“I think social media has a role in putting the pressure on, making it seem like dinner needs to be more than just ... dinner. The reality of cooking at home is messy, chaotic, missed ingredients, skipped steps,” says Elizabeth Hewson, the writer and cook behind new cookbook Home Food. “I’m hoping people are kinder to themselves.”
Home Food is all about the food we, well, cook at home – for ourselves and our family and friends. It’s an antidote to the perfection of social media and leans into comfort, cravings and busy schedules. “Tired and hungry seems to be the default setting of adult life, and what we crave isn’t complexity, but comfort,” Hewson tells Broadsheet. “Life is complicated enough; cooking does not need to be.”
Hewson gained a name in her native Australia for her Saturday Night Pasta project. On Saturday nights, to counter her anxiety, she’d make pasta, finding solace in the rolling and kneading. It took off on Instagram and has since spawned a hit cookbook, Saturday Night Pasta, and a line of pastas and sauces (sold in Australia). Home Food is similarly all about comfort and the joy of cooking.
The book is a page-turner loaded with dishes that feel approachable and can be mixed up depending on the ingredients you have to hand and how much time you have to get a meal plated up. It ranges from pastas (like a lush creamy, cheesy gnocchi) to one-tray dishes, longer cooking projects for the weekends and sweets. Hewson’s favourite dish is a chicken stew that’s on the table in 30 minutes – but we’re finding respite in this nostalgic and deeply comforting pot of cheesy beans. “This is a dish the whole family can gather around and enjoy,” Hewson writes. “It has the lava-like texture of classic canned baked beans, with a cheesy, golden crust. Serve with crusty bread, a baked potato or rice – or for a Mexican take, with corn chips or tortillas and fresh coriander, sour cream and avocado.”
The beans can be prepped ahead of time. Follow the recipe up to right before you add the cheese, then store in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stove (add a little extra water or stock if the beans need loosening up), then continue adding the cheese and grill. Or, you can freeze the beans before adding the cheese; defrost, reheat on the stove, top with the cheese and grill.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three days.
Elizabeth Hewson’s cheesy baked beans
Serves 2–4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp smoky paprika
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 400g cans butter beans (or cannellini or kidney), drained 1½ cups (375 ml) water or chicken stock 1 tsp soft brown sugar 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ½ tsp cornflour 150g mozzarella and/or cheddar – or a combo of both – torn or coarsely grated
Method
In a 25cm or so ovenproof frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium–high heat. Fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the paprika and fry for 30–40 seconds. Follow with the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste is a deep red, about 2 minutes. Keep moving it around the pan to keep the garlic from burning.
Pop your grill on full whack (or oven at 220˚C fan-forced).
Add the beans, water or stock, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, along with generous pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to combine. In a small bowl, combine the cornflour with about 1 teaspoon of the liquid from the beans. Stir to create a slurry, then set aside.
Let the beans simmer for 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Add the cornflour slurry and stir to combine. The mixture will thicken, giving you that lovely gloopy texture. Turn off the heat.
Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then pop the pan under the grill (or in the oven) until the cheese has melted and browned in spots, 5–10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Images and text from Home Food by Elizabeth Hewson, photography by Nikki To. Murdoch Books RRP £20.
