It isn’t just her popular food and travel blog, “Eat Like a Girl,” that is surpassing others of its sort. Now the author is taking on the cookbook world. In her new cookbook, Comfort & Spice, Niamh Shields assures all readers, regardless of skill level, that they can make impressive meals without feeling intimidated.

A self-taught home cook, Shields takes a common sense approach when teaching readers how to improve their cooking skills. She declares a few basic tips that every good cook must know, and promises, “Cooking really isn’t tough!”

The foundation of her cookbook is based around her passion for using homemade ingredients. Whether it’s bread, butter, or cheese, Shields is an advocate for cooking with ingredients made in your own kitchen. After following her simple recipes for these staple items, you’ll see how easy creating your own can be.

Comfort & Spice features recipes for brunch, lunch, and dinner as well as desserts and drinks. Shields caters to all appetites, both small and large, by including recipes for any time of day that range from “light” to “comforting,” or even “hearty.” Her brunch selections, for example, represent both ends of the spectrum by offering recipes for smoked salmon as well as lemon ricotta pancakes.    

Another great feature of this cookbook is the dinner section, in which Shields not only includes recipes for eight satisfying meals, but includes various ways to make meals with the leftovers, too. Roast a pumpkin and make pumpkin soup or gnocchi, or make Shields’ homemade beans and have spiced bean burgers the next day.

Of course, no meal is complete without dessert. Use Shields’ recipe for homemade ricotta cheese when you make her lemon and blueberry ricotta cheesecake or raspberry ricotta tarts. Then, unwind after enjoying your mouthwatering masterpiece with a handcrafted martini or some mulled wine.

The recipes in Shield’s Comfort & Spice are perfect for the aspiring cook. From light lunches to what she calls “speedy suppers,” this book is packed with recipes that are easy to follow and do not demand a full day in the kitchen. You just may discover how easy, fun, and rewarding cooking in the comfort of your own kitchen can be!