Great British Chefs recently asked me to review The Mighty Spice Cook Book, and being a bit of a spice fiend I was delighted.
John Gregory-Smith, the author of this wonderful book, sounds a lot like me. He grew up eating lots of different spices, he’s travelled all over the world meeting local people to learn about their cooking and he is generally pretty obsessed with food but spices in particular.
This book starts with a fascinating tour of his travels and the origins of some of the dishes in the book. He covers China, Mexico, South East Asia, Morocco, Turkey, The Lebanon and of course my India and Sri Lanka. All growers of some of the most fabulous spices.
I loved the Vanilla in this Lebanese Lemon and Vanilla Cake.
Lebanese Lemon and Vanilla Cake
The mix of ginger, turmeric, chilli, lemongrass and garlic in this Malay Yellow Mussel Curry.
Malay Yellow Mussel Curry
And couldn’t resist the cumin, coriander, garam masala, black pepper and chilli in this Chana Masala.
Delhi Style Chana Masala
Read the full review – you’ll be drooling. I was trying hard not to!
Lebanese Lemon and Vanilla Cake…my kind of heaven *drooooooool*
LOL drool indeed!
I had to Google that lemon cake immediately, Urvashi. I love vanilla and lemon. I have met few spices I didn’t like: I am fond of cumin, fennel, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper. I may try the cashew paste with something other than mussels.
Ha ha. I just had two slices from the second one I made! I will post my adapted recipe up soon x
My eye and imagination was caught by that lemon cake as well. It looks like a pineapple upside down cake but better! I love spices and use them often. Lately I’ve been trying savory spices in dessert type dishes. Like pepper in apple pie! If you put just a hint it’s wonderful.
oooh I like the sound of pepper with apples. Have you tried szechuan pepper with chocolate? that works well too. I’m experimenting with herbs and sweet flavours. Loving Apple and Rosemary and lemon and Thyme at the minute!
Well done on the guest post gig 🙂 I like the look of this book, even better too I’ve spotted a one-day class with him at Leiths and am quite tempted by both the book and the interesting author behind it!
Oooh the one day class sounds good. I’d like to go to learn the Mexican spices because those are the ones I’m not so familiar with having never been there. I know he’s in India at the mo but very good on twitter so I’m sure if you tweeted him, he’d let you know a list of his classes x
can you let me know what adaptations you made to the Lebanese cake recipe? Wanting to bake this but worried it won’t rise at all!
Hi Iona. I didn’t make any changes as far as I remember and it doesn’t rise much. More like a batter when it goes into the tin too.