🎉Wrapping Up 2024 with a Festive Pain d’Épices Cake!

🎊 🥳 Plus More than 60 recipes to plan your holiday menu. ✨

🌟 Welcome to The Flavor Files! 🌟

Dive into the delicious world where science meets food! You'll get a new recipe each week, links to even more mouth-watering dishes, the latest food and science news, and more.

📚✨ Exciting News! My new cookbook, Veg-Table, is now available wherever books are sold! This book delves into the science of vegetables and features 100 recipes for all skill levels, along with tips and tricks to make your cooking journey fun and accessible. Get your copy here!

Do you own a copy of Veg-Table? I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a review on Amazon (even if you didn’t buy it there). Your reviews help make the book more visible to others.

You may find affiliate links sprinkled throughout this newsletter. Happy browsing!

Thank you for being part of this flavorful journey! 🙏🏾 Your support means the world to me.

Starting today until January 1, 2025, I’m offering 20% off on all annual subscriptions.

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Hello Friends, 

It’s my final newsletter of the year, and I’ve packed it with holiday cheer! This week, I’m sharing plenty of inspiration for your holiday cooking, including a brand-new recipe for a festive cake that’s perfect for the season.

As we wind down the year, I’ll take a short break to focus on finishing the final touches on my cookbook manuscript and recharge before 2025 kicks off.

But before I step away, I want to take a moment to thank you from the bottom of my heart. This Substack community has grown to over 34,000 followers, and each of you has made this journey meaningful. Despite your busy schedules, you’ve made time to read my newsletter, cook along with me, and share your thoughts.

Your support and enthusiasm fuel my work, and I’m so grateful to have you here. Here’s to a joyful holiday season and an exciting new year ahead. Thank you for being part of this incredible community! 

As a special thank you, starting today until January 1, 2025, I’m offering 20% off on all annual subscriptions.

With gratitude and warm wishes,

Nik

A Few Things I Loved in 2024

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Here are a few thoughtful newsletters I’ve enjoyed reading this year.

• Shifting The Food Narrative by

  John Birdsall

• To Vegetables with Love by

  Hetty Lui McKinnon

• As I Was Saying by

  Poorna Bell

• BestFoodBlog by a lot of brilliant writers

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A Few TV Shows and Movies I loved watching.

• Inspector Ellis

• Wicked

• Dune Prophecy (There’s still one more episode to go)

• X Men ‘97

• Agatha All Along

• The Day of The Jackal

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A Few Books that I loved this year.

• The Light Eaters by Zoê Schlanger

• Bethlehem by Fadi Kattan

• Butter by Asako Yuzuki

• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Let’s create magic this holiday season in the kitchen and around the table. I’ve thoughtfully curated a Christmas menu that blends cherished traditions with a modern twist. From elegant starters and impressive mains to indulgent desserts, plus a few classic Goan recipes from my family’s festive celebrations, this collection is designed to delight guests and create lasting memories. Whether you’re hosting a cozy family dinner or a lively holiday party, there’s something here for every occasion.

And it doesn’t stop there! My Christmas and Holiday Sweets Collection is filled with irresistible recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth. Picture buttery cookies, decadent cakes, spiced confections, and a touch of global flair—perfect for gifting, sharing, or savoring on a cozy winter evening.

Let’s make this season extraordinary. Dive into these festive recipes and let the warmth of cooking fill your home with joy. Click the link to explore my ultimate holiday collection and make this Christmas your most delicious!

And if you have a copy of Season, The Flavor Equation, or Veg-Table, you’ll find more recipes to add to your holiday menu!

This month, I’m sharing something special with my paid subscribers: my final new recipe of the year, the French Pain d’Épices Cake. This cozy, flavor-packed treat is wonderfully simple yet deeply satisfying. As it bakes, the honey transforms into a rich, caramelized nuttiness that beautifully enhances the warm spices and earthy notes of rye flour and leaves the cake a glossy caramel sheen.

The journey of pain d’épices, spice bread or spiced gingerbread, is as rich and layered as its flavors. This beloved French cake traces its roots back to 10th-century China, where it began as a spiced honey cake called mi-kong, or honey bread. From there, it embarked on an epic adventure along the Silk Road, reaching the Middle East, where European crusaders discovered its allure. Enchanted by its taste, they brought it to France.

Once in Europe, the recipe transformed, blending local ingredients with exotic spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Each addition told a story of exploration and trade, infusing this simple honey cake with a depth of flavor and history that would make it a French culinary treasure.