worldview. “From my perspective, the greatest thing about baking is the capacity to brighten someone’s day,” she says. “The fact that you have thought of them and want to share something you have baked is like offering a ‘cuddle with food’ – it’s warm, it’s comforting and asks for nothing in return. Baking is not what I do – it’s who I am.” 

It’s no wonder, then, that Sally has always insisted on 6m of bench space in her kitchen and roped all six of her children into baking from a young age. Always experimenting with flavours, she shares her bakes on anyone who’s willing to try a bite (or two). A cooking school and 16 cookbooks later, she shows no sign of slowing down. 

But despite a wealth of experience and accolades, Sally and her recipes remain down-to-earth – she prefers second-hand baking equipment to new, can’t be bothered with caster sugar, always has custard powder on hand and doesn’t sift flour. And it comes through in The Comfort Bake.  

The recipes are divided according to occasion: not how fancy it is, but how many mouths you’re expecting to feed! From “bite-sized beauties” to “large savouries”, there’s something for whichever occasion calls. A recipe for plum pies advises that tinned plums can be used “in an emergency” – only someone who bakes with love could see this as an emergency! 

Another clue that this is a Sally Wise book is the emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients. From berries and peaches to tomatoes and pumpkins, Sally has selected widely available produce which become even more delectable when baked low and slow. 

She is revered as one the grandest grans, but there’s nothing old-school about her recipes. For her, baking “is, in essence, an act for yourself, sparking and enabling creativity, but its great strength is that it’s something that can be shared readily for others,” she explains.  

Her most recent personal challenge was to bake a new cake, with custard hidden in it somewhere, for a local community group every week. And she’s got it right for the past two years – and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. This same creative energy is in The Comfort Bake. From a whiskey and orange chocolate self-saucing pudding to a summer tomato pie with pesto cream, the recipes suite a modern palate but with a touch of something recognisable, reassuring and warm. 

Paging through the book, you’ll never guess that it is photographed in Sally’s own home kitchen. Sure, there are stacks of her beloved second-hand wire racks, blotchy baking tins, antique knives and plain plates and platters. But her experienced hands break bread, pass a slice and offer a tray. Crumbs are footloose and fancy free, the helpings are healthy and the mugs are filled to the top. You can’t help but be sure that this kind of comfort will land on your kitchen table, too, with one of these bakes. 

“Don’t be deterred, don’t try to do things too fancy and don’t have too high an expectation of what the food will look like on the plate,” Sally advises in the book’s introduction. “Be a flavour-chaser, because everybody loves flavour. Just get together with others and cook, because it is that wonderful means of communication through which you can learn so much and have fun. You make a wonderful meal and community.” 

Rustic cherry brandy pie 

SERVES 6  •  TOTAL TIME 2 HR 

Ingredients

1 egg white, lightly whisked  

FOR THE PASTRY  

125g very soft salted butter 
80g white sugar 
1 egg 
90g plain flour 
90g self-raising flour    

FOR THE FILLING  

1 x 680g jar sour (Morello) cherries, drained, or 400g pitted fresh sour cherries 
60g white sugar 
2 tsp brandy 
3 tsp cornflour mixed to a paste with 40ml cold water  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.  
2. Grease a 20cm round pie tin or tart plate, 4cm deep. 
3. Using a hand whisk, mix the butter and sugar together, then whisk in the egg until well combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flours and, using a large metal spoon, fold into the butter mixture to form a soft dough. 
5. To make the filling, place the cherries, sugar and 80ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  
6. Add the brandy, then gradually stir in enough cornflour paste to reach a thick custard consistency. Keep warm over low heat. 
7. To assemble for baking, cut 1/3 from the pastry, cover and set aside. 
8. Press the remaining pastry evenly into the tin, then brush with some of the whisked egg white to seal. 
9. Spoon in the warm cherry filling. 
10. Break the reserved pastry dough into several pieces and flatten them between your (slightly damp) hands. Place them on top of the pie. Don’t worry if they don’t fit together – this will sort itself out during baking. 
11. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown.  
12. Leave to stand for at least 20 minutes before serving with ice cream. 

