The Complete Spice Book: From Allspice to Vanilla--the Ultimate Companion to the Ancient and Everyday Wonders on Your Spice Rack [Paperback]

Maggie Stuckey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1999

The Complete Spice Book (available for the first time in trade paperback) tells you how to select, use, and store 30 lively spices.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The cuisine of the American melting pot would be a dull stew were it not for those spices that add flavor, aroma, and tingle to the nation's contemporary diet. Stuckey's encyclopedia of the common spices found in today's cookery helps sort out the plethora of these taste enhancers by describing their origins, history, and culinary uses. Her brief history of spices illustrates how empires have risen and fallen to control their lucrative worldwide trade. The recipes she provides give some examples of each spice's unique use in both sweet and savory dishes. Some of her spicy confections are downright startling, such as an apple pie with fennel seed. Not content with the spices' culinary uses alone, Stuckey explains how to use them in Martha Stewart^-like craft projects. A useful purchase for any library for its reference and circulating benefits. Mark Knoblauch

From the Publisher

"The best way to enjoy this handy book is to read a chapter a week. That way, you can truly savor each of the thirty spices adroitly covered." --The Portland Oregonian

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312201311
• ISBN-13: 978-0312201319
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,184,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've lived in Portland, Oregon, one of the country's most beautiful cities, for nigh on 30 years. But I was born and raised in South Carolina, and it was there that I learned about gardening. Learned it, in fact, at my grandmother's big old house in the country, in the huge vegetable garden that fed the whole family all summer long and most of the winter too. It was here that I first incorporated the idea that gardening is about growing good things to eat, and sharing that bounty with others. Even though I now live in a condominium with a patio about the size of a handkerchief, and do all my gardening in containers, I still believe that garden = food. That's probably why most of my gardening books have a cooking component. One of the nicest compliments I ever received was from an Amazon customer who noted in her review of "The Complete Spice book" that "you can tell Maggie Stuckey is both a gardener and a cook."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for the cook or gardener, September 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Spice Book: From Allspice to Vanilla--the Ultimate Companion to the Ancient and Everyday Wonders on Your Spice Rack (Paperback)

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This would be a great shower or wedding gift, August 6, 2001

By 

Jennifer B (Littleton, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Spice Book: From Allspice to Vanilla--the Ultimate Companion to the Ancient and Everyday Wonders on Your Spice Rack (Paperback)

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).