Customer Reviews

The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Spice Kitchen is a good introduction to the use of spice for those who have been timid of doing so. An apt description from the back cover is that this book is "a fresh new way to make everyday foods more delicious...."
Hence, most of the recipes consist of an already-familiar dish that has been jazzed up with the addition of one or few spices. I find this to be a good approach for those who are inexperienced in using spices. The chance of success is high, compared to something like a complex Indian curry. It also allows the novice to clearly taste the effect of the spice.

Some dishes that illustrate this approach include:
Curried Deviled Eggs with cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Popcorn spiced with Creole seasoning.
Caramel corn with cloves.
Cheeseburgers with ancho chile and lemon zest.
Potato salad with fennel seed and dill weed.

While there are a few recipes that include a more complex blend of spices (Jamaica Jerk Chicken, Tandoori Chicken Skewers with Curry Butter sauce), most recipes are fairly simple. For this reason, cooks already experienced with the use of spices will probably find this book a bit lacking.

The ultimate goal of this book was to provide ways to spice up simple daily home cooking, and it meets that goal. The book is also visually appealing and well-written. Combined with a rack of spices, it would make a good gift for less experienced cooks.

I've been cooking for a long time and I've cooked all over the world as I've lived a lot of places. I understand and love Spanish, French, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Cajun and a host of other different kinds of food. And I understand spices.

Or at least I thought I did, until I read the introduction to this book. The authors give you a very informative history of spice and they do it without making it dry. It was actually a very enjoyable read. From the intro they go into the properties of various spices and I was as absorbed as I've ever been in a novel. I learned much, it was fun and, as I said, I pretty much thought I had my spices down.

Then come the recipes. Good ones. Right of the bat I learned a new way to spice up oatmeal and that alone, for me, makes this book worthwhile, because my husband hate oatmeal and I've got him eating it now. If you're looking for a way to spice up you cooking, this is the book for you.

the spice kitchen: everyday cooking with organic spices was not a cheap book to produce and I'm sure the authors had a grand time coming up with the catchy adjectives for each spice they describe in the opening chapter in addition to the little recipes which fill a lot of pages. Unfortunately, the recipes in the book were less than robust and, had I been searching the shelves of a B&M store for a book on spices, I would have passed this one by. My culinary skills and tastes were more stimulated by reading a Penzeys Spices catalog. For a novice in the kitchen or a person who is first venturing into the spice arena, I was going to suggest this book, but after spending some more time online reviewing the catalog and specifically the information on the spices covered in this book, I once again would select the catalog. I've prepared two of the recipes and found them to be fine, but not extraordinary. The Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto was made with vegetable broth, DeCecco Carnaroli rice and fresh organic sage. It was not excellent, but was okay and not unlike other risottos I've prepared in the past. The Pumpkin Spice-Chocolate Chip Muffins also were fine but nothing special, even when consumed with Chai. I wish I liked the book more, but it's an average cookbook with high production values containing average recipes and images.

To start, this book has all of the elements that I look for in a cookbook: hardcover, useful index, tasty recipes and interesting facts.

I read through this book and marked so many recipes to try that I would have been better off marking those that I did NOT want to try. Of those that I have tried, most have been in the 'Breakfast' section so far: Gingerbread Waffles, Enlightened Oatmeal, and Spiced Pancakes. All excellent. In my opinion, these are not mediocre recipes with the addition of a few spices to make them interesting. It would be a simple matter of taking a Carmel Corn recipe and add a teaspoon of cloves to add a twist, but the recipes are good in their own right (some people in my family are not so thrilled about playing with spices).

Beyond the recipes, there is an introductory section that explains the sources and brief histories of common (today) spices. Many pages have 'fun facts' about one of the spices featured in the recipe on that page: it was once widely believed that cloves were produced by genies, fennel grew wild on the plains of Marathon, counterfeit nutmegs have been whittled from wood by unscrupulous spice traders, and, in some countries, cardamom is preferred to cinnamon in sweets.

This book starts with a chapter about various spices. Hmmm... I think I know what cinnamon tastes like. The chapter on spice basics wasn't necessary in my opinion. I'm not going to get into the impossibilty of obtaining organic spices either. For the sake of this review; assume I used fresh spices when I could or dried spices when I had to.

