'A moving testimonial to the redemptive power of cooking. Risbridger knows that it offers not just solace but a map; cooking can save you. Generous, honest and uplifting. I wish I'd had this book when I was in my twenties' Diana Henry

Recipes that reveal the life-changing happiness of cooking

There are lots of ways to start a story, but this one begins with a chicken…

There was a time when, for Ella Risbridger, the world had become overwhelming. Sounds were too loud, colours were too bright, everyone moved too fast. One night she found herself lying on her kitchen floor, wondering if she would ever get up – and it was the thought of a chicken, of roasting it, and of eating it, that got her to her feet and made her want to be alive.

Midnight Chicken is a cookbook. Or, at least, you'll flick through these pages and find recipes so inviting that you will head straight for the kitchen: roast garlic and tomato soup, uplifting chilli-lemon spaghetti, charred leek lasagne, squash skillet pie, spicy fish finger sandwiches and burnt-butter brownies. It's the kind of cooking you can do a little bit drunk, that is probably better if you've got a bottle of wine open and a hunk of bread to mop up the sauce. But if you settle down and read it with a cup of tea (or a glass of that wine), you'll also discover that it's an annotated list of things worth living for – a manifesto of moments worth living for. This is a cookbook to make you fall in love with the world again.

Here is a collection of recipes that makes entertaining easy for any occasion - whether it's a cocktail hour, a brunch, a dinner party, or an elaborate holiday feast Recipes for Lobster Salad, Tarragon Roasted Chicken, Potato Gratin, and Chocolate Souffle make for an easy-to-make foolproof dinner menu that even complete novices can master; cheat sheets like Ten Quick Hors d'Oeuvres and Five Entree Salads make entertaining a crowd cheaper and easierthan ever; and recipes for high-stakes holiday meals like Roasted Fillet of Beef or Roasted Turkey Parts elevate the classic crowd-pleasers to dishes that guests will rave about for months. Party Food, Holiday Cocktails, and Holiday Cookies, three new titles in the Artisanal Kitchen series, provide an indispensable arsenal of recipes that cover all the bases for a delicious holiday season.