A Celebration of Herbs: Recipes from the Huntington Herb Garden (The Huntington Library Garden Series) [Hardcover]

Shirley Kerins (Author), Peggy Park Bernal (Editor), Judith Herman (Editor), Jean Patterson (Editor)

Book Description

Series: The Huntington Library Garden Series | Publication Date: December 2002

In this gorgeous cookbook, which was named the National Winner of the 2003 Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards, Shirley Kerins shares her wealth of knowledge about growing and cooking with herbs. Featuring a full range of dishes, from appetizers, salads, side dishes, soups and breads to entrees, preserves, desserts, and beverages, the book includes an innovative Pad Thai Pesto, a tried-and-true Herbed Vichyssoise, and a luscious Apple-Rosemary Tarte Tatin. Gardeners will find A Celebration of Herbs to be an essential reference, with information on cultivating, harvesting, drying, and storing herbs and an extensive listing of plant and seed suppliers in North America. Peppered throughout the cookbook are excerpts from the Huntington Library's collection of rare herbals and botanical books from the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the most gorgeous books I've seen all year." -- Kitty Felde, host of KPCC's Talk of the City

An amazing value...more than 200 recipes, such as goat cheese and basil ravioli and lemon thyme poached peaches. -- Sunset Magazine, August 2003

Kerins shares her knowledge about cooking with herbs through an eight-step program that progresses through experimenting with soups and sauces. -- Foreword Magazine

This is a book to enjoy on many levels, beautifully produced, a pleasure to read and with mouthwatering recipes. -- Herbs, The Journal of the Herb Society, UK, June 2003

From the Back Cover

"Shirley Kerins' enthusiasm for growing and cooking with herbs, and the colorful lore of these useful plants, shines in this beautifully designed book with botanical illustrations and excerpts from the Huntington's collection of rare herbals, sure to delight cooks, gardeners, and bibliophiles alike."-Carole Saville, author of Exotic Herbs "Kerins shares her vast knowledge about growing and cooking with herbs through an eight-step program for learning to cook with herbs that starts with single-herb butters and progresses through experimenting with soups and sauces . . . . More than just a great cookbook, gardeners will find A Celebration of Herbs to be an indispensable resource."-ForeWord

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Library Press; 1 edition (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873281993
• ISBN-13: 978-0873281997
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,791,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Herbs or Dried, these growers are great cooks!, December 3, 2003

By 

V.J. Billings - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Celebration of Herbs: Recipes from the Huntington Herb Garden (The Huntington Library Garden Series) (Hardcover)

A Celebration of Herbs is a cookbook that pairs herbs with the right foods in the most tantalizing ways. Compiled by long-time herb enthusiast Shirley Kerins from recipes submitted by the staff of the world-famous Huntington Gardens, this high-quality book enriches our souls as well as our palates by offering us interesting and pertinent information on the herbs we are cooking with.

Especially helpful for beginning herb users is the chapter on "Learning to Use Herbs in Cooking." In this chapter, Ms. Kerins has outlined her "Eight-Step Program for Learning to Cook With Herbs" that is sure to make cooking with herbs a snap!

Growing tips abound and one would expect no less, since Ms. Kerins was the curator of the Huntington Herb Gardens for over 20 years. The traditional recipe categories are there, of course, but they are generously salted with helpful tidbits and historical information as one would expect from someone who has lovingly tended herbs for so many years. 

A real treat is the reproduction of 24 color drawings from Elizabeth Blackwell's A Curious Herbal, published in 1737. One of the 60 known copies of this two-volume gem is housed in the Huntington's rare book room. 

This book is sure to become a classic worthy of the world class traditions of the Huntington.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous herb cookbook, January 10, 2003

By 

Teresa (Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Celebration of Herbs: Recipes from the Huntington Herb Garden (The Huntington Library Garden Series) (Hardcover)

The last thing I needed was another cookbook (I have a whole bookshelf full!), but this one was just too beautiful to resist. And in its own way, this book is different from any other herb cookbook I've seen before. Just as you'd expect, there are extensive notes about how to grow herbs and use them in cooking. But rather than showing photos of herbs, this beautiful coffee-table-type book has reprints of colorful botanical illustrations from the 18th century. The recipes are of course very tempting, from yummy herbed cream cheese dips to more elaborate dishes like salmon in basil cream or rack of lamb rubbed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I was skeptical about the apple rosemary tarte tatin recipe, but it turned out to be wonderful. Highly recommended as a cookbook, especially if you enjoy reading about herbs.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUR SAGE ADVICE: BUY. EAT UP. COOK. EAT UP AGAIN., February 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Celebration of Herbs: Recipes from the Huntington Herb Garden (The Huntington Library Garden Series) (Hardcover)

So much more than a cook's tool, this treasury is a welcome delight --- a well conceived, beautifully illustrated resoruce that's part cookbook, part history book. We thought we knew all there was to know about herbs: rosemary, dill, sage and sometimes tarragon. What we learned will serve us well, especially in those things we serve up in the kitchen. Released by the folks at the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in California, the book includes information on growing herbs, mail sources on where to buy fresh and dried herbs, and, of course, recipes --- brpken down by type, such as appetizers, main courses, jams and jellies, breads, beverages --- that will send you zooming to the nearest [store]. The stunning color illustrations are from Elizabeth Blackwell's 1737 book, "A Curious Herbal," a gem that's housed in the Huntington's rare book department. A celebration, indeed!