Things are getting messy for Stella Prentice: her husband is away; she's juggling a full-time job with family that includes a demanding four-year-old and a tricky stepdaughter. Stella reluctantly hires an au pair in the hope that she will help lighten the load. Elise, a staunch feminist and Stella's mother-in-law thinks this is a terrible idea but promises not to meddle.

Ava, the much-anticipated au pair, finally arrives to fill the void, though she too is facing her own life challenges. But she comes bearing a handful of cherished recipes passed down to her from her mother. Together these three women will attempt the seemingly impossible: create order out of chaos and find love and comfort in the mess.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to Tori Haschka about the three women in this story each searching for solutions, the essential ingredient for a great feast, and finding great ideas and stories in lived experience.