• home
• •about
• •archives
• •recipes
• •cookbooks
• •faqs

Review: The Spice Kitchen

June 8, 2010

The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices.  Sara Engram and Katie Luber with Kimberly Toqe.  Andrews McMeel Publishing.  $29.99  (208p)  ISBN: 978-0-7407-7972-5

“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.

Spiced Granola with Coconut and Almonds

Carrot Soup with Coriander

Rib Rub

Spice-Rubbed Baby Back Ribs

Please Join Us! Eat My Blog ~ Saturday, June 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ~ a food bloggers’ bake sale to raise money for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.  We’ll be selling Robert’s (via David Lebovitz) famous Dulce de Leche Brownies (come early!)

Coming Up: International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC), August 27 – 29, 2010, Seattle Washington.  So much fun last year that I’ll be attending again this year.  Are you?

Recommendation: ‘Cook To Bang: The Lay Cook’s Guide to Getting Laid’ by Spencer Walker.  Based on the popular food blog ‘Cook To Bang’ where author, Spencer Walker explains how and what to cook for your date of the moment, this tongue-in-cheek book expands on that advice and adds more tips for getting your date, or significant other, into the mood and into bed.  Hey, we can’t be all seriousness around here!  A fun book, and a fun read.

Upcoming Posts: Interview with Chefs John Stewart & Duskie Estes, owners of Zazu & Bovolo restaurants in Sonoma County. Cochon 555 Napa, a write up of the amazing pork festival that I attended this spring. Cookbook Reviews: Steak and Friends: At Home with Rick Tramonto by Rick Tramonto, Spice Dreams by Sara Engram and Katie Luber, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly by Joan E. Aller.

home • about • archives • recipes • cookbooks • faqs

COPYRIGHT © 2010 - CHARLES G THOMPSON - All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Site Design by Adam Gomez