Words by Christi Nortier 
Photography: Samuel Shelley/Murdoch Books 

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Brimming with personal anecdotes and modern twists on generations-old recipes, Lerato Umah-Shaylor’s debut, Africana, brings the magic of the continent to your kitchen.  

Africana brims with lip-smacking, smile-inducing, nostalgic flavours with a healthy helping of culture and heritage. With an essence that matches the book’s dazzling cover, food writer and cook Lerato Umah-Shaylor celebrates African culture by showcasing recipes from across the continent.   

French, Italian and Greek cooking may be automatically looked to for inspiration, but what Africana shows us is that many of these international flavours have been right on our doorstep since the beginning.  

Lerato brings African cuisine to the forefront, giving us a window into its rich heritage. Africana is more than a cookbook. It shares an immense wealth of knowledge with the reader: it’s dictionary, map, autobiography and recipe book combined.  

Lerato presents each dish by stitching her personal tales of ingredients, origins and traditions and places. Many of the ingredients might be completely new to some of us, and for others they are the signs of home.  

The story Lerato weaves is about community: it’s a multi-sensory experience that invites everyone to take part in the history and emotion that encompasses everyday life on the continent.  

From Nigeria to South Africa, we are encouraged to linger on the bliss of biting into a fresh mango, fall into a world of adoration for the floral notes of hibiscus, savour the creaminess of ripe banana and to dance on our tippy toes as we experience the complexity of tamarind paste.   

‘Our food is vibrant and varied, arresting and comforting but, most importantly to me, it’s also timeless,’ writes Lerato.  

As you page through Africana, Lerato’s spellbinding words will bring out laughter, intrigue and surprise – it’s a very special feeling to be fully immersed in her world even before you cook her recipes. Try Lerato’s Smoky Jollof, with its bed of deep-orange rice dotted with roasted plantains.  

Others include the pillowy-soft clouds of her Spiced Chocolate and Coffee Mousse, and her soft Berbere Buns brimming with fragrant lamb. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or are just starting out in the kitchen, you’ll find inspiration in this beautiful collection of recipes from the African diaspora.  

 ‘As you cook your way through the book, listen to the whispers that were passed from generation to generation,’ she advises. ‘Let them inspire you to explore Africa.’  

Africana R450 (HQ, HarperCollins Publishers) is available from all good bookstores.  

My golden Ugandan Rolex 

Serves 4 

‘Unless you have been enthralled by this wonder while walking the streets of Kampala, you might be forgiven for assuming this is a recipe for a luxury timepiece. Ugandan Rolex is a malapropism of ‘rolled eggs’, a melodic corruption most likely to have occurred as the street sellers would call out to the passing crowds.   

Across Uganda there are many variations, some with minced meat, chicken or cheese. You simply cannot go wrong with whatever you choose to embellish your Golden Ugandan Rolex with.’ – Lerato 

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying 
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 
1 green finger chilli, stemmed and finely chopped (or 2 milder jalapeños) 
5 multi-coloured cherry tomatoes (about 80g), cut into wedges (or 1 medium tomato, seeded and roughly chopped) 
30g baby spinach, chopped 
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
4 large free-range eggs 
¼ tsp ground turmeric
pinch fine sea salt 
2 chapati or flatbreads 

TO SERVE  

Smoky tomato and date jam, to taste
4 rashers dry-cured streaky smoked bacon, fried until crisp, then torn (optional) 
40g fresh coriander or baby spinach 
¼ small red cabbage, shredded
1–2 carrots, scrubbed and julienned  

