My kids know her as ‘the Masterchef lady’. Thanks to her new book, I now know her as ‘the lady with the killer sangria recipe’. She is Anna Gare – Masterchef and sangria extraordinaire!

Anna Gare’s newest cookbook, the sumptuous, beautifully presented Homemade shifts the emphasis from the kitchen (yes, it is a cookbook!) to the home. According to Gare, “Our home is where we make our food and our food makes our home.”

Homemade is a heady mix of recipes, in no particular order. I actually quite like the ‘no particular order’ approach – it’s kind of nice to look at pictures of scrumptious egg and bacon pies and then turn the page to find a recipe for ‘Granny’s hot chocolate sauce’!

You’ll find recipes in this cookbook for everyday family meals and the big occasion. ‘Cheat’s sausage rolls’, ‘Corn, pea and cauliflower fritters’ and ‘Overnight muffins’ are just a few of the totally achievable mid-week dishes that will please the whole family. Or you can impress with the ‘Persian spiced fillet of beef’, ‘Leek tart tatin with goat curd and smashed olives’ and ‘Upside-down honeyed pear and macadamia tart’.

Gare’s thoughts on cooking and food are scattered throughout the book but the sweetest is her dedication on the first page – “For my children Jackson and Elsie, by far the best things I have ever made.” Awwww…

Find Homemade at all good bookstores or online at Readings.

PS. Once you have it, turn straight to page 164 for the White Sangria recipe – sensational!