Herb: A Cook's Companion - Mark Diacono

Mark Diacono is a food writer and in this book he shares both the techniques of growing herbs and also the uses to which you can put them. There are tips and advice in preserving them by making oils, vinegars and syrups flavoured with herbs and also a glut of recipes in which the herbs have a starring role rather than being the chopped parsley decoration on the rim of the plate. There are recipes for a lemon thyme and leek tart, lemon lavender meringues and Malaysian fried chicken in curry leaves.

Diacono's text is also a joy to read and not without opinion:

"lemon balm is for people who dislike themselves enough not to grow lemon verbena"

In his recipe for a fig trifle he writes "You can use a calmer sherry but PX [Pedro Ximenez] has its showing-off shirt and dancing boots on, and that's exactly what I love here."

A book to read for the joy of reading it as well as one to cook and grow from.

Hardback. 272 pages.

Measurements:

18.8cm x 27.8cm 3cm