Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices: Seasonings for the Global Kitchen
Author: Tony Hill
IACP Cookbook Award Finalist
Nobody knows herbs and spices like Tony Hill, owner of Seattle's famed World Merchants Spice, Herb & Teahouse. Now, in this acclaimed book, Hill gives us a comprehensive guide to these essential flavorings based on his travels around the globe. Blending culinary history, the lore of the spice routes, and his own inimitable tasting notes, he profiles more than 125 herbs and spices, ranging from the familiar to the exotic. He gives practical information and advice, including how best to use nine popular chiles, what distinguishes true cinnamon from cassia cinnamon, and why it makes a difference where your bay leaf comes from—plus more than 75 delicious recipes for distinctively spiced dishes. To top it all off, Hill reveals the secret recipes for 85 of his signature herb and spice blends, including barbecue rubs, mulling spices, chili powders, chai mixes, and curry powders. Complete with 185 color photographs, The Spice Lover's Guide to Herbs & Spices is an indispensable culinary reference that is both a pleasure to cook with and enjoyable to read.
"Hill . . . is way ahead of cookbook authors who cling to parsley in a cilantro world. . . . This is the book for anyone who has been lucky enough to find grains of paradise or Aleppo pepper and wonders where to go from there."
—Regina Schrambling, Los Angeles Times
"Even those who never cook may find themselves often dipping into this intriguing read."
—CeCe Sullivan, The Seattle Times
Library Journal
Hill, owner of World Merchants, Spice, Herb and Tea House in Seattle, has traveled the globe in search of spices. In this book he generously shares the wealth of knowledge he's brought back. Information on 350 spices and herbs is included, with details on alternate and botanical names, plant family, countries of origin and cultivation, seasons of harvest, parts used, and colors to look for. There are also 75 different recipes and some 200 color photos. Hill's enthusiasm for his subject shines through, especially in the short essays covering historical and culinary details of individual herbs and spices. Jill Norman's superb Herbs and Spices: The Cook's Reference covers much of the same territory, but the alphabetic arrangement of Hill's book is perhaps easier to use than Norman's grouping by aroma and flavor. Hill's broader scope also means cooks will discover spices such as boldina leaf that are not included in Norman's book. On the other hand, the gorgeous visual design of Norman's book trumps the illustrations in Hill's. Bottom Line Public libraries with limited budgets will definitely want Norman's book, but Hill's engaging and entertaining guide to herbs and spices would also be an excellent addition to any library's culinary collection.-John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Table of Contents:
| Preface | v |
| Acknowledgments | ix |
| All About Seasonings for the Global Kitchen | 1 |
| Herbs and Spices | 19 |
| Ajwain | |
| Allspice | |
| Amchoor | |
| Angelica | |
| Anise, Brown | |
| Anise, Black | |
| Annatto | |
| Arrowroot | |
| Asafetida | |
| Avocado Leaf | |
| Barberry | |
| Basil | |
| Bay Leaf, Turkish | |
| Bay Leaf, Californian | |
| Bay Leaf, Indian | |
| Bay Leaf, Indonesian | |
| Black Lemon | |
| Black Salt | |
| Boldina Leaf | |
| Borage | |
| Bread Clover | |
| Bush Tomato | |
| Candlenut | |
| Caraway | |
| Cardamom, Green and White | |
| Cardamom, Thai | |
| Cardamom, Black | |
| Catnip | |
| Celery | |
| Chervil | |
| Chicory | |
| Chiles | |
| Aji and Rocoto Chiles | |
| Aleppo Pepper (Near East Pepper) | |
| Ancho Chile | |
| Cayenne Pepper | |
| Guajillo Chile | |
| Habanero Chile | |
| Piments d'Espelette | |
| Smoked Chiles | |
| Thai and other Asian Chiles | |
| Chives | |
| Cicely | |
| Cilantro | |
| Cinnamons and Cassias | |
| True Cinnamon | |
| Cassia-Cinnamon, Indonesian and Chinese | |
| Cinnamon, White | |
| Cloves | |
| Coriander, European | |
| Coriander, Indian | |
| Coriander, Vietnamese | |
| Cream of Tartar | |
| Cubeb | |
| Culantro | |
| Cumin, Brown | |
| Cumin, Black | |
| Curry Leaf | |
| Dill | |
| Epazote | |
| Fennel | |
| Fenugreek | |
| Finger Root | |
| Galangal, Greater | |
| Galangal, Lesser | |
| Gale | |
| Garlic | |
| Ginger | |
| Golpar | |
| Grains of Paradise | |
| Horseradish | |
| Hyssop | |
| Hyssop, Anise | |
| Juniper | |
| Kaffir Lime | |
| Kencur | |
