Gourmet Herbs: Classic and Unusual Herbs for Your Garden and Your Table [Paperback]

Beth Hanson (Author)

Book Description

Series: 21st-Century Gardening Series | Publication Date: June 1, 2001

Written by acclaimed herb experts, this handsome and fact-packed compendium is a don't-miss for both gardeners and cooks. Not only does it feature the classic culinary herbs, but also the up-and-coming and hard-to-obtain varieties at the heart of the new international cuisine. From epazote (used in Mexican and Southwestern entrees), to fenugreek (an essential in Middle Eastern dishes), these plants go beyond the purely ornamental to bring you fresh, exciting tastes and aromas. Assure yourself of having a plentiful supply by following the tips on starting herbs from seed, growing them in containers, and preserving them for year-round use. Design a garden that looks beautiful, with contour and contrast, and that has an irresistible mixture of color and scent. A huge illustrated encyclopedia of gourmet herbs provides cultivating and cooking guidance, and recipes for scrumptious meals--like bruschetta, arroz verde, and Asian sate--will keep you harvesting and enlarging your herbal stock!

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Pesto, paella, salsa, bruschetta: contemporary cuisine is an international tour de force of enduring and exotic dishes that rely on fresh herbs to add zest and enhance flavors. This latest handbook in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 21st-century Gardening series focuses on both traditional and trendy herbs that are energizing today's cosmopolitan cooking. From North Africa to South America, this global tour of gourmet herbs and spices is seasoned with savory recipes and sage advice. Chapters devoted to container gardening and garden design show how to grow herbs in pots and knots. Other sections advise on methods of herbal propagation and preservation, complete with instructions for preparing herbal vinegars, butters, and infusions. More than 40 of the most popular and more unusual herbs are comprehensively cataloged, providing pertinent information on their cultural requirements and culinary uses. Don that chef's apron, pull on those gardening gloves, and get ready to harvest a wealth of herbal information that will spice up the kitchen and beautify the garden. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Beth Hanson was the managing editor of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 21st-Century Gardening series, the editor of Easy Compost and Chile Peppers, and a contributor to The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardener's Desk Reference. She lives in Tarrytown, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889538213
• ISBN-13: 978-1889538211
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,213,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Herbs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book!, December 21, 2001

By 

BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gourmet Herbs: Classic and Unusual Herbs for Your Garden and Your Table (Paperback)

I learned a lot about herbs from this little book: how they are used in cooking, for diet, for rituals, and for healing. There was also a section on herbs around the world which was most informative.

Each section was written by a different, obviously well-qualified person (biographies were at the end of the book).

Herbs of the Mediterranean were carried off by soldiers of the Roman Empire, who took them to Europe and then they were taken on to the New World.

Half of this book is an encyclopedia of herbs...illustrations, descriptions, growing tips, recipes, and preservation of herbs. I found this most informative and interesting.

I learned that some plants are both an herb and a spice, and that herbs and spices contain flavor, which is made up of both taste AND aroma. Salt, for example, is only a taste, so it is neither and herb nor a spice. Coriander is the herb CILANTRO while the plant's dried seeds are the spice CORIANDER.

I enjoyed the section on herb garden designs, even though I would never have one. Traditionally, this kind of garden uses a four-square or four-quarter design

I especially liked the section on container gardens since that is what I would be most likely to do. The authors recommended herbs that can be grown together in one large pot so as to be eye-appealing.

A good resource book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful entry in this area......, May 13, 2005

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Gourmet Herbs: Classic and Unusual Herbs for Your Garden and Your Table (Paperback)

Growing herbs has been a passion for a while, and in recent years, because I live in an urban area on a small parcel of land, I have planted more and more herbs in pots, until my pots line the patio and sunny patches along the major walkways around my house. Over time, I've also managed to purchase several monographs and larger books on herb growing and growing edibles in containers and built a useful `herb garden' library. My all-time favorite herb-container book is still HERBS IN POTS by Rob Proctor and David Macke, because it includes many beautiful photographs of herbal arrangements in a variety of unusual containers, as well as plenty of practical herb information.

However, if you are just beginning to grow herbs, or if you have been growing herbs a while, but forget what you planted and why you planted it, as I sometimes do, you may also want a virtual encyclopedia with big pictures and text descriptions of individual herbs to help you sort it out - a sort of identity parade if you will. Or, perhaps you don't know what to plant given your situation - there are so many choices and some may be more suitable after all. You will want to purchase the BBG GOURMET HERBS monograph to help you deal with choice and confusion. In addition, the BBG monograph includes a short history of herbs and their origins (Asia, America, Africa..) as well as touching on practical (medicinal, culinary) as well as aesthetic applications, and provides a quick overview of various `herb garden' designs you might consider (Western European, Southwestern/Mexican, Mediterranean). Because this is a BBG product it includes a practical section on growing herbs. The BBG monograph is a great addition to your garden library.