Читать книгу The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet: 100 original recipes for happy home baking - Tarek Malouf - Страница 5

Introduction

When I opened the door of The Hummingbird Bakery in Portobello Road in 2004, and let the first customer in, I didn’t realise that I was also opening the door onto a journey that would take me into the almost endless world of American baking. A handful of loyal customers accompanied me, at that first bakery, in discovering new American-style goodies. They were soon joined by many home-bakers, indulging their sweet tooths, honing their whisking and frosting skills, wowing their friends, colleagues and families with impressive multi-layer cakes, fluffy cupcakes and abundant sweet bakes. As more Hummingbird Bakery branches opened in London, our reach expanded much further thanks to our recipe books and social media pages. What we all share is a love of baking and an appreciation for the quirky fabulousness that is the American baked good!

Americana can be loud – all neon lights and shiny colours. There are those American goodies we’re all familiar with: they stand out, demand to be noticed and they almost seem to know they’re famous. But there’s more to the United States and its sweet treats than that. Whilst every American region has its specialties, there’s no place like the South if you want to enter a unique world of baked goods. These goodies will draw you in and envelop you like the sweet scent of a pie cooling in an open window.

Down south, things are slower and most definitely sweeter. When I started to think about what kind of recipes I wanted to gather and write for this book, my mind kept turning back to some of the tantalisingly special things that I had eaten on my trips to the United States and especially to the South. I knew that beyond the Pecan Pies and Red Velvet Cakes there were so many other recipes, unknown in the UK, that were begging to be discovered by our wonderful home-bakers.

I decided to go on a journey that would take me from New York City down to Durham in North Carolina, on to Atlanta and New Orleans, and end up in Dallas. Visiting relatives and old friends, I had come armed with only one demand: take me to the best desserts in town! And everyone duly helped out – after all, who could turn down the chance to eat dessert in the name of research?

In eating my way southwards, I discovered the rich, spicy tastes of old-fashioned recipes known only in specific regions; treats that were show stoppers; cakes that needed many steps and careful consideration (people had more time for baking in the past); but also easy recipes that could be mixed up in minutes but tasted just as good.

Running through all the recipes was a history of the South, and indeed the United States as a whole. Ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg from the Old World, liberally used, blending together with pecans and pumpkins from the New World. Fruits that need the hot sun, such as peaches from Georgia and oranges from Florida, to freshen things up and give a zing to cakes and pies. The peanuts and sweet potatoes used by African slaves in their daily cooking, along with cornbread and molasses, that influenced American baking in a unique way. Peanut butter in particular is so familiar to the American palate that it is strange to think it seemed crazily exotic to British bakers a generation ago. The Southern baker has never shied away from experimentation, with vintage recipes made with odd ingredients sitting alongside the traditional goodies made with the Holy Trinity of Southern ingredients: pumpkins, pecans and bourbon. Throw in a lot of chocolate, some marshmallows and maybe a little more bourbon and you’re on your way to discovering how Southerners like their desserts!

Most of all, I am excited to introduce readers to recipes that they have probably not seen before. I know how excited they will be to progress that one step further into the rich history and techniques of American baking – to treat their friends and family with delicious creations. At The Hummingbird Bakery we love the fact that we’ve brought our readers on an American baking journey, and we’re excited to say that we think we’ve reached the final destination. We’re kicking back on the rocking chair with our plate of pie and declaring that Life is Sweet.

Tarek