The Culinary Herbal

December 15, 2015
Between them, Belsinger and Tucker draw on 100-plus years of experience gardening and cooking in this guide for gardeners who like to cook . . . cooks who want . . . the best tasting culinary herbs . . . and the everyday herbal enthusiast. With lavish color photographs throughout, this clearly written culinary herbal goes beyond sage and thyme, even venturing into sensory experiences of nonmedicinal herbs as it addresses 97 varieties, including Cuban oregano (flavors salsa), lemon balm (adds a lemony spark to sauces, cakes, syrups, veggies, and more), and orache (adds mild spinach taste to salads). The authors provide instructions on how to grow, harvest, preserve, and store herbs, and in the Master Recipes Using Culinary Herbs section, they offer directions for preparing basic herb syrups, vinegars, aromatic pastes, and butters, all used to enhance a wide range of foods. The back matter of metric conversions and lists of resources and suggested readings accommodate varying interest levels, making this a book with wide appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)