The Herbalist in the Kitchen

The foodie's ultimate herbal encyclopediaCreated as the ideal reference for anyone with a serious interest in cooking with herbs, spices, or related plant materials,The Herbalist in the Kitchenis truly encyclopedic in scope. It provides complete information about the uses, botany, toxicity, and flavor chemistry of herbs, as well as a listing for nearly every name that an ingredient is known by around the world.Even including herbs and spices not yet seen in the United States (but likely to be featured in recipes for adventurous cooks soon),The Herbalist in the Kitchenis organized into one hundred and four sections, each consisting of a single botanical family. The book provides all available information about the chemical compounds responsible for a plant's characteristic taste and scent, which allows cooks to consider new subtleties and potential alternatives. For instance, the primary flavoring ingredient of cloves is eugenol; when a cook knows that bay leaves also contain eugenol, a range of exciting substitutions becomes clear.The Herbalist in the Kitchenalso provides guidance about measuring herbs, enabling readers to understand the dated measuring standards from antique cookbooks.A volume in The Food Series, edited by Andrew W. Smith

Gary Allen is adjunct professor at the State University of New York's Empire State College.