I first met the food writer Sybil Kapoor in the mid-1990s. She’d just published her first book, Modern British Food, which arrived like a breath of fresh air. Alongside steak and kidney pudding and damson pie were recipes for papardelle with ceps and soy roast duck salad, dishes that reflected a new definition of what British cooking meant. It may seem odd now, but, back then, few people had ever used the words “modern British” in relation to food.

More than a decade on, Kapoor’s latest book, Citrus and Spice: A Year of Flavour, is every bit as innovative. Recipes reflect the associations between flavour and emotion that each month evokes rather than simply seasonal availability. So January is linked with the stark but invigorating flavours of citrus, November with the smell of wood smoke on cold air — moods that Kapoor translates deliciously into the likes of seared scallops with lemon soy sauce or roast pheasant with smoked bacon.

Flavour works by smell rather than taste (if you’ve ever eaten a bay leaf, you’ll know it’s the aroma you want). Kapoor argues that the essence of a dish’s deliciousness lies in its ability to press the right sensual buttons, evoking the seasonal smells and flavours around us — whether it’s the scent of heather and ozone in the Outer Hebrides or Indian spices drifting into a city street.

“I’m fascinated by our relationship with food,” says Kapoor. “Flavour in food links us to memories and associations and has the power to affect our mood — it’s not only what makes certain food irresistible, it’s part of what makes us feel alive. Why is the smell of blackberry crumble in the oven so incredibly evocative, for instance? It’s because the scent of baking fruit makes you feel warm and comfortable even before you eat it — it puts you in a completely different frame of mind.”

Several chefs have tried to explore the emotional power of food before, but Kapoor does it in a way that is accessible and unpretentious. The proof of the sensual pudding is in the eating, and I want to eat everything in the book.

Citrus and Spice: A Year of Flavour, published by Simon & Schuster on Nov 3 at £20. Buy it for £18 (inc p&p) through The Sunday Times BooksFirst on 0870 165 8585 or at timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst

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