Something to Eat and Something to Read

Welcome to another episode of Something to Eat and Something to Read, a podcast for people who love cooking, reading and talking about both! Hosted by food writer Sophie Hansen and Germaine Leece, psychotherapist and bibliotherapist.This episode, because we think we all need it, we're talking about optimism and the books and foods we reach for when we want/need to be reminded that everything is going to be ok in the end. Here below are some of the books that came up in this one.From baking to re-reading, poetry and the inherent optimism of leftovers, we have a list of 20 things to be optimistic about. We hope you enjoy them. We're optimistic you will! Show notes will be sent out to our subscribers shortly.Germaine and Sophie x Thank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to another episode of Something to Eat and Something to Read, a podcast for people who love reading and eating, and talking and thinking about both. In this episode, we're wondering if reading and cooking too much—is there such a thing?—can ever stop us from living. Maybe sometimes we need a pause to give us time to respond to all the stimuli (and there's a lot out there at the moment). After we've had that pause, we've got some good things to read and cook and ways to approach both so they're as nourishing as possible.We loved this chat, flipping the narrative a little on our passions and hope you do too.Thank you for listening. Show notes are coming to our subscribers shortly.Germaine and Sophie xThank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Hello, and welcome to the 2025 season of Something to Eat and Something to Read!!! This is a podcast for people who love to eat and read and talk about both, hosted by bibliotherapist Germaine Leece and food writer Sophie HansenWe all, thanks to writer Katherine May and her book of the same name, are familiar with the idea of Wintering. Of recognising and resting through fallow seasons, of re-grouping, healing, hibernating through days when the light is low, as she says, “doing these deeply unfashionable things — slowing down, letting your spare time expand, getting enough sleep, resting — is a radical act now, but it is essential.”.For our first episode of the year, we're talking about the idea of ‘Summering' and what that means for us in terms of reading and eating. Plus there are loads of good things to read and cook as we share our top five good things from this summer.We hope you enjoy listening. Show notes with all the links and things mentioned will be sent to our subscribers shortly.Sophie and GermaineThank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

It's been a year… and in the past we have made our Christmas episodes about anticipating good food, extra reading time and getting into the festive spirit. But some years even that can feel too big an ask and the idea of escaping into a magical festive stories where snowman come alive (hello Christmas Days) or a Christmas movie where everything magically works out in the end, or sinking into a quiet thoughtful book of everyday miracles at the table…well that seemed like just the ticket.So we thought we would dedicate this year's Christmas episode to the idea of miracles - everyday miracles of taste that give us an opportunity to escape into a different time or memory. And book that does this in a gentle, whimsical way is this episode's ‘guest', a Japanese novel, The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai.We hope you enjoy this episode and will be sending show notes with links and recipes to our subscribers later today.Thank you. Happy listening and see you next year.Sophie and Germaine x Thank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

After dedicating an entire episode to Dame Jilly Cooper's Rivals earlier this year, we were quick off the mark to watch the tv adaptation the second it dropped. And we had so many thoughts we thought we'd jump in and do an emergency debrief, plus a catch up on what we've been reading and eating since the last episode.Happy listening, reading, watching and eating! Germaine and Sophie x Something to Eat and Something to Read is a monthly podcast and fortnightly newsletter all about and celebrating cooking, reading and reading about cooking.Hosted by Bibliotherapist/Psychotherapist Germaine Leece and food writer Sophie Hansen, who both believe you should never go anywhere, or for long, without something to eat and something to read.We are a listener supported podcast and newsletter, and while every episode will always be free to listen to, our show notes, recipes and recommendations will be available to paid subscribers only. So if you'd like to support us to the tune of $5/month and help us continue recording for and writing to you, please click below. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

What do you cook and read when feeling all the feels? This special episode is a recording of a panel discussion on cooking and reading with our emotions at a special lunch last month at Logan Wines as part of the 2024 Mudgee Readers Festival. Our chat ran the gamut from love to nostalgia, stress to turbulence and what we cook and eat when experiencing each one. We (your regular hosts!) Sophie Hansen and Germaine Leece, were joined on the panel by Tamara Howorth, chef and owner of Mudgee's fantastic The Little Cooking School and Commissary and James Findlay, Breakfast presenter at ABC Western Plains. Thank you so much to you both for your time and all you shared.We hope you enjoy this conversation about the best things in life—books, pasta, chocolate, and baking! All the links, recipes and shownotes will be sent to our subscribers separately. Thank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

