Field Guide to Herbs & Spices

January 16, 2006
This handy pocket-sized reference, a virtual dictionary of herbs and spices, is small enough to tote along to the farmer's market, grocery or specialty spice store, and might just contain everything you ever wanted to know about seasonings. Each alphabetically listed entry includes alternate names in different languages and cuisines; explanations of the herb or spice's history, origins, aroma, flavor, physical appearance or other facts; information on storage; and a valuable section on "Food Affinities," which will help cooks understand what flavors go well together (for instance, horseradish goes nicely with "apple, beet, corned beef, cream, cream cheese, ham, lemon, potato, pumpernickel bread, raw seafood, roast beef, salmon, sour cream vinegar"). Each entry also contains serving suggestions or recipes; the cannabis listing, for example, explains that fresh green marijuana leaves may be dipped into melted butter, sprinkled with salt and eaten. Other unusual profiles include those of MSG, a flavor enhancer; pink pepper; and asafetida, a "strong-smelling, even stinking, dried brownish resin" that can be unpleasant to the uninitiated. Recipes are indexed separately, which means that this great tool also doubles as a cookbook. An extensive photo insert will help shoppers identify ingredients.