A Whisper of Cardamom by Eleanor Ford
When you stumble upon this book in the cooking section, it appears that an art book has snuck its way onto the wrong shelf. The whimsical title, A Whisper of Cardamom, feels like poetry, and the gorgeous botanical illustrations evoke the kind of coffee table book you want to savour with a hot drink in hand. But enter these pages, and a world of culinary sensations unfolds.
The recipes themselves sound delicious: saffron and orange blossom ice cream; vanilla and nutmeg marshmallows; masala chai snickerdoodles; roast strawberry soufflés; pistachio, lemon and coriander seed cake. The world of flavours Ford presents is fragrant, with recipes infused with her love for spice so strongly that you can almost taste it.
For those new to these things, or just genuinely interested, the book begins with an easy yet comprehensive overview of spice pairings, breaking down how simple spices can enhance and transform various flavours. Cooking in this mindset becomes much more like alchemy, teasing out a playful, experimental approach with a daringness to bend (and blend) the rules.
While your generic vanilla sponge or chocolate cookie won’t be found here, the recipes vary in complexity and offer something for every baker. Chapters are divided by flavour, from citrus to chocolate to chilli, and alternative suggestions are provided to suit various palates and pantries.
I like baking, and I feel like I have seen every cookbook under the sun. To feel captivated and continually impressed by each recipe I have tried feels like discovering treasure, and the pure aesthetic pleasure of it all culminated in my need to own a copy for myself.
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