As the winter chill sets in, it’s the perfect time to step into your slippers, switch on the speakers and settle in for a comforting cook up. Whether you’re cooking with the kids, your loved one or indulging in some solo cooking-for-therapy, we’ve compiled the ultimate listen list to make the sometimes-mundane chopping, grating and stirring time all the more enjoyable and rewarding – whether it’s through a moment of mindfulness, self-improvement or family entertainment direct from Hogwarts.

From distraction to escapism, audiobooks offer a world of benefits and mean we all now have that elusive ‘free’ time to finish a book while powering through meal prep.

Cooking with kids: Mushroom ragu with egg yolk pappardelle
Listening to: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Book 1

Get little hands dirty with this easy two-ingredient pappardelle. The kids will love rolling and passing the sheets through the pasta machine to create the silkiest strands – perfect for clinging onto the rich and earthy mushroom ragu. Dial up the fun and learning even further and hit play on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Book 1. Everyone will be so immersed in all the magic and adventure they won’t realise they’ve rolled enough pasta for tomorrow’s lunch (and dinner), too. Mischief: managed. 

Midweek winter escape: Creamy greens pasta with lemon and cavolo nero pangrattato (breadcrumbs)
Listening to: Emily Henry’s Happy Place

It’s a cold weeknight in, the day has been long and you’re after a light, bright meal to help you beat the winter blues. Enter this breezy pasta laced with winter greens and a sunny burst of citrus, with a pangrattato (breadcrumb) topping for some exciting crunch-factor. You might want to extend your sunny agenda with some equally light listening and download Emily Henry’s Happy Place to help shift the mood. Before you know it, the day’s mishaps will be a distant memory as your fork glides through creamy, herby rigatoni while Harriet and Wyn’s holiday romance (or rather – no-mance) plays out; you can almost taste the salty beachside air.

Weeknight one-pot warmers: Roasted carrot soup with goat’s cheese toast
Listening to: Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast

There’s something so rewarding about making a pot of veggie soup from scratch. Roasting the vegetables (in this case, vitamin-rich carrots) helps to release their natural sugars, intensifying the caramelised flavour of the end product. We suggest turning on Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast when you’re prepping your ingredients – it’s the perfect enlightening antidote to all that carrot chopping and garlic mincing. Not only will you be rewarded with a light and deeply nourishing soup, but you’ll be nourishing your mind too via a series of hilariously insightful chats with everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Conan O’Brien.

Date night cooking by the fire: Beef bourguignon pie
Listening to: Prince Harry’s Spare

Nothing screams winter like a comforting pie bubbling away in the oven. Make a night out of it by turning on the fire (or heater), pouring yourself and your plus-one a glass of your favourite and finally tackling that ever-growing book list by hitting play on Prince Harry’s Spare; because meltingly-soft meat and deep flavour can’t be rushed, so sometimes the only answer is to slow things right down. The raw and much talked about memoir is also the ultimate distraction from any of the day’s stresses. Before you know it, you’ll be knee-deep in the royal saga and have a rich and golden-topped pie on the table.

Meat-free dinners to warm you up: Slow-cooked eggplant parmigiana
Listening to: Atomic Habits by James Clear

Few can resist the gooey, fall-apart magic of slow-roasted eggplant that’s been drenched in a rich tomato sauce and crowned with a cheesy top. But what if you could team your meat-free Monday with equally easy-to-digest life lessons? Enter Atomic Habits by James Clear – a collection of ten simple steps that will have a transformative impact on you, presented by those who are winning at life. Your weekly vegetarian meal is only the beginning of your routine shake-up – and can be devoured while your dinner is baking away.

Breezy baked dinners: Baked chicken in cacio e pepe bagna cauda sauce
Listening to: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

A good-quality chicken stock is your flavour ticket to this out-of-this-world-tasty baked chicken dinner. The secret lies in the sauce – built on the same flavours as everyone’s favourite three-ingredient Roman pasta sauce; that’s right, these bronzed and burnished chicken pieces are bathed in a cheesy cacio e pepe sauce. Equally saucy (and the most delightful way to wile away that roasting time) is the tale of fictional Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo. Enjoy listening to stories from her glamorously scandalous life in the award-winning audiobook The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid as you relax into your cosy evening in without compromising your already-weary eyes.

Sweet and soothing desserts to beat the chill: Banana bread and maple syrup pudding with nutmeg walnuts
Listening to: Jay Shetty’s 8 Rules of Love

This gooey, nutty and spiced-up pudding is the dessert equivalent of putting on a fluffy bathrobe – perfect for warming you up and sweetening the mood. The buttery maple sauce is equal parts nostalgic and delicious. Whether you’re cooking for your pudding (sorry), looking for love or learning to love yourself more, we think Jay Shetty’s 8 Rules of Love is a must-listen while chopping those walnuts, mashing the bananas and stirring that sauce until it’s rich and caramel-ly.

This article is brought to you by Audible.