Nancy Hillary
Turn Every Meal Into a Memory Worth Sweating For
The bold host’s guide to global heat, heart-warming flavour, and dinner parties that don’t need permission to be unforgettable.
You don’t need a culinary degree to make people remember your table. You just need courage, chillies, and this book. Entertaining With Chillies takes you from mild backyard BBQs to wild internationally-inspired feasts—all while teaching you to balance heat with humour, spice with soul, and chaos with care.
About Me
From Tour Vans to Taste Buds: Nancy Hillary's Spicy Journey
Nancy Hillary has spent 36+ years managing musos, stages, national and international tours, and the beautiful chaos of live entertainment. And she’s still deep in it, running her own music and media company with the same energy she once used to wrangle musicians into tour vans at 3am.
Raised between England and South Africa by fun loving hippie parents, and particularly a soil‑loving mum on a self‑sufficient farm, she grew up in a world where cooking wasn’t a task; it was a playful, fiery ritual. Heat, flavour, and a little danger were part of the family love language.
Life on the road only amplified it. Between soundchecks and sunrise drives, Nancy collected chilli sauces and snack ideas and learned that every city has its own version of “careful, this one bites.”
Now based in Sydney with a garden overflowing with chilli varieties (dozens — truly), she turned lockdown restlessness into culinary rebellion. What began as backyard experiments became Entertaining With Chillies — a cookbook that doesn’t simmer quietly; it kicks the door in.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about personality. It’s about turning Tuesday into an event and making your guests say, “Wow! Can I take some home?”
Books Published
Happy Readers
Awards Recognitions
Literary Events
Book Collection
Discover All My Book Collection You Were Looking For
Historical Fiction
The Greates Adventure Trail To The Unknown
Science Fiction
Beyon The Cosmos Galatic Destiny
Romance
When The Moon Meet The Noon
Historical Fiction
The Alpine Odyssey Peaks Of Destiny
Science Fiction
The Petal Path Beneath The Blossoms
Science Fiction
The Metamorphosis Chronicles
Book Event
Join the Spicy Revolution
The Chilli Sorceress community isn’t about perfect plating or competition-level heat tolerance. It’s about:
- Experimenting boldly (and having milk on standby)
- Sharing generously (recipes, stories, and emergency cooling strategies)
- Celebrating flavour over fear
Ready to turn your kitchen into a global flavour laboratory?
Entertaining With Chillies is available now—wherever books are sold and brave souls gather. Grab your copy, gather your courage, and let’s set the table on fire (metaphorically).
Testimonial
What Readers Are Saying (Between Bites and Happy Tears)
Author of Spoonful of Spicy
Part cultural guide, part culinary manifesto, Entertaining with Chillies captures the spirit of global spice culture with flair. Hillary’s “chilli sorceress” persona transforms simple cooking lessons into storytelling spells, weaving humour with anthropology and genuine culinary insight. At times, her fiery enthusiasm runs ahead of her recipes, but that’s part of the charm. This is a book for hosts, dreamers, and anyone who thinks food should ignite conversation as much as it excites taste buds.
Author of We Love Food
From the first page, Hillary makes it clear this isn’t your grandmother’s cookbook. With a voice as sharp as a jalapeño and as comforting as melted cheese, she explores how spice unites people, fuels laughter, and turns meals into memories. While her freewheeling humour might overwhelm those seeking quick instructions, readers craving personality and passion will be delighted. It’s equal parts cookbook, stand-up routine, and self-help manual for the flavour-curious.
Author of Sweet & Spicy Life
Nancy Hillary’s voice crackles like oil in a hot pan; sharp, playful, and utterly original. She has taken a simple culinary subject and spun it into a full-blown narrative about connection, courage, and community. Her writing is as vivid as her handpicked illustrations, which mirror her humour and humanity with charming precision. The only danger here is underestimating her depth: behind every laugh lies cultural insight and a genuine reverence for the shared language of food. This isn’t just a cookbook; it is a love letter to spice, storytelling, and the joy of bringing people together.
Author of The Dragon Who Hated Spicy Food
Pre-Order Today. Regret Nothing.
Make Your Dinner Parties Spice-tackularly Memorable
This is more than a cookbook. It’s your invitation to become the host everyone remembers. The one who serves tacos with backstory, marinades with mythology, and desserts that dare you to take another bite.
Latest Blog
Discussions, Recommendations, and Inspiration for Book Lovers
Welcome to the Cauldron- it’s time to make some spicy magic!
If you’ve found your way here, you’re either chilli‑curious, chilli‑obsessed, or chilli‑reckless… my three types of favourite people! Welcome...
Book Event
Exciting Event Schedule and Activities Await!
14
May, 2023
When The Moon Meet The Noon Book Signing
- 4:00 PM - 8:30 PM, May 14, 2023
- Mal Bali Galleria, Bali, Indonesia
10
Jun, 2023
Trail To The Unknown Launch and Reading
- 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Jun 10, 2023
- Living World Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
04
Jul, 2023
Writing Workshop and Book Discussion
- 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Jul 04, 2023
- Beachwalk Shopping Center, Bali, Indonesia
Nancy Hillary’s Entertaining with Chillies is far more than a cookbook; it’s a sensory adventure wrapped in wit and warmth. Hillary blends science, storytelling, and sass to teach readers how to master the art of spice without fear. The humour is infectious and the recipes genuinely useful, though the chatty tone occasionally overshadows the culinary detail. Still, it’s rare to find a food book this entertaining, and even rarer to find one that makes you laugh while you learn. A must-have for anyone who believes the best meals come with a little heat and a lot of heart.