A comprehensive and unparalleled collection of breads, cakes and pastries from around the world, this beautiful sourcebook of recipes is also a well-researched exploration of home baking techniques and global ethnic history. The combination of recipes, anecdotal and historical text and pictures give this book a unique appeal and make it perfect for today's discerning 'foodies'. The recipes are drawn from all over the world (including Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, the Caribbean and Latin America), are easy-to follow and beautifully photographed. Any unusual techniques are illustrated step-by-step for ease. Try your hand at Azorean honey cake or Jamaican hard dough bread. Let your family's tastebuds thrill to Azerbaijani cream cheese baklava or Dutch brown sugar coils. Chapters cover breads, cakes, pastries, savouries and biscuits. The combination of delicious recipes and a fascinating background text make this book a fantastic read and a must for any home cook looking to truly broaden their repertoire or with an interest in the culture of food.

About the Author

Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra has a multi-cultural background - in her own words "a convent-attending Guyanese Hindu of Indian ancestry, who was educated in North America and Europe and subsequently married into a European Jewish family". A food historian and freelance translator, she has already authored a book on Dutch baking - 'Windmills in my Oven' (Prospect Books, 2002). In 2000, she received the Sophie Coe award for food history, presented by the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery. She lives in the Netherlands.