Customer Reviews

The Complete Spice Book: With 200 Delicious Recipes Plus...Potpourris, Beauty Secrets, Health Tips, And More!

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You can tell that Maggie Stuckey is both a gardener and a cook. And, while the recipes, of which there are 200 for the 30 Spices listed, are enticing, it is her sense of history that I thoroughly enjoyed. Written concisely and clearly, her storytelling takes us back to the the lands and people who first enjoyed these spices.  We came across this book while looking for information on Cardamom and were hooked by the time we reached the entry for Elettaria Cardamomum. The spices ,and the recipes for those spices, included in this book are: Allspice, Anise, Caraway, Cayenne and Chili Peppers, Cinnamon, Cloves,  Coriander, Cumin, Dill Seeds, Fennel, Fenugreek, Ginger, Horseradish, Juniper Berries, Mace, Mustard Seeds, Nutmeg, Paprika, Pepper, Poppy Seeds, Saffron, Sesame Seeds, Star Anise, Tumeric, Vanilla. Also, conveniently included are the recipes for Curry Powder and Five-Spice Powder.

This is a very quick and enjoyable read. It is clear almost to the point of being textbook, but with a humor that makes it fun rather than dry. Each spice gets a chapter. Infomation on each spice includes history and legend, current medicinal uses, crafts and household uses, as well as other interesting factual tidbits about the spices such as the coffe rituals of Arab cultures. And, of course, there are recipes that you can nearly taste as you read them. I checked this out of the library and now I am buying it for my own reference collection of cookbooks. It would be a great gift for anyone who cooks (or wants to learn).