COOKBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

THE MIRACLE OF SALT by Naomi

Duguid

Duguid combines deep scholarship with narrative flair and gastronomic know-how for this thorough exploration of salt as a universal preservative and condiment – the seasoning that has helped sustain our progress as a species. There’s a pleasing globe-trotting element to her points of focus, from kimchi to sauerkraut, and a raft of practical advice on building up your own kitchen resources by way of pantry standbys such as garlic chutney and salty recipes for baclao tortilla and even desserts such as miso ice-cream.

MASALA by Anita Jaisinghani

Gujarat-born Jaisinghani built her personal brand at the Pondicheri café in Houston, Texas, a trendy space that relies on certain ancient principles of Ayurveda, especially when it comes to the treatment of spices. This book outlines her philosophy and processes for bringing texture and colour to the fore while balancing heat with flavour on the palate. She’s particularly good on infusions and the tricky tradition of tempering spices in hot oil. The book’s standout recipes include vindaloo ribs and fermented dosas.

THE SCIENCE OF SPICE by Stuart Farrimond thespecialsaucepodcast.com

Food scientist and TV personality, Farrimond goes into forensic detail on the full gamut of spices and spice blends here, providing colour-coded charts on their chemical compositions, reference guides to their optimal uses and contextual information on their origins and history. There are recipes here, too, of course, both for dishes and condiments such as gunpowder and harissa paste, all so beautifully designed and illustrated that the book serves just as well on a coffee table as a kitchen counter.

After a long career as a TV presenter and regular writer for outlets like The New York Times, Ed Levine is best known in his native US as a garrulous expert on the most iconic American foods, particularly pizza. In recent years he has developed a wider international audience through his website Serious Eats and now this popular podcast Special Sauce, which brings in expert guests from the conjoined worlds of cooking and food writing to talk about everything from spices to scrambled eggs to new trends in gastronomy.

Hard to say if this is a cooking show with an unsual emphasis on historical background, or a history show that uses delicious food as a means of making that academia easier to swallow. Over three seasons, the series has moved from region to region across India, showing particular interest in the dishes developed by various royal kitchens and the eating customs of the maharajas (Professor Pushpesh Pant makes regular appearances, along with various chefs and food writers). Viewers also get an abundance of related recipes to follow at home, often involving some pretty elaborate prep-work as per regal demands and traditions.

Written