A Los Angeles Times standout book of the season
A National Post best cookbook of 2020
Featured by Eater Seattle, National Post, Globe and Mail, CBC News, CTV News, and the Boston Lanka Network
“This vegetable and seafood-heavy book has recipes for all the classics . . . I would plead for as a kid . . . It’s a technique-heavy book, full of reliable instructions and gorgeous, nostalgic photographs.” —Epicurious
"Samarakoon-Amunugama sets the scene . . . lays out the foundation of [Sri Lankan] cuisine . . . makes it clear where substitutions might be acceptable and where they are not . . . [and] her careful instructions and adaptations for North American cooks culminate rewardingly in the recipes." —Los Angeles Times
"All the 65 recipes in Milk, Spice and Curry Leaves are inspired by her mother and grandmother, a tribute to an unhurried time when food was cooked with a lot of thought, with a lot of love. . . there is a thoughtful intent to give her North American readers an understanding and insight into the island’s cuisine, its origins and influences—the Portuguese and Dutch elements that have enhanced it as well as cooking tips and recipes, all woven with memories." —Sri Lanka Sunday Times
"A lush trove of thoughtful, economical advice for adapting [Sri Lankan cuisine] to North American pantries. Vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will find much to enjoy in this collection. Whether cooking for a crowd or a few, celebrate familiar fall flavors during this unusual holiday season, and find delicious solace in the winter squash, the crab curries, the elegant, topping-laden Fancy Yellow Rice and the simply divine Coconut Roti." —Shelf Awareness
"[Samarakoon-Amunugama] pays homage to her mother’s homeland, expounding on the abundance of fish around the flora-flush island in the Indian Ocean that inspired its seafood dishes, and fruits and veggies from the hill country of the Central Province that produce memorable vegetarian curries." —Seattle Times
"Taking a long flight somewhere to enjoy new cultures and foods is not, for obvious reasons, in most of our current plans. We’re staying close to home and looking forward to the day that we can travel like that again. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get a big bite of what that journey might be like. That’s how I felt when reading . . . Milk, Spice and Curry Leaves." —Times Colonist