After years of cooking, experimenting, laughing, crying, taste testing, and occasionally questioning my life choices, Entertaining With Chillies has officially burst into the world. I am simultaneously excited, overwhelmed and terrified – an amazing mix of emotions producing your first book.
When covid shut down the entertainment industry it felt like my whole world collapsed. I had never done anything outside of the music business and couldn’t imagine life without a string of weekend deadlines. The silence was deafening.
Covid shoved me into my garden to sweat away my worries with a rake and spade; it handed me a basket of chillies and a whole lot of time to think. Out of that strange, spicy chapter came many hours at the local markets with jars of various chilli sauces, a whole new world opening in front of me and now this, my first book detailing my adventures into global chilli culture, entertaining tips, and a dash of madness.
What’s Inside the Book?
It’s a romantic whirlwind of folk lore, science, magic & mystery. It explores cultures through cuisine, the common thread being chillies. It finds the magic in the spicy red fruit, and it shows you how to choose the right ones for the right event. It teaches you why chillies add loud fun and laughter (and occasionally sweat) to your parties and backstage rooms. And because I can’t resist a bit of theatre, the book is packed with little magical stories and illustrations.
Years in the entertainment world have taught me one thing: people connect over shared experiences. And nothing sparks conversation like chillies. The feisty fruit brings people together. It breaks the ice. It creates memories. It turns a simple meal into a story.
This book is my love letter to that idea – approachable, creative, and adaptable for cooks of every level.
The advance reviews have been wild – in the best possible way:
“Part cultural guide, part culinary manifesto… storytelling spells woven with humour and anthropology.”
“Nancy Hillary’s voice crackles like oil in a hot pan – sharp, playful, utterly original.”
“Equal parts cookbook, stand up routine, and self help manual for the flavour curious.”
“A sensory adventure wrapped in wit and warmth… rare to find a food book this entertaining.”
To my online tribe, you’ve been with me through the sauce spills, the chilli harvests, the late night writing sessions, and the “is this too spicy?” debates. The friendly repeat customers at all the markets that egged me on to do this, thank you.
I really hope you’ll grab a copy and join me on this global chilli adventure.
Global Amazon link: Chilli Sorceress