After the first chapter the book really had some pretty good recipes. It runs the full spectrum of meals from breakfast, soups and salads, appetizers and snacks, entrees, side dishes, deserts and snacks. There's also a chapter on metric conversion which I didn't need.

Organic or not this cookbook does not go overboard with overpowering exotic spice blends. For example, most recipes used spices I already had in moderate quantities. Keeping in mind that my kitchen is well stocked, I had all the spices called for.

This cookbook uses spice craftfully to enhance (rather than overpower) the flavor of the recipes. I would recommend this book to a beginner or novice cook because it has some really good recipes that incorporate various spice combinations that you might not think of otherwise. Don't let the word "Organic" in the title dissuade you from buying this book. Not even WF has organic spices. The only thing I have that comes close to being organic are the spices I grow in my AeroGarden.

I took off one star because some of the recipes were just too simple and I like a challenge.

You can really tell how much the authors love to cook. The care that they used to compile this book shines through! If you love spices, the exotic, and fun trivia, this book will captivate you. I especially loved the fun facts about spices and their history. It made me really appreciate how lucky I am (today) that I can just go to grocery store and pick them up so easily when they were so difficult to acquire in the past.

But I think what most impressed me this book was that it made me think of spices in different ways. What I mean is it broadened my mind as to what dishes I might want to try different spices or add spices to a dish that I never thought would work. An easy example is adding cinnamon to yogurt or whipped cream to make it punchier. Or adding in a dish a spice that I would normally add to a `salty dish' to a `sweet dish.' For example, they suggest adding to corn bread mild chili or thyme. I am so used to having the sweet honey cornbread that it was a nice switch. It really made me realize that you can really change a dish by adding such a simple ingredient! And I loved how this small addition can make your mouth feel so alive!.

This book inspired me to try new spices and use `old' ones in fun ways. I really got to me how important it is to eat: responsibly, healthy and organically. I only wish there were more spices in the book!

This book is really a treat. It's a pleasure to look at - love the graphics, the colors, the whole package. The content is just as good; a thorough history of spices, in-depth information on the stars of the show and lots of cook-friendly recipes. We just finished eating the spiced pancakes and they are delicious (next time, I'll add more milk for a lighter pancake but the flavor is great).

There are recipes covering breakfast, salads/soups/sandwiches, appetizers/snacks, entrees, side dishes, and desserts/sweets. What I like about these recipes is that they are indeed "everyday cooking" - nothing so exotic that you can't find it at the local market. Deviled eggs, southwestern chicken chili (with instruction on making your own chili powder), mac and cheese, tarragon chicken potpie - all familiar dishes but with the added flavor twist of spice.

I can't wait to try the pear cardamom bread (so glad this spice appears in several dishes) and the parmesan herb scones. I love the little "fun facts" that the authors include in the sidebar. I'm a fan of culinary trivia and these tidbits add to the flavor of this book.

There isn't a thing I would have changed in The Spice Kitchen. Five stars.

I really like this books layout. A great browsing book and an easy to read recipe book.

The book begins rightly enough with a little history about the spices, covering twenty-two and then moves onto a bit about zest.

Along the edges of the pages are colorful fun facts like, "Cloves have mild anesthetic and antimicrobial properties and in the past were used to treat toothaches. Even today, preparations containing cloves are used in dentistry, as mouthwashes, and for sore throats." Or, "Cumin seeds have been found in the pyramids, interred with the pharoahs of ancient Egypt."

The recipes have little added hints and suggestions like, "Sage can be used as insect repellent, rubbed on the skin or placed in sachets to keep away moths and other marauders."

The recipes' layout makes them very user friendly. Even a recipe like, "Coconut Curry Shrimp," is written out in such a way that a person can easily see what ingredients are necessary and what needs to be done so that the dish could be on the table in 30 minutes.

This book makes me believe I could conquer my fear of risotto, "There's something about gently coaxing moisture into each grain of rice that is supremely satisfying."

Many of the recipes are only 4 or 5 ingredients; recipes as simple as:
"Spiced Yogurt"
2 Cups Vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
Mix and enjoy BUT had you ever thought to do that!?

