I came to this book for the science behind the cooking – and there is plenty – but what I really liked about this book is the bold and unusual combinations of traditional Indian spices with fresh ingredients from all over the world. The author keeps his background story to a minimum and instead concentrates on breaking down his equation for flavor – and how it influences the dishes he describes.
I’ve tried just a couple of recipes from this book so far (masala shrimp, and also chickpea salad with date and tamarind dressing) but there are a lot more I hope to cook in the future. I’ve got a pantry full of spices and this cookbook really lets you try out some of the spice jars at the back of your shelf.
If there is any weak point for this book it would be the integration of the science and recipes. The beginning of each section explains in general about the concept (brightness, bitterness, etc.) but then just a few short lines connect these concepts with the recipes. I’d like to hear more detail – line by line with explanations of what is happening chemically in each step. It might be a little too technical for people who are reading casually, so I can understand why it was written that way. Still, what is written is enough to understand in the context of the recipes given but not enough to extrapolate into your own creations.
This was a good book to push me to use more spices in different situations, so I’m hoping to cook more of these dishes over the next few months.
Next I’m reading a book recommended by a student – an English translation of A Man by Keiichiro Hirano.
