The tag line to AVM Curiosities has always been ‘a mixture of the silly and cerebral’ so following the edible bubble event (which was more on the silly side) it’s lovely to announce that ’The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets’ is now available as a Kindle version, and then in Hardback from June 2015. Alongside eminent food historians such as Ivan Day, Laura Mason and Sidney Mintz there is also an introduction to Mrs Beeton by Tasha Marks (aka AVM Curiosities)!

Sweets have a special hold on our senses. Whether it’s taffy or turnovers, sandesh or sherbet, maple sugar or macarons, our enjoyment of sweets is informed by traditions and memories. This encyclopedia explores sweet things globally and across time, from the honeycombs our ancestors gathered to the crackly nougatine of today’s experimental chefs. But its greatest achievement is that, in over 900 intellectually nourishing pages, it never neglects the senses. Like the medieval subtleties that entertained royal diners with elaborate conceits, this book is playful, surprising, and always-captivating.

(Heston Blumenthal)