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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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The ultimate spice dictionary and reference
The book is organized to make using it a dream. It is divided into three sections Herbs, Spices and Recipes.
The first two sections are organized identically; an introduction, categories/groupings of herbs or spices and a section on preparing herbs or spices. Herb groupings are Fresh and mild herbs, Sweet herbs Citrus or tart herbs, Licorice or anise herbs, Minty herbs, Oniony herbs, Bitter or astringent herbs, Pungent and spicy herbs. Spice groupings are Nutty spices, Sweet spices, Acidic and fruity spices, Citrus spices, Licorice or anise spices, Warm and earthy spices, Bitter or astringent spices, pungent spices.
Each individual herb or spice has a page that includes pictures, history, notes on flavor use how it is harvested, culinary uses, other spices/herbs it combines with. The pictures and information combine to make this a top notch reference.
Recipes section is divided into two main sub-sections Blending herbs and spices and Cooking with herbs and spices. There is also a bibliography, sources and an index.
The Recipes for herb blends is shorter than expected but nice and represent other cultures. The spice blends are from around the globe and a longer more comprehensive list there are also recipies for sauces and marinades. Both herb and spice blend Recipes include suggestions and notes on how to use them and the best food pairings.
Cooking with herbs and spices has a good range of Recipes and the author packs a lot into this small section; soups and light dishes, fish, meat (includes three chicken recipes), vegetables, pasta noodles & grains, desserts and drinks ( including ice cream, Pineapple ginger cooler, Mojito).
The bibliography gives a detailed and exhaustive list of sources should you need to do further research. The source section gives contact information on places to purchase herbs and spices it is also a long and detailed contact information many including, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and web sites, and e-mail if available.
If you are a beginner and want to learn more about how to use herbs and spices or if you are an experienced cook and want to expand your flavor palate this is a great reference for you.
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A must have kitchen reference
This is a phenomenal addition to the world of culinary reference books. Every spice, herb, and seasoning component there is can be found in here each with clear color photos, tasting notes, and information on its history, culinary uses, buying and storing, parts of the plant used, and even harvesting tips.
I originally bought this book several years ago when I started growing my own herbs and vegetables so that I would better understand how to grow them and how to best utilize my crops. At that time, the book was very helpful by explaining how to strip, dry, or freeze herbs, how to make flavored vinegars and oils, and even how to make herb or spice butters. There's also a section on fresh and dried chili peppers that explains everything from roasting or toasting to freezing or grinding.
A few years after buying this book, I finally ventured off to culinary school, and found it to be one of my greatest tools for research papers. The back of the book also has a small recipe section for spice mixes, sauces, condiments and soups that helped me better understand the different combinations of seasonings based on regional cuisines.
I guess the only people I would not recommend this book to are those who don't have or care to have much in the line kitchen spices or the knowledge of possible food seasonings, and would much rather limit their time in the kitchen to quick family meals or semi homemade foods. If any of the above is true, there are many better books out there for you than this. Otherwise, what are you waiting for?
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Great Reference
A great reference, covers suggestions on how use the herbs and spices. Wonderful pictures. I used it to help me select plants for my garden this year.
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Well worth the money
I love to cook and am a Personal Chef. This book is well worth the investvent as it covers any spice I have ever heard of and then some. It is loaded with interesting tidbits about the herbs and spices and where they come from. If you enjoy cooking and learning new flavors and how to use them, try this book.
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Beautiful book!
This book is a joy to look through--the photos are very clear and colorful. You can see exactly what a certain herb or spice looks like without question. Also, the herbs and spices covered in the book are placed in groups according to similar qualities such as sweet, bitter, pungent and so on. The author has included many herbs and spices from around the world as well as the ones we are most familiar with in this country. I first saw this book in our local library and checked it out and decided that I just had to have a copy! As well as being so lovely to look at and informative (the basics of how to prepare and use), there are many recipes included at the end for dishes using herbs and spices and for making seasoning mixtures. Lots of good information for herb and spice lovers.
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