On comfort food, the power of a wooden spoon, the only diet, rituals, crunch and the things we cook to anchor and soothe. Our book guest this week is The Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson.Show notes, links and more will be sent to our paid subscribers shortly. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode. And Bee, if you're listening/reading - thank you for this book.Germaine and Sophie xThank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Our book this episode is Butter, by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton). And it sparked a very ‘alive' conversation on appetites, cake boundaries and whether a bowl of rice, butter and soy sauce can truly awaken an appetite for life.As always, you don't have to have read the book to follow along. Although, we both did love it and would recommend you do! It's a very layered, clever and thought provoking read.Here's the publisher's synopsis;Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation's imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can't resist writing back.Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki's Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.Show notes with links, recipes, and more will be sent to our subscribers separately.Thank you. Happy listening! And please try the butter and rice dish as per Kajii's instructions. It really is excellent!Thank you to our wonderful producer, Kristy Reading, for putting this and every episode together so beautifully.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

For a little light relief in a heavy time, in this episode, we are talking about Jilly Cooper's Rivals and the many Shepherd's pies, Dover soles, and bottles of Sancerre that keep its glamourous (enormous) cast of characters fuelled for all that romping around in stables and meadows.Links and recipes from this chat will be sent to our wonderful subscribers shortly.Happy listening! Germaine and Sophie xThank you to our wonderful producer Kristy Reading for putting this, and every episode together so beautifully. We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is mostly about psychological thrillers, and how food and scenes around food can build words, develop characters, turn our stomachs and sometimes if we're lucky, give us a moment to catch our breath. We love table scenes in books - the table provides a reason and a place for everyone to be together and is a great canvas for a showdown or perhaps to introduce the characters, to flesh them out. This episode's book, None of This is True, by Lisa Jewell provides us with a few pivotal ‘table scenes' that propel the narrative and tell us so much about every character.We have a lovely time diving into this, chatting about the book and meandering through related subjects such as - books as a warm hug, the magic of finding the right book at the right time and the joy of a flaky croissant in the warm sunshine. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Shownotes are coming separately to our beloved subscribers.Thank you to our wonderful producer Kristy Reading for putting our episodes together so beautifully. And for finding our fab new music which we think feels a bit ‘Great British Bake-off'-ish. In a good way. Germaine and Sophie We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

