Cooking with Spices For Dummies [Paperback]

If your idea of kicking up a dish is using salt and pepper, there’s a rich and fabulously varied world of spices waiting to be discovered. Mace, coriander, mustard seed, fennel, saffron, and paprika don’t have to be those scary, untouchables on the supermarket shelf. Cooking with spices can actually be fun, interesting, enjoyable and, most of all, delicious. Using spices will vastly improve your cooking and make you feel, finally, in command of your kitchen.

Cooking with Spices For Dummies is for anyone who’s ever wondered how the great chefs whip up their fabulous-tasting dishes—but wasn’t sure how. And if you’re something of a veteran in the kitchen, you’ll get new, crowd-pleasing tips on how to add sparkle and zip to tried-and-true dishes, like hamburgers and spareribs or sweet potatoes and green beans. Most likely, you’ll find the answer to any question you’ve ever had about spices—plus a lot more—in this handy one-volume guide, like:

• What makes up a basic spice collection
• Advice on essential tools—including mills, graters, and mortar and pestle
• Preparing spices for cooking—including knowing which spices to toast, sauté, or grate
• A tour of the world of spices by region and country
• Menu planning and menu samplers arranged by country

Once you’ve become familiar with the basics, it’s on to the fun stuff—cooking with spices. After you’ve followed the simple tips on making the most of your ingredients, you’ll be able to comfortably test your skills on the delicious assortment of over 200 recipes, which feature:

• Basic rubs and spice mixes—including Cajun, Caribbean, Indian Curry powder, Jl