The New Sugar and Spice by Samantha Seneviratne
New York food writer and stylist Samantha Seneviratne draws
on her Sri Lankan roots and memoires of strong flavors and spices as she
creates new twists on old favorite baked goods and desserts. Seneviratne divides her recipes by the
predominant flavor each recipe:
Peppercorns and Chile, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove and Cardamom, Vanilla,
Ginger and finally Savory Herbs and Spices.
Each chapter begins with an essay about the spice including personal
reminiscents, the lore and history and what to look for and how to store the
ingredients when purchasing them. The
current salt caramel fad gets a lift by putting salt caramel atop black pepper
enhanced brownies. Cinnamon warms up an
already decadent Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding.
Nutmeg is traditional in egg custards but when espresso is added it makes
for a luxurious latte-like treat and who won’t be able to resist frozen eggnog
pops in the middle of the summer when Christmas and all its flavors seem so far
away. Most interesting are the recipes
with Clove and Cardamom, spices often used sparingly if at all; cloves pair
naturally with orange in an easy pull-apart bread and the unusual flair of
cardamom pairs with coffee in an easy but elegant shortbread. Pavlovas may not be something everyone wishes
to tackle but the lime custard and basil pineapple finishes are sure to find
their way into other favorite desserts.
Seneviratne makes Danish pastry appear easy to make, though planning is
necessary as the dough must rest for long periods of time before being turned
into a caraway scented apple pastry.
Bright clean photographs accompany each recipe and entice readers to try
something new. The only think readers
may find frustrating are specific sources for some of these ingredients. Find more recipes and stories by Samantha
Seneviratne at her blog www.lovecommacake.com
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for
this review.
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