We hope you enjoy this episode of Something to Eat and Something to Read, a podcast for people who love to eat and read, and to think and talk about both!In this episode, we chat about eight very different books and the ‘shape' of summer reading. Then we read and answer a beautiful letter asking for nourishing things to read and eat in difficult times. Thank you so much to our subscribers for their support of this pod, your show notes are incoming via the newsletter.Thank you also to our wonderful producer Kristy Reading for putting our episodes together so beautifully. We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Merry Christmas from us both! We hope you enjoy this episode where we talk about our doorways into Christmas this year, thanks to our patron saint Jeanette Winterson and her book Christmas Days. She helps us in more ways than just festive ones. Her understanding of the importance of creativity and imagination leads us into a conversation about the ways art and culture offer us bridges back to our humanity.We need this to fuel our imaginations and inner worlds as much as we need food to fuel our bodies. Our wish to you all this Christmas is that you find the time to ignite your imaginations whether that be with something new (can be short!) to read, cook or eat. We hope this episode nourishes you the way that creating it nourishes us!Show notes with links, books and a Christmas recipe will be sent to our wonderful subscribers later today.And we will be back in your ears after the summer holidays.Thank you so much to musician Tom Donald, for the music on this episode and thank you to our wonderful producer Kristy Reading for bringing it all together.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.Thank you, and Merry ChristmasSophie and Germaine Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Our book for this episode is Karina May's Duck à l'Orange for Breakfast, and the conversation it sparks floats around how romantic comedies feed us, how this genre, especially in good hands (hey Karina) is so soothing because it is inherently optimistic. You just know love will triumph in the end. And in a world where nothing much makes sense at the moment, that is a welcome comfort. We really enjoyed this book, talking about and around it. Hope you do too!Other things we cover in this episode;* Our favourite food-focussed rom coms.* Ikea (it's our protagonist's happy place) as a one-dimensional version of home.* Food as a key to a character finding themselves.* The perfect ‘welcome cake'.* And the perfect book for when we need to make big choices and reconcile them in ourselvesAll the recipes, recommendations and show notes will be sent to our subscribers later today. To join them, please click below!Thanks, Germaine and Sophie xSomething to Eat and Something to Read is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Something to Eat and Something to Read, a podcast for people who love reading and cooking and reading about cooking. In this episode, we're talking about Ann Patchett's Tom Lake, the shape it left on us, and the comfort and joy it brought us.This book, this episode is all about celebrating the small happinesses;“The things that are important in life, are the things that are so easy to overlook: family and kindness and homework and lunch and conversation.” Ann Patchett in conversation about Tom Lake on the New York Times podcast The Book Review.And then we'll answer a listener ‘letter' with a book and recipe ‘prescription'.Recipes and show notes will be sent to our subscribers shortly. Join them here!A quick note - we don't think you have to have read the book yet to enjoy this episode but wanted to flag that we do chat about what happens in it quite broadly. So perhaps not a full-blown ‘spoiler alert' just something to be aware of!We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Hello! And welcome to our episode dedicated to the joys or otherwise of cooking and/or eating on our own. This one is rich in books celebrating, observing and offering advice for the art of feeding ourselves and ourselves alone. It's full of stories about how people eat, what they cook for themselves, how they feel about eating alone - how some relish in it, some avoid it, some do it beautifully and some gleefully have marmalade on toast for dinner when she's home alone (that'd be me/Sophie). We each bring two books to the table and chat about how the authors use the idea of eating and cooking solo to make a point, develop character or evoke emotion.We hope you enjoy this one and as always, all the links and shownotes will be sent to our subscribers shortly. Thank you, Germaine and Sophie We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is in honour of dinner parties - with all their stress, drama, and magic, all for that perfect moment, when you're all at the table, the candles are flickering and good food is smoothing the edges of life. We cover small miracles, kitchen disasters, dinner party scenes in books we love and the wonder of a good repertoire. We hope you enjoy this mini-episode. Shownotes with recipes, links and all the books we cover will be sent to our subscribers. Join today if you'd like to receive them! Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This month we are discussing a book of essays that could be described as a “literary potluck”.My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings was edited by actor and writer Zosia Mamet (fellow fans of the series Girls will remember her as the character Shoshanna).We both loved this collection of short stories about food and all the feelings we attach to and around how we cook and share meals. And it sparked a conversation covering sad food vs solitary food, cooking your way back to life after grief, joy toolboxes, reclaiming custody of problematic foods and whether really good food can be enjoyed in a vortex or do you need the whole package (ie atmosphere, time and company) to enjoy a meal (we're definitely in the latter camp).Plus, as always, we answer a listener letter with a book and cooking ‘prescription'.We hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode.All the links to everything we mention, recipes, and book recommendations will be sent to our lovely subscribers later today. If you'd like to become a paid supporter of Something to Eat and Something to Read for $5/month and receive all of the above plus more, please click here. Thank you so much.Germaine and Sophie xWe acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

