The Spice Lover's Guide to Herbs & Spices

Herbs and spices define a cuisine, even more so than cooking techniques.  The right choice of ingredients can help transform a simple meat stew into anything from a rich Hungarian goulash to a spicy Indian curry.  Anyone can follow a recipe, but to truly understand how flavors and aromas interact, [...]
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Herbs and spices define a cuisine, even more so than cooking techniques.  The right choice of ingredients can help transform a simple meat stew into anything from a rich Hungarian goulash to a spicy Indian curry.  Anyone can follow a recipe, but to truly understand how flavors and aromas interact, and to take your cooking to the next level of experimentation, you need to have a deeper understanding of herbs and spices, and that?s just what this book aims to provide.  Tony Hill imparts his vast knowledge in an engaging, and at times quirky, personal style, making this both an authoritative reference and an enjoyable read.  In every entry, he discusses an herb or spice's tastes, smells, origins, uses, culture, and more. This book is a one-of-a-kind reference, as most herb books are written with an emphasis on gardening and medicinal usage, and almost none discuss spices.  The Encylopedia of Herbs and Spices is written with an eye for cooking, with entries for about 150 different herbs and spices, from the humble peppercorn (Sichuan, green, pink white, black) to the exotic kaffir lime leaf, a quintessential ingredient in Thai cooking.  Spice blends have grown exponentially in popularity in recent years; in fact, eight out of ten customers in the author?s Seattle shop purchase blends over pure spices.  So, Hill smartly includes recipes for more than 100 of his own secret spice blends: Tarheel Barbecue Rub, Greek Seasoning Salt, Syrian Zahtar, Chipotle Chili Powder, and more.  There are even 50 recipes for using herbs, spices and blends scattered throughout the book, in case you?re wondering how to use amchur (mango powder). For enthusiasts who need a little assistance at spice markets (local and abroad), more than 200 color photos will aid in spotting the right ingredient.