As we celebrate James Woodhams’ Tempest Restaurant landing a finalist spot in The Food Awards England, our book selections from Karma Literary Luminary Ultimate Library this week take us on a deep dive into all things culinary – from Melissa Helmsley’s Feel Good recipes to The Nutmeg Trail – a riveting history of the spice trade blended with guidance on cooking with spice…
1. Feel Good by Melissa Hemsley
Melissa Hemsley brings satisfying, simple recipes to help you feel your best, whether it’s a quick dinner after a long day, cook-ahead lunches to see you through the week or a warming traybake for a cosy night in. 100 delicious recipes for fuss-free cooking. Find energising veg dishes, flexible meat and fish recipes, feasts to share with friends, and simple snacks and desserts, with many taking less than half an hour, and all using readily available ingredients.
2. Kin Thai: Modern Thai Recipes to Cook at Home by John Chantarasak
A gorgeous book alive with the colour and flavour of Thai techniques and dishes married with British ingredients. The chapters are organised by type of dish from snacks through to stir-fries and salads, making it easy to find your favourites. As well as using ingredients native to Thailand, John explores the origins of the western ingredients, explaining their place in Thai cuisine, and how the competent home cook can use them to achieve Asian flavours.
3. Gary Maclean’s Scottish Kitchen
Scotland’s larder has some of the world’s most sought-after food. It’s phenomenal beef, fish and shellfish are unrivalled – from langoustines to black puddings, from hot smoked salmon to Shetland mussels. Now, with his inimitable flair for flavour and expert hands-on approach, Gary Maclean – Scotland’s National Chef and MasterChef: The Professionals winner – gathers together the best of Scottish cookery from its historic beginnings to where we are today.
4. Sea Salt: A Perfectly Seasoned Cookbook by the Lea-Wilson Family
After 20 years of making an award-winning sea salt the Lea-Wilson family have put together a collection of recipes to showcase this often misunderstood and misused ingredient. With every bit as much attention paid to vegetables and sweet dishes, as well as meat and fish, and beautiful photography shot on location on the wild island of Anglesey throughout, this book celebrates the most important ingredient in your kitchen.
5. The Nutmeg Trail: A Culinary Journey Along the Ancient Spice Routes by Eleanor Ford
Award-winning writer Eleanor Ford’s recipes and stories explore how centuries of spice trading and cultural diffusion changed the world’s cuisine. A unique and enlightening guide to cooking with spice, the book looks at their flavour profiles and how they can be used, combined and layered – how some bring sweetness, others fragrance, heat, pungency, sourness or earthiness.
The Nutmeg Trail: A Culinary Journey Along the Ancient Spice Routes