So much goes on at the breakfast table, especially in books. Don't you think? We do. So much so that we dedicated a whole (mini) episode to our favourite breakfast scenes in some favourite books; from Helen Garner to Maggie O'Farrell, there are some great scenes in this episode.Show notes with all the books, links and a breakfast recipe Sophie is particularly fond of will be emailed to our subscribers on Friday afternoon, May 5.Please click below if you'd like to become a paid subscriber and receive all the snow notes and extra bits and bobs.With thanks to the wonderful podcast Literary Friction for inspiring this ‘minisode idea'.Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode.Germaine and Sophie x. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Our book this episode is the book Milkfed by Melissa Broder. And it sparks a big conversation covering appetite, disordered eating, faith, sex, frozen yogurt, and a bit of mysticism for good measure. It's a fascinating, well-written, but ultimately (for us at least), sad book that gave us A LOT to talk and think about. We also share some book and cocktail recommendations for puzzle nights (they're a thing, we're on board).Please note - In this episode, we discuss the disordered eating habits of the book's protagonist Rachel. If you'd prefer not to listen to that, please skip to around the 20-minute mark where we shift gears. Thank you as always to our producer Kristy Reading and to Smith and Jones for generously allowing us to include your beautiful song Small Town Woman at the beginning and end of this episode.All the links to everything we mention, plus recipes and book recommendations, will be sent to our lovely subscribers later today. If you'd like to become a paid supporter of Something to Eat and Something to Read for $5/month and receive all of the above plus more, please click here. Thank you so much.Germaine and Sophie xWe acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation (Sophie) and the Gadigal of the Eora Nation (Germaine). We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow is one of our most requested books, and now we get it. In this episode, we chat about the important role that food, cooking and shared tables all play in this charming book.We meander from how a good meal can be like time travel to thoughts on mixing the perfect aperitif - “A cocktail is not meant to be a melange. It is not a potpourri or an Easter parade. At its best, a cocktail should be crisp, elegant, sincere- and limited to two ingredients” - and the sanity-saving grace of taking a moment to savour life's little luxuries (such as a warm peach straight from the tree, a coffee and 15 minutes in the sun to read uninterrupted).Our letter writer for this episode also poses an excellent question - when should you give up on a book or recipe that's not sparking joy? We have thoughts. We'd love to hear yours too!All the links, recipes, and book prescriptions will be sent out to our subscribers later today (Friday March 3). If you would like to find out more about supporting this podcast, please visit our site. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Hello, and welcome back to Something to Eat and Something to Read for another year!We have a lot of cooking and reading-related things to talk about so we thought we'd start with an episode full to bursting with the books we have been loving this summer, plus a few recipes to help nourish and soothe as we hurtle into the new year.We talk about the idea of guilty pleasures (boo), what actually is ‘summer reading', what we have been reading this summer and what to cook when you need to bolster your people and self.These podcast episodes will always be free to listen to and all recipes, links and book recommendations will be sent to our lovely paid subscribers later today (click here if you would like to support us too). Happy listening, reading and cooking,Germaine and Sophie. xThank you so much to Smith and Jones for allowing us to use your beautiful song Small Town Woman in this episode. And to producer Kristy Reading for putting the ep together. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to our Christmas special!Also special as we recorded this episode in front of our first audience at the Henley Community Garden with the Gladesville Happy Hens. We hope you enjoy listening to us talk about our book advent (list below) while also prescribing something to eat and something to read for two letter writers. The list of books discussed is below and there will be more information about this and the recipes discussed in the Shownotes.Thank you for listening to us this last year, and we look forward to returning with a Summer special in January. Until then, happy holidays to all.Sophie & Germaine xxWe started our episode by offering a couple of sweet treats taken from books we have both loved and talked about this year. Sophie and Nigel Slater's Christmas CakeIt was always going to be a Christmas cake for me. And always, my favourite recipe by Nigel Slater from the Christmas Chronicles (but also available here online).Germaine and Ella Risbridger's Three Ingredient BrowniesI was intrigued to try such an easy recipe after we read The Year of Miracles: Recipes about Love, Grief and Growing Things in Season 2, Episode 4 so decided to try it. It is easy. And tasty! Simply Nutella, eggs and flour. Here is a similar recipe to Ella's if you haven't read her book. Book List* Advent by Anja Dunk * Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson* Festive Spirits by Kate Atkinson (Lucy's Story)* How to End a Story by Helen Garner* Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling* The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller* The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater* Seeing Other People by Diana Reed* Small Things Like These, Clare Keegan* Overheard: the art of eavesdropping by Oslo Davis* Wombat Divine by Mem Fox* Cooking for Claudine by John BaxterLetter 1Thank you for this! I am emerging from a marriage break up and I need some lightness and happiness in my life. Maybe a bit of courage too.Germaine's book prescriptionMaira Kalman's The Principles of Uncertainty is one of my favourite books that I return to whenever I am feeling in need of a reminder that life always contains lightness alongside the need for courage. Kalman is perhaps best known for her children's book illustrations and as a contributor to the New Yorker magazine, however