Love, who perfumes desserts with such flavors as star anise, green cardamom and jasmine tea, says it's important that customers know exactly what they're eating. Indeed, recent menus have featured the custard infused with ginger or lemon grass. Likewise, at Patria in New York, customers flock for a taste of its exotic Nuevo Latino cuisine. But even here, the flavors are carefully proportioned for impact, not overloaded. You learn through experience and working with the recipes.
Love does offer some tips, however.
You use enough to coax a very pleasant taste. You want to taste all the flavors equally. As the chef in charge of 36 Ritz-Carlton pastry kitchens around the world, Love gets to travel the globe and experiment with spices and flavors that seem exotic back home. He encourages others to do the same. He tempers enthusiasm with a cautionary note, telling colleagues to thoroughly research any herbs they use and be aware of any side effects they might cause.