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50 Great Curries of India

Author: Camellia Panjabi
Paperback: 192 pages
Publishers: Kyle Cathie (2008)
ISBN-13: 978-1856268196

Camellia Panjabi is a legend in the culinary world, widely respected as the greatest authority on Indian food. Born in Mumbai, she studied in Cambridge and worked for many years as Marketing Director of India’s prestigious Taj Hotel-Group. Today she owns, together with her sister, seven of Londons best Indian restaurants. She has also has just sold the millionth copy of this beautifully photographed book which takes the reader through the sights, smells und tastes of the centrepiece of an Indian meal: the curry. Over the last twenty years she searched all regions of India to build up the best traditional recipes, learning cooking secrets from culinary experts through to ordinary housewives.In her introduction, she dispels with a popular misconception. “There is no such dish as a curry”, she says. It is a sauce, not a meal”. She explains the basis of curry making: the thickening agents like  coconut milk or lentils; the souring agents, like tomatoes or yoghurt. She tells how spices work, how to chop, which vegetables, fish- or meat dishes work best  with particular flavours of a curry sauce. Wholly seductive.

Mlinaric on Decorating 

Author: Mirabel Cecil + David Mlinaric
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publishers: Frances Lincoln (2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0711225411

“All good interior design needs a frame of good, if not great architecture”, says David Mlinaric. “The better the architecture the less one has to decorate”. In 1961 he started a small practice in London and is today  perhaps the most acclaimed interior designer of our time. Specialising in restoring and renovating grand houses, his elegant, very subtle work is featured in buildings the world over, including  the National Gallery and the Royal Opera House in London; embassies in Washington, Paris and Brussels; houses for the Rothschild family, Mick Jagger and countless other private clients. What all his clients love him for is his ability to re-design a room and make it look as if it has always been there. In this book he discusses with author Mirabel Cecil the buildings he has worked on and been inspired by during his long career. 200 photographs, 175 of them in full colour, offer a sumptuous visual tour of fabulous spaces.

Cabbages & Roses Guide to Natural Housekeeping

Author: Christina Strutt
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publishers: CICO Books (2008)
ISBN-13: 978-1906094478

Christina Strutt is the owner of “Cabbages & Roses”, a quintessentially English fabric company which specializes in historic rural fabrics for fashion and interiors. Her textiles evoke an idyllic country lifestyle. No surprise then that  her approach to housekeeping is as old-fashioned as it is sensible. Her firm view is this: It is perfectly possible to clean a house using nothing more than lemons, baking powder, vinegar and water. And cutting down on the use of poisonous chemicals can make a big difference in our aim to save the planet for future generations. In her book she complements good old practices with newer ideas and innovations. They are not only applied to cleaning but also to restoring furniture and decorating. Last but not least, handy tips for making jams, oils, beauty preparations and herbal remedies make this a very useful book.