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About Me
A Lifetime of Stories Told Through Fire and Flavour
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 — especially 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?”
Awards and Recognitions
Recognizing Excellence: Honors and Distinctions

Launched at Sydney’s largest Superhot Chilli BBQ Festival

Released in 35 countries

Available through all major online publishing houses including Amazon, Apple, Barnes, Noble and other major retailers.

4.5-star excellence rating
Published in countries
Published by Publishers
Star Ratings
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 flavor 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).
Behind the Pages
The Book That Refuses to Play It Safe
Most cookbooks start with "I love food." Mine starts with "What if we made this dangerously delicious?"
Every recipe in this book carries a memory—a person, a place, a moment when heat brought people closer. Like that time my cousin's "mild" peri-peri wings sent three guests to the garden for "fresh air" (and existential reflection). Or when my nephew discovered chilli-chocolate truffles and questioned everything he knew about dessert.
This isn't food theory. It's lived experience, tested on brave souls who signed up for dinner and got an adventure instead.
Entertaining With Chillies takes you on a global tour where every dish tells a story:
- Mexico's mole magic and margaritas with muscle
- India's curry chaos from Chennai to your kitchen
- Thailand's tangy heat that kisses before it kicks
- West Africa's Scotch Bonnet secrets (approach with respect)
- American fire from Nashville hot chicken to jalapeño everything
But it's more than recipes—it's a masterclass in:
- Chilli cocktails that seduce and surprise
- Hosting with heat (and humor, and backup milk)
- DIY hot sauce bars for guests who love customization
- Emergency protocols for the friend who always overestimates their tolerance
The writing style? Part culinary guide, part stand-up comedy, part therapy session. Because if you're going to set your mouth on fire, you might as well laugh about it.
This book is for:
- Hosts tired of "safe" dinner parties that nobody remembers
- Adventurous eaters ready to explore global flavors without a plane ticket
- Home cooks who trust instinct over Instagram perfection
- Anyone who's ever thought "This needs more kick" while cooking
What you won't find:
- Pretentious ingredient lists requiring three specialty stores
- Recipes that take 6 hours and taste like disappointment
- Judgment about your spice tolerance (we're all on our own journey)
What you will find:
- Battle-tested recipes from someone who's burned (and learned) repeatedly
- Cultural context that respects origins without appropriating
- Practical tips for managing mixed-tolerance crowds
- Permission to make mistakes, adjust heat levels, and call it "your signature version"
Whether you're Team Bell Pepper or Team Carolina Reaper, there's a chapter calling your name. And probably a recipe that'll make you sweat, smile, and immediately text your best friend: "You need to try this."