this illustrated memoir is a different way of reflecting and understanding the meaning of her life. Her quirky illustrations, existential questions and melancholic observations are very powerful. I prescribe it as a completely different way of reading about life. Kalman walks the streets of New York and draws the people she sees. Her daily walks in Central Park with an old friend also impact on her sense of wellbeing. She reminisces about her childhood and the past. It's a visual journey through her mind!Sophie's recipeI think it has to be cake. Specifically, a sponge, though one with structure so it won't deflate on you or be finicky about travelling. Something you can cut and come again and keep in the fridge. Take to work to share, take to a morning tea with your friends. You can't not be cheered by a sponge. And you can take courage that this recipe will work! As Nigel Slater says in Christmas Chronicles, “there was something about the way my mother would put a cake on the table that made me feel all was well. Safe. Secure. Unshakeable'Here's my sponge cake recipe, please try it, fill it with jam, cream, curd, love, whatever you have to hand!Letter 2I am going ‘home' for Christmas for a number of reasons. It may well be our last - or only-  ‘family' holiday with all 6 of us that we will remember, as my eldest is 19 and will be moving on with his life - a fact we celebrate and mourn, and my youngest is 11, and therefore too young to remember our trips before the Covid years.  Included in the trip are 2 weeks in the UK to have our first English Christmas with my family, and our first one all together in 7 years. It is always a little bittersweet without my Dad, whose presence is long missed, but it is definitely a time for celebration.What will make the trip a little more interesting, and is making my mother slightly apprehensive, is a history of tension between my brother and sister - I refuse to get sucked in to any drama and can smooth almost any situation - but I want her to feel excitement and eagerness about spending this time together, so do you have a suggestion for a book that celebrates the joy of family reconnection, or something that will bring light to dark winter evenings? Something fun, but real would be grand. And she is always fond of a murder.In terms of asking for something to cook, I am being held responsible for an Australian style brunch - limited by available ingredients so sadly no mango unless I smuggle them in (which I may), and need something sweet, but light to finish the traditional croissants and smoked salmon, and that won't compete with pavlova and Christmas pudding that will be served after late lunch. Also, my mother loathes cream and milk, unless cooked into a cheese sauce, so yoghurt is out.Hope that's not too prescriptive? I love listening to you both, and hearing your discussions.Sophie's recipeWhat about a warm Christmas crumble? In a medium-sized saucepan, mix together about 2 cups frozen (or fresh berries) with about 2 cups rhubarb, apple or stonefruit (depending on season and taste. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla paste and the juice of one orange or lemon and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until the fruit is soft. Transfer to a bowl and pop in the fridge to cool or if cooking the crumble straight away, tip into an oven-proof dish.For the crumble topping, in a medium bowl, combine 50g unsalted butter, cold and cubed, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla paste, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup shredded coconut and 200g marzipan. Work everything together with your fingers and crumble together. Preheat oven to 180C and crumble the topping over the layer of fruit and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the topping is golden. Serve hot with cream, yogurt or ice cream. Germaine's bookI rose to the challenge with this letter and managed to find a book that is about family and reconnection, with humour and depth. Also, there is a missing person! I'll let you discover if it's a murder or just a side mystery… When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman is a family story about bad things happening to good people and good things happening to good people! This is the poignant tale of Ellie and her family from her childhood in the 1960s through to her adulthood in the early 2000s. There is a cast of quirky characters, all damaged and all loveable who feel very real. Winman also writes beautifully about sibling bonds, “I am here but I am not yours”. While the characters (like families) frustrate, make you laugh out loud and also cry, ultimately, they express the love and hope within us all, no matter what has happened.Thank youOur thanks to Emma and her volunteers from the Gladesville Happy Hens for organising our event and for being so generous with her time and energy.As always, thanks to Kristy Reading for producing every episode of our podcast!We acknowledge that the land on which we work and live is the traditional land of the Wiradjuri Nation and Wallumedegal people. These people are the Traditional Custodians of this land and form part of the wider Aboriginal nation known as the Eora Nation. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all First Nations people. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This episode takes us from contemplating the ways the kitchen can be the “endeavour of serious thought”, the good meals that heal, to the bad meals that haunt us (we've all got them!), into an examination of the possibly problematic word lovely (a bit of a problem for Sophie), cooking to make yourself appetising to others, cooking to say what you can't say, the sensuality of aprons, the golden beauty of baked rice pudding and A LOT more.It's a juicy one, full of juicy threads pulled from this episode's book Small Fires by Rebecca May Johnson.Plus, we answer a listener letter that sings with joy and prescribe some things to read and cook that celebrate our precious friendships.We hope you enjoy listening to this one,Germaine and Sophie xPs - All the inks to everything we mention, plus all the recipes and book recommendations, will be sent to our lovely (whoops, she did it again) subscribers today. If you'd like to become a paid supporter of Something to Eat and Something to Read for $5/month and receive all of the above plus more, please click here Thank you so much. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