Method

1. Place 24cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds. 
2. Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing every now and again. Stir in spinach and leave to wilt for a minute, then remove pan from heat. 
3. Tip everything into a bowl, add spring onions, season with just a little pinch of fine sea salt and toss well. 
4. Crack two eggs into a mug or bowl and whisk lightly. Add half turmeric, a pinch of fine sea salt, and half spinach, garlic, chilli and tomato mix. Stir to combine. 
5. Wipe pan clean and place over a medium-high heat. 
6. Drizzle in 2 teaspoons of oil and swirl to coat base and sides. Give eggs one more stir, then pour into pan, quickly and briefly swirling around as it sizzles, to make sure the entire surface is covered. 
7. Leave undisturbed for 10 seconds, then swirl pan once more so any excess runny liquid fills the gaps. 
8. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 seconds, until egg is mostly cooked, but still slightly gooey on top. 
9. Loosen sides and bottom of omelette with a spatula, then place chapati on top of omelette and press down for 10 seconds to ‘glue’ the two together. 
10. Continue to cook for about a minute, or until eggs are golden, then flip and cook chapati for 30 seconds. Transfer to plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat to make the second roll. 11. To assemble each roll, spread ½  tablespoon or more of smoky tomato and date jam on egg side of roll, top with half bacon, if using, then half coriander leaves or baby spinach, shredded cabbage, and carrots. 
11. Roll up tightly and wrap in baking paper, pretending to be a Ugandan newspaper. 
12. Twist ends and leave wrap to rest and seal for a few minutes before cutting in half and devouring. 

Smoky tomato and date jam 

Makes 2 X 200ml Jars 

‘Dark, rich, smoky and sweet, this could well be your new favourite ketchup. A wonderful addition to an African afternoon tea or served alongside chips or spread on a chapati to make my golden Ugandan Rolex.’ – Lerato  

Ingredients

400g vine-ripened tomatoes 
100g pitted dates 
1-2 green chillies, stemmed 
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 
1 tsp ground selim pepper (or ground cardamom) 
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1 tsp fennel seeds 
2 tbsp grapeseed oil 
60ml apple cider vinegar 
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves 
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp fine sea salt
100g sugar  

YOU WILL NEED  

2 x 200ml sterilised jars  

Method

1. Place tomatoes, dates, chilli, ginger and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth. 2. Add selim pepper (or cardamom), cumin and fennel seeds to dry frying pan over medium heat and toast for 2 minutes. Tip into a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. 
2. Pour a tablespoon of oil into a saucepan, then add puree and vinegar. Stir in toasted and ground spices, paprika, ground ginger, ground cloves and cayenne pepper. Season with sea salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with lid and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. 
3. Add sugar, stir well and leave to simmer with lid slightly ajar for another 30 minutes, stirring every now and again. 
4. While still hot, carefully scoop into warm sterilised jars, and secure tightly with clean lids. Store in a cool, dark place and jam will keep for up to three months.

 Photography: Tara Fisher 

The post Africana By Lerato Umah-Shaylor + Ugandan Rolex Recipe appeared first on MyKitchen.

If there is one book that stood out to me this year, it’s Lucy Burton’s Postal Bakes.

With more than 60 simple, yet decadent recipes that can easily be posted, Lucy’s bakes tempt the reader into the kitchen with ease.  

Baking blogger, food stylist and wedding cake maker – she started out by selling her brownies and blondies on Instagram in March 2022.  

During the pandemic, Lucy decided to make her delicious baked goods with one small change – all of them would be ready to be posted! What I appreciate the most about this book is that every recipe can be made in the same tin, ensuring that the home baker has no need to go out and buy gadgets and gizmos of different sizes.  

What’s more, Lucy also shares packaging tips and tricks to ensure that your baked goods look as good as they taste. While our postal service is unreliable in South Africa and we’re a few years away from being able to safely post food items, the recipes and advice in this book are helpful for homemade gifts that would serve well for birthdays, parties or around Christmas.  

My favourites are her brownies and truffles, both of which are serious crowd-pleasers!  

Words by Fatima Saib

Photography: Unsplash, Courtesy Image

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