Spirit and Spice

Ghillie Basan

Spirit & Spice is a portrait of family living and eating in the Scottish Highlands using Scotland’s fabulous produce, wild food and whisky.

Ghillie Basan is the award-winning author of over 40 cookbooks. A writer, journalist and broadcaster, she has travelled the world to research different cooking traditions and has unparalleled expertise on the use of spices. But her heart has always been at home in the remote corner of Scotland where she brought up her two children, Yazzie and Zeki.

The life they built in the heart of whisky country is an inspiring one. Snowbound in the winter, the school run was done on skis, and the summers were spent adventuring in the hills. When Ghillie travelled to write and research books, Yazzie and Zeki would go too, on long dusty journeys in Africa or up mountains to remote villages in Asia. And when they returned to Scotland, they would bring the flavours of the world with them.

In Spirit & Spice Ghillie delves into the Scottish larder, using her knowledge of spices to shine a new light on local ingredients. She shares her expertise in pickling, preserving, smoking and cooking outside. She opens up whole new worlds of flavour with her food and whisky pairings and can be relied upon to find a dram to go with any meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Most importantly, she traces the stories behind the recipes to paint an inspirational and heartfelt picture of family life in one of the wildest and most beautiful corners of Scotland.