The caraway was such a revelation in Basan’s dish that we were immediately drawn to Mark’s Bacon and Caraway Tart as the first recipe to make from Spice. The reader will become familiar with the differences in flavour intensity and provenance and discover how, through the use of spice, we can applaud and appreciate cuisines from around the globe.

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I’m drawn to Rice pudding with sweet dukkah, Blueberry and coriander clafoutis, Alissa Timoshkina’s Russian gogol-mogol (whipped egg and sugar dessert), Wattleseed shortbread, Nicola Miller’s Buñuelo with piloncillo syrup (Spanish and Latin American doughnuts), Qalat duqqa plum cake, Nargisse Benkabbou’s Ras el hanout and chocolate banana bread, Sweet long pepper cream, Tahini, prune and star anise ice cream with sweet dukkah, Ethiopian passion berry and tonka bean ice cream, Sarit Packer’s Pistachio and golden raisin baklava, Caraway and fennel toffee apples, and Cumin and coriander fudge. Mark Diacono is lucky enough to spend most of his time eating, growing, writing and talking about food. It’s easy to forget how versatile spices are in sweet dishes, not just savoury, and to this end Mark provides many tempting recipes in the Sweet Things chapter. Caraway is an ingredient we’d hardly used until we first made Middle Eastern Courgettes Baked in a Cheese Sauce from Ghillie Başan’s The Lebanese Cookbook. Mark Diacono… has such a friendly, self-deprecating and comfortable voice you want to follow him into the kitchen.We used this Hungarian spice mix instead of German lebkuchen gewürz – both are very similar gingerbread spice mixes – and it was just right. Mark points out that the book is “ high on ideas, blends and recipes” but low on “ the historic movement of spices around the world, the wars fought and what might or might not have been rammed up Rameses II’s nose before he was laid to rest” – it’s turns of phrases like this one that always delight me in Mark’s writing – heavy on accurate and useful information, yet light and often humorous in touch. Lebkuchen (German spiced honey biscuits) are a seasonal favourite for us in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and these homemade ones didn’t disappoint. Known for growing everything from Szechuan pepper to pecans to Asian pears, Mark's refreshing approach to growing and eating has done much to inspire a new generation to grow some of what they eat. Under Small Things you’ll find a wide range of treats that include condiments, small snacks and sides.

The Cooks Companion | Harvey Jones The Cooks Companion | Harvey Jones

For us, the mashed potatoes (also flavoured with paprika) didn’t work well with the chicken, and we felt that a contrasting flavour, or plain mash with plenty of butter, would work better. Focusing on the familiars including cumin, turmeric, vanilla, pepper and cinnamon, Spice will also open the door to some lesser-known spices. Bigger Things is full of dishes that are suitable for a main meal (from breakfast through to dinner) and offers recipes like Chipotle eggs in purgatory, Za’atar fruit fattoush, Chorizo and Merguez sausages, Spicy Scotch eggs, Paradise cauliflower soup, Yuki Gomi’s Spicy ramen, Bourride (a French fish soup), Mouclade (lightly curried mussels also from France), Li Ling Wang’s Mapo tofu, Bún riêu (a Vietnamese noodle soup), Lara Lee’s Sambal goreng tempe, Domi-yangnyeom-gui (a Korean fried fish dish), Blackened fish (southern US-style), Maunika Gowardhan’s Punjabi chicken curry, Nanjing salted duck, Doro wat (an Ethiopian spiced stew), Annie Grey’s 18th century English chicken curry, Juniper-brined roast chicken, Babi guling (a Balinese roast pork dish), Barbecue ribs, Zuza Zak’s Bigos (a Polish winter stew), and Pastilla (a North African filo pastry pie).Beginning with a guide to 50 of Mark's much-loved spices and blends, including their legacy and main culinary affinities, the book then offers over 100 innovative recipes that make the most of your new spice knowledge. These include Spiced apples and pears, MiMi Aye’s Burmese rainbow pickle, Pickled blackberries, Tomato and vanilla compote, Sambal oelek, Sriracha, Muhumarra, Kecap manis, Brown sauce, Southern states barbecue sauce, Saffron aioli, Olio santo, Caraway yoghurt dressing, Mostarda di frutta, Sour chilli melon, Nigella and ajowan parathas, Himbasha (an Eritrean flatbread), Panisse with lemon thyme and berbere, Baharat blackcurrant Eccles cakes, Potted crab, Ajowan samosas, Advieh stuffed aubergines, Star anise pak choi, Spiced sweetcorn, Seedy sprout slaw, Tempero baiano cabbage, Chimichurri new potatoes, Chaat sweet potatoes, Soused mackerel, Manchamanteles (a Mexican sauce for meat, fish or vegetables), Guajillo grilled courgettes,and Panch phoran roasted carrots. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.