Enlightened Oatmeal at three ingredients gets even simpler when substituting the steel-cut oats for old-fashioned rolled oats.

My family is crazy about the tandoori chicken. I can prepare it in the morning or even the day before and at dinner all that needs to be done is to quickly grill it.

This would make a terrific gift for yourself! Oh, alright, maybe for someone else who loves spices as well.

"Eat locally but season globally" is a favorite mantra of spice experts and cookbook authors Sara Engram and Katie Luber. It quite aptly sums up their new cookbook The Spice Kitchen. It would be very hard to eat well without benefit of the hundreds upon hundreds of spices, herbs and zests that come from all corners of the world. In this well-researched and highly-organized cookbook Engram and Luber, owners of The Seasoned Palate, an organic spice company, explore the world of spices and how understanding, and cooking with them can change the food we eat. They more than adequately accomplish this goal.

Starting off with an introduction that examines the role of spices throughout history in all realms: food, politics, and religion among them, the book is then broken up into seven chapters including a guide to the most well-known spices, followed by chapters with recipes for breakfast, appetizers, entrées, sides and desserts. Sprinkled throughout the book are 'fun facts,' side bar tips, and brief historical tidbits that offer more information about all things spice. For anyone who cooks it's a fascinating look at something most cooks may take for granted. In reading through the book one is reminded how very different our food would be without the spices we use. One of the more interesting points made is that most spices are grown in equatorial countries and as a result the flavors are more pronounced, and deeper, than spices grown in cooler climates which brings that mantra point back, "eat locally but season globally." Living a local life is an ideal, one that we should all attempt but it's an imperfect science as is pointed out by this cookbook. Engram and Luber make a valuable suggestion to use dry spices and herbs in concert with fresh to give the at-home, or locally grown spices and herbs an equatorial punch. The authors also make the valid point that organic spices over commercial are the better choice. Many commercial spice mixtures have added fillers, anti-caking agents, and other additives. Zests end up with pesticides from non-organic fruit. These extras also dilute flavor.

The Spice Kitchen is easy to use, full of interesting information and a great primer for any cook, or armchair foodie who wants to learn more about spices. This writer cooked several recipes from the book -- all worked beautifully, and all were big hits with those invited to taste test them. The recipes are presented in an easy-to-read fashion with many offering ingredient substitution and alternatives. Shopping for the spices and herbs ended up being a delightful outing to a local Indian shop (India Sweets & Spices, Atwater Village area of Los Angeles) that sells not only every spice, herb and zest under the sun but also every Bollywood movie ever made. Standout recipes included 'Spiced Granola with Coconut and Almonds,' 'Carrot Soup with Coriander,' 'Rib Rub,' 'Spice-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs,' and 'Baked Sweet Potato Steak Fries.' The Baked Sweet Potato Steak Fries ended up at a Memorial Day picnic where three of the guests requested the recipe. The recipes in The Spice Kitchen are healthy, tasty and a joy to prepare.

Sara Engram and Katie Luber own The Seasoned Palate, or TSP, a company that specializes in organic spices, herbs and zests. Their line of spices is sold in 300 retail outlets in the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as by mail order. They recently added a line of spices called Smart Spice -- four 1 teaspoon organic spice combos sold in flavor-saving packets now being sold in Whole Foods stores. They are experts in their field as is evidenced by The Spice Kitchen. If you like to cook, and want to know more about spices, herbs and zests, and cooking with them pick up this book. You won't be disappointed.

This book starts out with an introduction to spice and a brief history. Chapter Two is about breakfast. Yes you can use more than salt and pepper in the morning, how about a little spice in your oatmeal, and we're taking about more than just cinnamon here. Chapter Three is about Salads, Soups and Sandwiches and it should be obvious to you how you can use spices here, but with this book you'll learn new ways as you will with Chapters Four through 6 which cover appetizers, entrees and side dishes.

The delicious chapter, Chapter Seven, the one about deserts, is where this book really shines for me. Ginger bread and cheese frosting in a whole new light. Chocolate chip cookies, too. This cookbook is a keeper. Check it out, try some of the recipes, especially the desert ones. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.