| Kokum | |
| Lavender | |
| Lemon Myrtle | |
| Lemon Verbena | |
| Lemongrass | |
| Licorice | |
| Mace | |
| Mahleb | |
| Marjoram | |
| Mints | |
| Mitsuba | |
| Mountain Pepper | |
| Mugwort | |
| Mustard Seeds | |
| Nigella | |
| Nutmeg | |
| Oregano, Mediterranean | |
| Oregano, Mexican | |
| Paprika | |
| Parsley | |
| Peppercorns, Black, Green, White, and True Red | |
| Pepper, Long | |
| Pepper, Negro | |
| Pepper, Pink | |
| Pepperleaf | |
| Pomegranate Seeds | |
| Poppy Seeds | |
| Rose Petals | |
| Rosemary | |
| Safflower | |
| Saffron | |
| Sage | |
| Sassafras | |
| Savory, Summer and Winter | |
| Screw Pine | |
| Sea Salts | |
| Seaweeds | |
| Sesame Seeds | |
| Shiso | |
| Sichuan Pepper | |
| Star Anise | |
| Sumac | |
| Sweet Flag | |
| Sylphium | |
| Tamarind | |
| Tarragon | |
| Thyme | |
| Turmeric | |
| Vanilla Bean | |
| Wasabi | |
| Wattle Seeds | |
| Zedoary | |
| Herb and Spice Blends | 335 |
| American Blends | |
| Bay Seasoning | |
| "New" Bay Seasoning | |
| Barbecue Rubs | |
| Memphis-style Barbecue | |
| Beale Street Barbecue Rub | |
| Kansas City-style Barbecue | |
| Kansas City Barbecue Rub and Sauce Base | |
| Carolina-style Barbecue | |
| Tarheel Barbecue Rub and Sauce Base | |
| Poultry Rubs | |
| Herb Poultry Rub | |
| Paprika Poultry Rub | |
| Seafood Rubs | |
| Seattle Salmon Rub | |
| Southern Catfish Mix | |
| Cajun Blackening | |
| Cajun Blackening Spice Mix | |
| Creole Spices | |
| Creole Spice Blend | |
| Montreal Steak Spice | |
| Steak Spice Blend | |
| Seafood Boils | |
| Gulf Coast Shrimp Boil | |
| Chesapeake Crab Boil | |
| Alaskan Crab Boil | |
| Corned Beef Spices | |
| Corned Beef Spice Mix | |
| Corning Solution | |
| Pickling Spices | |
| Pickling Spice Mix | |
| Bread Stuffing Spices | |
| "Instant" Stuffing Spice Mix | |
| Pumpkin Pie Spices | |
| Pumpkin Pie Spice | |
| Sausage Spices | |
| Farm Sausage Spice | |
| Seasoning Salts | |
| Western Seasoning Salt | |
| Greek Seasoning Salt | |
| French Seasoning Salt | |
| Japanese Seasoning Salt | |
| Mexican Blends | |
| Adobo | |
| Chili Powders | |
| Ancho Chili Powder | |
| Chipotle Chili Powder | |
| Mole Powder | |
| Taco and Fajita Seasoning | |
| Central and South American Blends | |
| Yucatan Rojo Rub | |
| Mayan Cocoa Mix | |
| Caribbean Blends | |
| Jerk Rub | |
| Poudre de Colombo | |
| Trinidad Curry | |
| Northern European Blends | |
| Tikka Masala | |
| Worcestershire | |
| Glogg Spices | |
| Central European Blends | |
| Mulling Spices | |
| French and Italian Blends | |
| Bouquet Garni | |
| Herbes de Provence | |
| Herbes de la Garrique | |
| Fines Herbes | |
| Melange Classique | |
| Mignonette Pepper | |
| Quatre-Epices | |
| Italian Herb Blend | |
| Medieval Blends | |
| Poudre Forte | |
| Poudre Douce | |
| English Beef Rub | |
| Russian Blends | |
| Kharcho | |
| Khmeli-Suneli | |
| Svanetti Salt | |
| Middle Eastern Blends | |
| Baharat | |
| Hawayil | |
| Qalat Daqqa | |
| Ras el Hanout | |
| Zahtar | |
| Israeli Zahtar | |
| Syrian Zahtar | |
| Zhug | |
| Indian Subcontinent Blends | |
| Chai Spices | |
| Classic Sweet Chai Mix | |
| Roast Chai Mix | |
| Chat Masala | |
| Char Masala | |
| Curry Powders | |
| Madras-style Curry Powder | |
| Pakistani-style Curry Powder | |
| Kashmiri-style Curry Powder | |
| Sri Lankan-style Curry Powder | |
| Garam Masala | |
| Central Indian-style Garam Masala | |
| Kashmiri Garam Masala | |
| Kala Masala | |
| Sambhar Masala | |
| Panch Phoron | |
| African Blends | |
| Berbere | |
| Mint Chermoula | |
| Duqqa | |
| Harissa | |
| Piri-Piri | |
| Tabil | |
| Tunisian Five-Spice | |
| Capetown Masala | |
| Southeast Asian Blends | |
| Indonesian Sambals | |
| Sambal Goreng | |
| Basa Genep | |
| Thai Curry Pastes | |
| Thai Red Curry Paste | |
| Chinese Blends | |
| Chinese Five-Spice | |
| Chinese Stock Spices | |
| Japanese Blends | |
| Shichimi-Togarashi | |
| Gomaisho | |
| Bibliography | 402 |
| Index | 404 |
New interesting textbook: Rethinking Corporate Security in the Post 9 11 Era or Further Mathematics for Economic Analysis
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
Author: Tom Standag
From beer to Coca-Cola, the six drinks that have helped shape human history Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece wine became the main export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration, fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-century Europe they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.
