CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics | Page 133

ing or dead who would it be, what would
you bake, and why?
There was a time when I was little, that my
mother could not look after me, and I went
regularly to a family of child minders. The ma-
triarch, Rosalind Lee (I called her Mak) used to
make beautiful little cakes in the Baba Nyonya
tradition. I always thought there was some-
thing very magical about them—colourful lit-
tle cakes made with ground rice flour, pandan
leaves, blue pea flowers, banana leaves, tap-
ioca roots and other exotic ingredients. She
was very proud of her cooking, and seemed
to me to be a kind of alchemist, pounding
away at herbs and spices to extract as much
flavour as possible, or slowly stirring a pot of
coconut or pineapple jam for hours. I have
now learnt to make many of these cakes my-
self and would have loved to show her and get
her opinion (she passed away in 1998). I think
she would have been thrilled to know that she
left an indelible mark on me and that I have
adopted/continued some of her culinary tra-
ditions.
the Kaya (coconut) croissant for afternoon
tea. AND I contemplated queuing up (up to 1.5
hours) for more the next day!
I made your Tahini and Halva Brownies al-
most as soon as I cracked open Sweet.
Wonderful! So happy to hear this, it is an in-
teresting combo, the slight bitterness of the
sesame paste is a nice counterpoint to the
sweetness of the brownies.
What do you want readers to glean from
your book?
That baking is practical magic, eminently
achievable and utterly joyous!
What is next for you?
Yotam and I are collaborating on another
book, which is not entirely made with sugar!
What are your favorite bakeries around the
world and why?
Dolcetti Cakes in Melbourne. It’s a small Sicil-
ian bakery, unpretentious, small-batch baking
with the utmost attention to detail. The cas-
sateddi (ricotta-filled folded doughnut) is one
of the best things I have ever eaten, and their
zucchini and mint pastry literally melts in the
mouth.
In London, the only bread I can’t resist is
from our local bakery, October 26. Raluka, the
owner and baker makes and bakes each loaf
and flute by hand, as well as serve you at the
counter. We have a standing order for Satur-
days, when it is not unusual to find customers
quarrelling over the last loaves.
Lune Crossanterie, for unbeatable, perfect-
ly laminated croissants. One day, on my last
trip to Melbourne, I had the plain croissant for
breakfast, the Rueben (pastrami, sauerkraut
and pickle cucumber) croissant for lunch, and
© Hundred-to-One LLC 2017. All rights reserved.