The Spice and Herb Bible

To call The Spice and Herb Bible by Ian Hemphill and Kate Hemphill comprehensive seems to be a bit of an understatement. It’s more like a coffee table book for spices and herbs—use it for reference and display. The Hemphills have generations of knowledge to rely on and it is obviously poured out upon on each page. The introductory history and basic information is a great place to start. I found myself hopping from entry to entry, exploring as I might do in the Hemphills’ spice shop. You can learn about fascinating spices and herbs—olida, mahlab, or makrut. The name of the item in different languages accompanies each entry. After pages of the plant’s background, processing and uses, the Hemphills provide recipes to complement—Thai fish cakes or banana crepes, for example. The entry for paprika is 12 pages long! The oversized pages often have a sidebar of information, which gives little tips or facts about the spice/herb. Once past the alphabetized spice/herb part of the book, you’ll find yourself in the spice blending section, which offers mountains of different directions and tastes to discover. This is an amazing, colorful addition for any cook’s shelves.