Book excerpt: A book that goes to the heart of the home, the romance of the kitchen and to the idea of cooking as the conscious route to health, harmony and happiness at the table. Focusing on the principles of eating together and cooking for family, friends and partners, it features a collection of the most intensely delicious, holistic - even spiritual - meals. Following the Dalai Lama's injunction to approach love and cooking with reckless abandon, Kevin Gould presents a range of recipes that are sensuous, thoughtful, inspirational and wonderful to cook and eat. These include massaged shoulder of lamb, baked apples with cranberries, golden buffala mozarella with capers, emperor fish with lavender and fennel, baked squash with goats cheese, porcini-stuffed poussins, Grandma's chicken soup with almond dumplings and green tea sorbet with mint leaves. Delciously alcoholic recipe ideas include grapefruit with Campari, Pernod-spiked watermelon, tarte tatin with Calvados and tomatoes with a love injection (of vodka ) - these are just a few of the irresistible taste combinations to be found in the year's most original cookbook.