This one is all about recipes with story arcs, the wonderful writing of Ella Risbridger (her latest book, The Year of Miracles, is our episode's book), finding comfort and consolation in poetry and recipes and reading and eating recommendations to buoy the tired and uninspired.Recipes, links, books and more will be sent to our beloved supporters very soon. Thank you to the growing community who have already signed up to this subscription level (the cost is $5/month). Your support means we can keep recording and writing to you. We so appreciate it.Germaine and Sophie x Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Episode 3, Season 2!This might be my favourite episode so far (Sophie talking here!); a really gentle and hopefully comforting chat about breaking out of boxes we or society put us in, about taking cooking seriously and treating yourself with infinite courtesy (thank you MFK Fisher for that wonderful turn of phrase, as always). Also, is listening to a book ‘as good as' reading it? We discuss.Our book this episode is Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry, and our letter is, as they always are, beautiful. This one asking for some recommendations for things to read and cook to bring lightness and joy to a heavy time.This episode really is choc-a-block with good things to read, listen to and cook. My wishlist of books tor read (or listen to) is ever-growing!As always, the shownotes, links and recipes will be sent to our wonderful Subscribers shortly. You can become one to the tune of about one coffee a week. Thank you so much. We are so grateful for your support.Germaine and Sophie. xThank you, as always, to our producer Kristy Reading for putting these pods together. And to Smith and Jones for allowing us to include your beautiful music in each episode. Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back! We’re so happy to share this episode with you, a conversation between two book and food lovers, for our fellow book and food lovers! In this episode, we come back to the idea of “faction” and, when it can be problematic, the fantasy of elaborate dinner parties that take days to prepare and the reality of “Life Among the Savages”, aka everyday chaos. Sophie waxes on about the pleasure of cooking for “one stomach”, and we both agree with our beloved MFK Fisher when she writes about the joy of “being a guest of yourself”. Plus we answer our listener letter with books to read and recipes to cook and share with ages from 6-70.Something to Eat and Something to Read is a listener-supported podcast, and while it will always be free to tune in to every episode, our shownotes, plus recipes, Germaine’s book recommendations, and Sophie’s step-by-step Souffle recipe (with videos just to prove they’re really not hard) will be emailed to our subscribers separately (later today).If you’d like to support our podcast for the cost of $5/month, please click through below.Something to Eat and Something to Read is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Many many thanks and happy listening! Sophie and Germaine x Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Hello and welcome to episode 1/season 2 of Something to Eat and Something to Read - a podcast all about food and reading and reading about food. Our book for this episode is Annabel Abbs’s ‘The Language of Food’, and it sparks a big chat about how good food writing can be its own form of poetry, how reading and cooking can give us a sense of order and calm, historical ‘faction’ and how it gives centre stage to those that history has ignored, small happinesses in difficult seasons and loads more. Please know you don’t have to have read the book to enjoy this episode. We’ll be sending out a newsletter to our subscribers tomorrow, Friday the 29th July with all the recipes, links and recommendations from this episode. If you’d like to become a supporter of the pod and receive this and our fortnightly letters, please consider signing up below.Thank you so much!Sophie and GermaineThis episode was produced by the wonderful Kristy Reading, and we are very grateful to Smith and Jones for allowing us to use their beautiful music. at the beginning and end of the ep. Please go and have a listen of their most recent album, Something Worth Learning. It’s a cracker.Show notes Get full access to Something to Eat and Something to Read at somethingtoeatandsomethingtoread.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back! It's been a longer than expected break between episodes but we're back and we have A LOT to talk about. Mostly, of course, to do with food, food in books and caring for each other through food. Our book this episode is the extraordinary Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam. And we answer a letter about how to “gracefully navigate” a new and challenging chapter of life with the good books and food on your side. All the show notes, recommendations and recipes can be found on our Substack newsletter, view/subscribe here. We hope you enjoy this episode. Sophie and Germaine x  

