Colu Henry‘s Better at Home: Recipes for Big Nights In reads less like a traditional cookbook and more like an invitation—to linger, to gather, and most evocatively, to cook with a sense of place. While the book moves between Hudson, New York, and her broader culinary life, it is her time spent on the north shore of Nova Scotia that gives the collection its most distinct and quietly intoxicating flavor.
From the opening pages, Henry makes it clear that this is not a chef trying to impress from afar, but rather one who has settled into a rhythm shaped by geography. In Nova Scotia, the luxuries of urban abundance fall away. The nearest grocery store is a thirty-minute drive, produce options are limited, and even pantry staples require planning. Yet, instead of feeling restrictive, these constraints become the very heartbeat of her cooking . There’s a clarity to her recipes that feels born of salt air and necessity—dishes that are simple, but never simplistic.
Take her reverence for local ingredients: new potatoes grown in the region’s “thick, red, muddy soil” are elevated with nothing more than butter and salt, a testament to the power of place over technique . This philosophy echoes throughout the book, particularly in chapters like Shells and Fishes, where seafood recipes feel inseparable from the Maritime landscape. You can practically taste the brine in dishes like buttery grilled clams or lobster-forward creations that nod to the region’s coastal identity.
But what truly sets Better at Home apart is not just what Henry cooks in Nova Scotia—it’s how she lives there. Her descriptions of daily life read like a love letter to slow, intentional eating. Days are dictated by the tides, not the clock. Meals emerge organically from beach walks, impromptu gatherings, and the arrival of friends. A “snacks for supper” spread—perhaps featuring her indulgent lobster dip or roasted peppers with feta—captures the casual abundance of a Maritime evening.
In our Recipe section, we share Henry’s Spicy Shrimp Butter that is great on a simple cracker, tossed with pasta or to top a grilled steak for the next surf ‘n turf. A simple recipe like this can have multiple purposes…only limited by your imagination. While you’re enjoying your tasty bites, go to Better At Home: Recipes For Big Nights In Book By Colu Henry, (Hardcover) | Indigo to order this tasty book or win a copy in our Giveaway section.
There is also a deep sense of nostalgia woven into these moments. Henry recalls beach sandwiches eaten on red sand shores, echoing childhood memories while grounding them in her Nova Scotia present. It’s this layering of memory and place. What makes her food feel personal rather than performative. Even the act of picking apples from her backyard tree to bake a quick cake becomes a small, profound ritual .
Stylistically, the recipes mirror this ethos. Instructions are approachable, often flexible, and rooted in intuition. She encourages readers to adapt, substitute, and cook according to what’s available—an ethos clearly shaped by her Maritime summers. The result is a cookbook that feels as comfortable hosting a lively dinner party as it does feeding a quiet night in.
Ultimately, Better at Home is about reclaiming the joy of cooking on your own terms. In Nova Scotia, Henry finds not just inspiration, but perspective: that good food doesn’t require excess, only intention, community, and a strong sense of place. For readers, it’s an irresistible reminder that sometimes the best meals—and the best stories—happen far from the city, in a weathered farmhouse by the sea.
Contents and images used with permission from Better at Home: Recipes for Big Nights In by Colu Henry. Photography by Silver und Seck. ©2026 by Abrams Books. Excerpted with permission. All rights reserved. Better At Home: Recipes For Big Nights In Book By Colu Henry, (Hardcover) | Indigo