If you’ve found your way here, you’re either chilli‑curious, chilli‑obsessed, or chilli‑reckless… my three types of favourite people! Welcome to Chilli Sorceress, the official home of my alter-ego and writing space, and home to my brand new book, Entertaining With Chillies. This spicy little troublemaker took me 3 years to wrap my head around. It was born out of a COVID-related fever-dream, and it’s been a long journey to work out exactly how I wanted to present it, let alone how to describe it.
It’s not a cookbook, but it also is. It’s not a history or cultural lesson, but it also is. EWC has been simmering for years. Through lockdown experiments, late‑night tasting sessions, and the joy of watching people do the “chilli dance”, hopping on their toes, fanning their faces, throwing back cold glasses of milk while huffing and puffing and smiling.
Entertaining With Chillies is my journey through a life growing and experimenting with chillies, in the garden and on the road, at work and at home. Initially, I called it Red Hot Chilli Mama as a nod to my lifetime of service to the music industry, but for legal reasons, I changed it. And after many conversations with my friend Daniel, Chilli Sorceress was born.
Why I Wrote This Book
Because chillies aren’t just ingredients; I think they’re unique, magical characters. They’re mischievous, dramatic, unpredictable, and I think they are totally addictive. They bring people together. They spark conversations. They turn ordinary nights into memories. And I wanted to capture that magic. And maybe (probably) cause a little chaos along the way.
I love all sorts of chillis, from mild to wild, and that was one of the sparks for the book. I’ve been collecting chilli seeds and expanding my collection of plants for the last few years, and I love the madness in each plant. Some are predictably violent – Carolina, I am looking at you! – but others can sneak up and surprise you. The range of flavours underneath the bite makes them even more interesting, and I love the vibrancy of the colours in the veg bed.
Plus, I promised my friend Fiona that I would.
Fiona was the first person to jump in boots and all and support my Red Hot Chilli Mama idea. The two of us traipsed across organic markets and stores (between lockdown restrictions) buying up chillis, lemons, pineapples, and garlic, by the bucket load!
We turned my tiny Yaris into a chilli-collecting car, trawling Facebook Marketplace for homegrown, organic superhots to add to the cauldrons. I got chillies in my eyes, ears, and everywhere, and swore at myself on repeat. We gathered internet & traditional recipes and transformed them into tiny pots of magic to sell each weekend at local markets under our little gazebo, and together we watched hundreds of people shower us with praise for the sorcery/saucery. And when COVID was over, and we could all go back to work, I knew I wanted to keep sharing those stories.
Although there are dozens of people I acknowledge and thank in the book, there are a few who need an extra mention.
Many thanks to Fiona for fearlessly jumping in, to Brian for some of his recipes and his enthusiasm, to my son Brad who constantly supports every adventure I embark on, my big sis Lisa for her unwavering support, and so importantly, the hundreds of Sydneysiders who bought sauces & spicy snacks from us in the early days and encouraged me to follow this path.
The Next Step in this Spicy Journey
This blog will be where I share behind‑the‑scenes stories, new recipes, garden updates, chilli lore, hosting tips, and the occasional confession about dishes that went wildly wrong, and where I update you on events and book launches.
It’s a big new adventure for me, perhaps even a little scary, so bear with me as there will undoubtedly be a few flaws and mistakes as we go. But I am excited too!
