For my money, there’s nothing more sensual than beautifully spiced food. Whether a dish includes an aromatic blend of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, or something fiery like chile flakes or ginger, the depth of flavor that spices can achieve is what I look for when dreaming up romantic meals.
Thus, when I started pondering the perfect February cookbook of the month, with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I was looking for something spicy. As soon as I noticed Mother Tongue on the shelf, I knew it was the one.
Written by food journalist Gurdeep Loyal, the book is packed with great info about how to play with flavor combinations, and the first set of recipes is for a series of complex, aromatic spice blends.
Loyal follows that chapter with a bunch of fun snacks, from Tikka Tempura Shrimp to Pita with Pistachio, Coriander & Green Chili Dip to Sticky Treacle & Kokum Chicken Lollipops.
