Finding joy in Baking and the Meaning of Life

Helen Goh became a household name – at least those households that harbor a cookbook fan – when Sweet was released in 2017. She co-authored the book with Yotam Ottolenghi and it has become beloved in many bakers’ homes. She is a genius with flavors and textures and now her long-anticipated solo offering is nearly here!

Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes is indeed a joyful collection of recipes that continues where Sweet ended – bringing more inspiration and delicious offerings to kitchens worldwide.

Helen is second generation Chinese born in Malaysia – one of five children. At the age of 11, her family moved to Australia where food was a grounding source for her family. Her mother cooked large family meals and even ran a restaurant at one time. At university, Helen studied psychology and ended up in the pharmaceutical field. She never felt the longing to cook but when immersing herself in the task of baking a cake she found it lessened the awkwardness she felt in Australia.

Helen, with her boyfriend at the time, started a café, Mortar and Pestle, which did well but ultimately was sold. After the café closed and the boyfriend moved on, she became a pastry chef at Melbourne’s Donovans – she was a psychologist by day and a pastry chef by night.

After meeting someone and moving to London, she joined the Ottolenghi team. She continued with her psychology work and enrolled in a doctoral program while still working with Ottolenghi. After three decades of psychology and baking, she explored baking’s psychological effects and thus Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes was born.

The book is organized as follows:

• Giving & Receiving
• Nurturing
• Celebrating
• Remembering & Continuity
• Community & Belonging
• Ritual & Tradition
• Learning Growth & Achievement

The recipes in this book reflect Helen’s culture, experience and love of connection. She offers preparation and serving tips throughout. A nod to London is felt in the King’s coronation scones with morello cherry jam and the Wimbledon cake. Touches of the past are present in Kopi cakes with peanut honeycomb and Pineapple ma’amoul. The Brown butter durian & almond brownie was inspired during a visit from Sharon Wee where a group of Asian women gathered at Mandy Yin’s restaurant Sambal Shiok (author of Sambal Shiok) when Emily Chung (co-author of The Rangoon Sisters) dug out a durian from her bag. Australia is also remembered in Matilda’s tribute cake – the Matildas are the Australian women’s soccer team. Every recipe has meaning and heart.

Other recipes that are lovingly shared include Sticky date pudding with miso butterscotch, Puttanesca galette with lemon ricotta, Roasted pineapple with coconut fluff cream, Hojicha shortbread, Ten layer honey cake and Pistachio and dried sour cherry scones. A beautiful collection of sweet and savoury bakes fill the title.

There is a reason when someone has a baby, experiences a loss or has a life event to celebrate, that we bake a cake. Baking is comforting and as Helen states, takes effort. We can relay our love with putting forth the energy to bake something that is delicious to show we care and to offer whatever comfort that bake can deliver. Bakers receive the calming benefits from going through the process of mixing together simple ingredients to create something spectacular – the happiness of making something for others to enjoy. And, those that receive the end product feel the love those creations embody.

Dessert is always at the end of a meal – especially holidays or other special occasions – to bring everyone, once more, around the table. It ends the gathering on a sweet note allowing all to linger and spend precious moments together before the next event. At our church back in New York, we had a monthly social in the lobby after mass. Members of the baking team would bring homemade and store bought baked goods for the congregation to mill around. We would enjoy a muffin or slice of banana bread – talking and getting to know new faces and relishing the old faces. Baking brings joy and connection.

Be sure to pre-order Helen’s book being released in the UK and Australia in September and North America in October. A portion of Helen’s events are shared on our Calendar – we will update when more are scheduled. On Instagram, Helen commented that she looks forward to meeting our Members at her events so if you go – say hello! Baking and the Meaning of Life will be a featured book in our EYB Cookbook Club in December.

I did not realize that Helen was at the James Beard awards in Chicago in June – or I would have sought her out for a hug. To make up for that missed opportunity, this book will suffice as it is the best type of hug – one that lasts as I use it and enjoy the recipes.