A Whisper of Cardamom by Eleanor Ford
When you stumble upon this book in the cooking section, it looks like an art book accidentally snuck its way onto the wrong shelf.
The whimsical title, A Whisper of Cardamom, evokes poetry and prose, and the gorgeous botanical illustrations suggest the sort of prized coffee table book you want to languidly savour with a hot drink. But enter these pages, and a world of culinary sensations unfolds.
Your generic vanilla sponge or chocolate cookie won’t be found here, though the recipes vary in terms of complexity and offer something for every baker.
For those new to 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.
Chapters are divided by flavour, from citrus to chocolate and chilli, and alternative suggestions are provided to suit people’s palates and pantries. Eleanor Ford is someone who knows flavour, offering pairings that are both multi-layered and multitudinous.
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, the recipes infused with her love for spice so strong you can taste it.
I like baking, and I feel like I’ve seen every cookbook under the sun. To feel captivated and continually impressed by each recipe I’ve tried feels like discovering treasure, and the pure aesthetic pleasure of everything culminated in the need to own a copy for myself.
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