Hello and welcome back to Something to Eat and Something to Read, and happy new year! We got together last week - in person! - to record episode seven and had such a lovely time covering everything from comfort and discomfort foods, writing about and cooking through grief, and how food connects us to our identity and memories. The book responsible for bringing up all these ideas and themes is Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. We so hope you enjoy our chat about it. All the show notes can be found via our newsletter Something to Eat and Something to Read.  And as always, we read out a listener letter and 'prescribe a recipe and book' that might help out. Thank you for listening! Sophie and Germaine x   

This is a conversation about the solace and joy that reading and cooking can bring us. About comfort reading, re-reading, and a favourite book of ours, Elizabeth Jane Howard's The Light Years.  Germaine prescribes our letter writer a life-affirming graphic novel and Sophie a cold, simple and very very delicious Christmas lunch inspired by Mrs Cripps from our book. For the recipes, book recommendations and lots more, please check out our show notes and subscribe so they get delivered to your inbox every time we publish a new episode.

Where we decide to get into the festive spirit a little early and explore a cold, snowy Christmas read alongside celebrating bright, colourful Australian summer foods. The best of both hemispheres! Our book this episode is Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson For links to all the recipes, books, music and good things we mention in this episode, please head over to our newsletter archive (better yet sign up so it gets sent to you every time we release a new episode). We hope this ep helps you get into the Christmas spirit! And speaking of spirits, hope the ghost stories in Christmas Days don't keep you up at night! 

Well here we are at episode four of our podcast! And this one is a special edition of Something to Eat and Something to Read where we talk to author Sarah Winman and food writer Emiko Davies about what food means to them and how it shapes their stories. Thank you to Sarah for chatting with us about the kindness of strangers, how being given a meal or a good coffee can make you feel more than your circumstances, how food is memory and place, and how the idea for  Still Life found her. Both of us love this book, a true “four course nourishment” that sweeps across four decades of the lives of Ulysses and his friends who become family as they move from England at the end of WW2 to Florence in Tuscany and start a new life.  And thank you to Emiko for sharing her story with us too, how she writes about all the senses when writing about food, her food memories, the importance of birthday cake and how she came to be Sill Life's food consultant! And read right to the end please for a very delicious recipe Emiko was good enough to share with us! Our interviews with Sarah and Emiko are available to listen now on Apple podcasts.  For more show notes and recipes, pls subscribe to our Substack newsletter. 

It's episode 3 and reading-wise we have a new experience for Sophie and a familiar one for Germaine. It's the world of the psychological thriller and a conversation about how food writing can help pace a page-turning novel, add subtext to character development, create a time and place, and add a depth of emotional atmosphere. Join us as we enter the world of Nicci French and their latest book The Unheard. This episode also sees us answer a letter about many changes happening in a short space of time and the ways in which adding transitional moments into the day can give breathing space and act as a bridge between our different worlds. For all the show notes, links and recipes, please head over to our Newsletter homepage and sign up so you get them delivered straight to your inbox. Our thanks for this episode goes to: We are lucky enough to again be sponsored by Kitchen to Table; a beautiful store based in Yamba, Northern NSW (and online) and stocked with absolutely everything you need for cooking, entertaining and more. Meredith and her team are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful plus they run wonderful cooking classes in store and in non-Covid times all over the world. We will hear more from Meredith in the episode and in another special newsletter coming next week in which she shares her ‘something to eat'. Thanks also to Sophie and Abby of Smith and Jones who have allowed us to use their song Secondhand Heart during this podcast. Finally, our podcast producer Kristy Reading who adds her favourite psychological thrillers to the mix.  

Episode two of Something to Eat and Something to Read in which we discuss Sarah Winman's Tin Man and the shape her other novels have also left on us; along with what happens when relationships disappoint us. The answers may well lie in books that explore relationships that don't meet expectations, yet end up being something much more fulfilling. And this could also be greatly aided by desserts!  For the recipes, links, books and more, please head over to our Substack page. Our thanks for this episode goes to: Our podcast sponsor Kitchen to Table; a beautiful store based in Yamba, Northern NSW (and online) and stocked with absolutely everything you need for cooking, entertaining and more. Meredith and her team are incredibly knowledgable and helpful plus they run wonderful cooking classes in store and in non-Covid times all over the world.  We will hear more from Meredith in the episode and in a special newsletter coming next week in which she shares a very delicious pasta recipe.  Thanks also to Sophie and Abby of Smith and Jones who have allowed us to use their song Secondhand Heart during this podcast. Finally, our podcast producer Kristy Reading who again gives us another excellent reading recommendation.

Something to Eat and Something is a podcast about cooking and reading, and reading about cooking. Hosted by food writer Sophie Hansen and Bibliotherapist/Psychotherapist Germaine Leece; we believe that you should never go anywhere, or for too long, without something to eat and something to read.  So every episode we're going to dive into a book we've both read and talk about the 'shape' it left on both of us. For episode one, we decided to go with a classic, Nora Ephron's Heartburn. And we have a lot of thoughts!  Part two is the listener letter which we read, discuss and then prescribe a book and recipe that might help! For all the links and notes from this episode, please click here, and if you'd like to be send these every time we publish a new one, please subscribe to our newsletter.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy putting it together for you, Sophie and Germaine x