For Tom Standage, each drink is a kind of technology, a catalyst for advancing culture by which he demonstrates the intricate interplay of different civilizations. You may never look at your favorite drink the same way again.
The New York Times - Janet Maslin
Highlights of this drink's long, checkered history include its early links to quack medicinal remedies, the court case United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, and the way colorless Coke was passed off as vodka by a Soviet military leader who dared not be associated with such a capitalist totem. Coca-Cola's presence in the hot, parched Middle East is seen as no less tricky. As in the book's other sections, Mr. Standage manages to be incisive, illuminating and swift without belaboring his analysis.
Publishers Weekly
Standage starts with a bold hypothesis-that each epoch, from the Stone Age to the present, has had its signature beverage-and takes readers on an extraordinary trip through world history. The Economist's technology editor has the ability to connect the smallest detail to the big picture and a knack for summarizing vast concepts in a few sentences. He explains how, when humans shifted from hunting and gathering to farming, they saved surplus grain, which sometimes fermented into beer. The Greeks took grapes and made wine, later borrowed by the Romans and the Christians. Arabic scientists experimented with distillation and produced spirits, the ideal drink for long voyages of exploration. Coffee also spread quickly from Arabia to Europe, becoming the "intellectual counterpoint to the geographical expansion of the Age of Exploration." European coffee-houses, which functioned as "the Internet of the Age of Reason," facilitated scientific, financial and industrial cross-fertilization. In the British industrial revolution that followed, tea "was the lubricant that kept the factories running smoothly." Finally, the rise of American capitalism is mirrored in the history of Coca-Cola, which started as a more or less handmade medicinal drink but morphed into a mass-produced global commodity over the course of the 20th century. In and around these grand ideas, Standage tucks some wonderful tidbits-on the antibacterial qualities of tea, Mecca's coffee trials in 1511, Visigoth penalties for destroying vineyards-ending with a delightful appendix suggesting ways readers can sample ancient beverages. 24 b&w illus. Agent, Katinka Matson. (June) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Technology historian Standage (The Turk, 2002, etc.) follows the flow of civilization as humanity guzzles a half-dozen prime beverages. First made by nature in prehistory was beer. Finding it good, and more salubrious than plain water, mankind turned brewer. (And so the stage was set for cartoons set in barrooms eons later). From cuneiform beer ledgers, Standage's story hops to Dionysus and the oenophiles of Greece and Rome, who knew as much about the pleasures of the grape as any modern wine snob. Here, we learn the vintage that Caligula preferred. In C-rdoba, distilled spirits formed rum. Allotments of rum, in turn, enhanced the fighting effectiveness of British tars against foreign sailors debilitated by scurvy. The attempt to pay for the recent revolution by imposing federal taxes on independent stills produced the short-lived Whiskey Rebellion in the new United States. Islam eschewed booze, but a sober gift from the Arab world was coffee. In 17th-century Europe, coffeehouses were not only as ubiquitous as Starbucks, they were "information exchanges" where people traded news as "vibrant and unreliable" as that found on a contemporary Internet blog. Tea, which tradition holds was first brewed some 4,500 years ago (our author dates it closer to the first century), became largely controlled, along with opium, by the East India Company. From British tea-time dominance, beverage history goes to that fizzy badge of American hegemony, Coca-Cola. We learn why drugstores once featured soda fountains and how Coke fought Pepsi in WWII. Don't drink the water: throughout history, beer, wine, whiskey, coffee, tea and soda pop were all more potable. Ironically, now that it's bottled and pricey,water seems to making a comeback. Standage offers a distilled account of civilization founded on the drinking habits of mankind from the days of hunter-gatherers to yesterday's designer thirst-quencher. History, along with a bit of technology, etymology, chemistry and bibulous entertainment. Bottoms up! (24 b&w illustrations)
