Sweet Times

STEP BACK IN TIME to post-war in Britain. Rationing has ended. There has been a dramatic rise in the standard of living. Desserts - once the preserve of the rich - trickle down to the country. This story begins in the Fifties and ends at Brexit in the Tens. Witness the emergence of TV chefs and sweet custard - Cradock, Harben and Patten in the 50s. Behold blancmanges, jellies and trifles - Child, David, Carrier and Kerr in the 60s. Behind every perfect cake is a perfect kitchen - Berry, Grigson, Leith and Smith in the 70s. America and Australia give us ice cream, semifreddo, sorbets - Doyle, Hopkinson, Slater, Stewart and Stein in the 80s. Feast your eyes on smoothy desserts - Atchaz, Garten, Lawson, Kerridge, Oliver and Ramsey in the 90s. A posse of chefs give us foams and gels - Blumenthal, Hartnett, Hay, Kochhar, Roden and Ottolenghi in the 00s. Heady days and scenty desserts rule - Briscione, Ghayour, Lebovitz, Hahnemann, Hermes, Nosrat and Segnit in the 10s. With each decade, our homemakers are always looking for the next big thing. Taste and eating habits change. By the Tens, yuzu juice is a basic staple in our cupboards. If you have wondered why Jelly was popular in the Sixties, Panna Cotta turned up in the Nineties and Macarons took off in the Noughties; if you like culture, economics, politics and social history along with the stories behind the chefs, food writers and home cooks - this is for you. "Fascinating and mouth-watering. If you love cake, custard and cultural history then you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down until I got so hungry I had to stop reading and turn the oven on." Ed Balls