This is a love story between sugar and spice. Spice is often the party girl, the loud, bold, exuberant element in the mix. Yet there is also another art, more subtle yet equally seductive. Married with sugar, spice can provide a delicate fragrance, hard to put your finger on but one that gives backbone to a dish and deepens its allure. A suspicion of nutmeg cuts the sweet creaminess of custard for a more rounded tart, and a whisper of cardamom makes poached plums jaunty and interesting. Anise sweetens, lemony coriander seed brightens, and herbaceous notes pick out complexity in chocolate. The chapters within are divided by flavor to guide you toward a dessert or bake that is bright and zippy, floral and fragrant, or dark and spicy. Recipes include spice switches so, as you develop a nose for the possibilities, you can be playful with your corn, bi nations. A whole world of inviting new flavors awaits.