Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends [Hardcover]

Deborah L. Balmuth (Editor), Maggie Oster (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1996

The popularity of pre-mixed herb and spice blends has boomed in recent years as cooks have sought ways to make healthy dishes that are spicy and tasty while not requiring a great deal of added salt or fat. With this book, cooks can learn to make more than 100 healthy, easy dried blends with fresh herbs from the garden or dried herbs from the grocer.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Cooks either buy them or grow them, but herbs have become essential ingredients in the average kitchen. Herbal entrepreneurs actively engaged in aspects of growing, selling, teaching, or writing have contributed recipes to this compendium featuring tasty mixtures aimed at enhancing everything from appetizers to entrees. Blends to flavor cheese spreads and potato dishes are followed by spicy combinations for pastas, soups, vegetables, and main dishes of meat, fish, or poultry. Ethnic fare and blended herbs for assorted teas complete the offerings. Of particular interest are the brief introductions to individual herbalists. Alice Joyce

Review

“Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends” is a marvelously creative recipe book of ethnic flavorings, no salt blends, marinages/dressings, butters/spreads, dessert mixtures, and teas/mulling spices, created by an array of herbs farmers, herbalists, herb shop owners, herb learning centers, bed and breakfast owners, and even an herb society from all over North America…” – Barnesville Record-Review

  --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: Storey Books (April 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882669192
• ISBN-13: 978-0882669199
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,447,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Herb Mixtures and Spicy Blends, June 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends: Ethnic Flavorings, No-Salt Blends, Marinades/Dressings, Butters/Spreads, Dessert Mixtures, Teas/Mulling Spices (Paperback)

While mainly a book of recipes of blends, the Introduction also contains good information on drying your own fresh herbs, seeds, and freezing fresh herb; as well as helpful information on storing herb mixtures. An added bonus is are helpful suggestions on packaging blends for gifts. There are recipes for appetizers, butters, dressings, no-salt blends, meat, seafood,traditional blends such as Italian, Pumpkin pie spice, bread and dessert blends; and some "not so traditional" such as "Wassail Spice Mix", for a punch. I especially like this book because after each formula there are suggested uses and a recipe using the blend. Each page also has a little history about where the blend comes from. Good Book!

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for any cook or cook wanna-be, October 5, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends: Ethnic Flavorings, No-Salt Blends, Marinades/Dressings, Butters/Spreads, Dessert Mixtures, Teas/Mulling Spices (Paperback)

Most people are a bit timid about trying new spices or blends in their cooking. The great thing about this book is that it gives you not only the directions to make your own blend (thus saving you lots of money!) but suggestions on how and when to use them. This is a must have for the timid cook to those that experiment with their own blends! It gives great suggestions and has a wonderful variety.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Herbs & Spices -- Compounds for the Kitchen, December 8, 2008

By 

C. J. Padgett "crochet designer" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Herb Mixtures & Spicy Blends: Ethnic Flavorings, No-Salt Blends, Marinades/Dressings, Butters/Spreads, Dessert Mixtures, Teas/Mulling Spices (Paperback)

This is one of the best books I've seen on herbal cooking blends. It starts at the point of getting your herbs--from how to dry fresh herbs and store them, through recipes from soup to nuts and enhancing most foods between, as well as teas and other drinks. Ms. Oster gives some background for the people and shops supplying the recipes and encourages you to try your own substitutions and eventually, to make up personal blends to suit your own tastes and needs. Even if you don't reach that point, there are enough recipes in this book to keep you well supplied with tasty foods and teas for years to come. And as a bonus, there are pages of resource suppliers and labels in the back to provide you with herbs and spices and labels for your own jars of blends. This book is a definite winner to me. Enjoy!