A Basket by the Door: Recipes for Comforting Gifts and Joyful Gatherings

by Sophie Hansen

A Basket by the Door is about fostering connection, community and good old-fashioned country hospitality as much as it is about recipes and the food that brings us together to eat. Cooking for someone is empathy made edible and is a double gift of time - your time to relieve some of their time - and time is one of the greatest gifts you can give. There are chapters with ideas on what to cook for friends or family who are mid-house move, busy with a newborn baby, celebrating a milestone or who just need a little love. Whether it's an aromatic chicken pie made from scratch, or trio of freshly made dips and homemade lavosh biscuits or a sturdy picnic cake, delivered in a basket, for afternoon tea on the riverbank, there are recipes and ideas here to cover every occasion. There is also a chapter dedicated to Christmas with suggestions of food gifts to make and give, as well as recipes for useful things to make and take to friends' houses when invited to dinner or for a weekend away. Every recipe includes information on how to wrap, transport, store (and for how long) and re-heat or serve. There are also variations for seasonal options with lots of ideas to tweak and adjust recipes according to what's available or plentiful.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

264 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The BEST cauliflower salad recipe!! Our family’s favourite now along with the pearl couscous salad. There’s nothing too complicated or requiring exotic ingredients. Some lovely new combinations. I borrowed this from my library but it’s now on my “to buy” list! :)

[Reannon Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful, delightful & packed full of recipes to cook for those you love best.

[Amy Heap · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea of this; 'Recipes for comforting gifts and joyful gatherings". Sophie Hansen left Sydney and now lives on a farm in Orange, living the ultimate country life. Perhaps it just wasn't the right time, but I found the book a little too trendy and beautiful. The food suggested to drop over to a friend in need, seems a little over the top; not as practical as I had expected. Look, the book is full of gorgeous pictures of food, country landscapes, beautiful farm houses and happy people. If I didn't work outside the home full-time, I might have found this more appealing. I did make the triple ginger loaf, and found the recipe strange, and the result dry (to be fair, she does suggest toasting it and spreading it with butter). I think a lot of people will love this book, but it wasn't for me.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book containing recipes I really want to make. I love the author's idea of thoughtful edible gifting. It's full of photographs, Sophie's memories about life and eating and the recipes which are suggested season by season. I highly recommend it.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big-hearted and beautiful

A thoughtful and creative philosophy produces this culinary and caring repository which encourages imaginative sharing and resourceful gifting as an alternative to consumer culture.

[Jean MacLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't help but feel motivated after reading this lovely book. It's all about sharing. Great book with good recipes and suggestions.

[Raelene · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I bought a cookbook and have wanted to make everything in it (bar the meat recipes of course!). So many great ideas and beautifully photographed.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So comforting.

[Hanna Ashton-Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most wholesome, hug of a book. So glad I finally picked it up! As a vegetarian I usually avoid non vego cookbooks but there were so many brilliant recipes in here.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book. so cozy

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of lovely ideas, easy-to-read chapters and beautiful imagery in this book.