Sally Andrew’s delightful cookbook, RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR, has been announced as the winner for the 2025 Gourmand World Cookbook award in the Acknowledgements category.
The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards is one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau, on an annual basis, they honour the best food and wine books and food-related television. Participants from 221 countries and regions entered the competition with 1250 nominations. The winners were announced at the awards ceremony in June 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Other nominees in the Acknowledgements Award shortlist included: DOOR73 by Eric Ivanidis and Marcelo Ballardin (Belgium); QUININE REMAINS by Townsend Middleton (India); LOS FERMENTOS DEL BOSQUE by Andrea Martin (Spain); NOODLES, RICE & EVERYTHING SPICE by Christina de Witte and Mallika Kruppinen (Thailand).
RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR shares recipes from Sally Andrew’s popular Tannie Maria murder mystery books along with some new inventions. Quotes from the series are sprinkled in, with letters written to ‘Tannie Maria’s Love Advice and Recipe Column’, as well as photographs of the food and the beautiful Karoo peppered throughout the cookbook. RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR embodies Tannie Maria’s wit and warmth and is guaranteed to charm fans and newcomers to the series.
Many of the dishes are traditional South African and slow foods, but there are also quick meals and innovative recipes, from nachos to spekboom ice cream. Whether you are craving a Karoo lamb pie or sweet melktert or a syrupy koeksister, you’ll find something to discover and savour among Tannie Maria’s culinary delights.
The Tannie Maria murder mystery series was recently adapted into the acclaimed television series, RECIPES FOR LOVE AND MURDER with Season Two released earlier this year. The series was also shortlisted in the Comedy Drama and Sitcom category at the Rose d’Or Awards and is now available to watch on terrestrial television in the UK.
Sally is currently working on the fifth novel in the Tannie Maria series.
About Sally Andrew
Sally Andrew is based in South Africa, splitting her time between the Klein Karoo where she lives on a nature reserve with her artist partner, and Muizenberg on the coast of Cape Town. She has a Masters in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town and has published several books on adult and environmental education.
Her first novel, RECIPES FOR LOVE & MURDER: A Tannie Maria Mystery was a Kirkus Best Book of 2015, A Wall Street Journal Best Mystery Book 2015, The Bookseller Fiction editor’s Choice 2015 and A Good Housekeeping Book of the Month. Her books are published in at least fourteen languages, across five continents.
Praise for Sally Andrew’s RECIPES TO DIE LIVE FOR and Tannie Maria mystery series
‘RECIPES TO LIVE FOR features a delightful mix of recipes from the novels alongside new creations, all infused with Tannie Maria’s trademark warmth and wit. From slow-cooked Karoo lamb pies to quick weeknight meals, this collection celebrates the heart and soul of South African home cooking.’ – Noluthando Ngcakani, news24, ‘13 must-try cookbooks to kick off 2025’
‘Utterly delicious, to the very last morsel.’ – Deon Meyer
‘Twists, turns, suspicions, ‘journalistic investigations’, agony aunt recipes – all falls into place, as expected. In a crazy world, Tannie Maria is the coziness you need right now.’ – Roelia Schoeman, The Life and Times of a Boozy Foodie, ‘Milk Tart Murder Mystery: A Book Review #RoeliaReads’
‘A host of secrets, leads, and recipes. Add a touch of drama, some suspense, and a charming love story, and you have the recipe for a winning story. … A true literary adventure with a delightful South African flair … an absolute joy to read.’ – Samantha Gibb, W24
‘Chock full of good food and interesting characters.’ – Kerry Greenwood, author of the PHRYNE FISHER and CORINNA CHAPMAN series
Visit Sally’s website