Sugar & Spice
Flavor-Packed Dinners and Desserts to Crave
Remi Idowu’s hearty cookbook Sugar & Spice rejoices in comfort foods that brim with fusion flavors.
Idowu draws from her Ghanaian-Nigerian heritage and her life in England to feature tried-and-true family staples and creative riffs on takeout favorites. Organized around classics “with a twist,” “Friday Night Cravings,” “Childhood,” and scrumptious desserts, the book encourages breaking out of kitchen ruts through its cross-cultural flair for combining ingredients.
Chicken kiev is dialed up with gochujang. Spaghetti features harissa meatballs, and a sweet-and-sour stir-fry showcases paneer. Elsewhere, American standards like fried chicken are included, while jollof represents one of Idowu’s salient food memories. The recipes employ accessible, fresh ingredients; several embrace rich brown butter and sugar. Only a few ask for special additions, including ’Nduja (an Italian pork paste). Both metric and imperial measurements are given and the instructions are clear, with explanations given for trickier steps.
Entertaining notes enhance this guided tour through Idowu’s culinary growth. Finding birria tacos on TikTok led her to adapt ingredients; burning sausage prompted an improvised creamy pasta. An insider’s view of England’s diverse takeout choices shows how inspiration arises when trying new foods. The photographs of Idowu’s family dining together underscore the book’s personal nature, with some recipes marked as relatives’ favorites.
The book’s baked goods are a highlight. Helpful tips about oven temperatures, measuring with a food scale, and choosing pan sizes guide home bakers toward better results. The book’s eclectic approach to cooking vehicles, from using an air fryer for donuts to microwaving a single-serving mug cake, is widening too.
Themed around warm dishes and decadent treats, Sugar & Spice is a robust cookbook for cold-weather days and potlucks.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
