Cooking Curries

Joanna Lefebvre

BY JANE LAWSON

Thunder Bay Press, 2005 $14.95 (Paperback)

Bringing together a world of flavor, Jane Lawson's cookbook, Cooking Curries, celebrates the versatility and unique flavors of a dish eaten around the world.

Curry, derived from the Tamil word kari, means "spiced sauce." With applications that range from simple to sophisticated, complex to bold, the unifying quality of curry is its ability to seamlessly blend various tastes, textures and aromas to create dishes of depth and balance.

Lawson designates each chapter with a wide range of curries according to the dominant taste: rich, earthy, hot and sour, aromatic or softly sweet.

Some recipes provide new twists on traditional curries. e.g., Thai Red Duck Curry with Pineapple or the Indian classic Butter Chicken. Others, such as Snapper with Green Bananas and Mango or Minted Lamb Curry, introduce less familiar ingredients and new combinations of flavors.

Alongside the recipes, this book also highlights and explores vital curry ingredients like curry leaves, turmeric and coconut milk. Special three-way spreads focus on accompaniments to curries, such as chutneys, breads, and rice.

With special sections on basic curry techniques—preparing curry paste and creating the perfect spice blend—Cooking Curries is a truly resourceful and practical curries cookbook.