Cooking with spices for dummies - Jenna Holst

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

Cooking with Spices For Dummies is for anyone who's everwondered how the great chefs whip up their fabulous-tastingdishes-but wasn't sure how. And if you'resomething of a veteran in the kitchen, you'll get new,crowd-pleasing tips on how to add sparkle and zip to tried-and-truedishes, like hamburgers and spareribs or sweet potatoes and greenbeans. Most likely, you'll find the answer to any questionyou've ever had about spices-plus a lot more-inthis handy one-volume guide, like:

• What makes up a basic spice collection
• Advice on essential tools-including mills, graters, andmortar and pestle
• Preparing spices for cooking-including knowing whichspices to toast, saut, 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 onto the fun stuff-cooking with spices. After you'vefollowed the simple tips on making the most of your ingredients,you'll be able to comfortably test your skills on thedelicious assortment of over 200 recipes, which feature:

• Basic rubs and spice mixes-including Cajun, Caribbean,Indian Curry powder, Jamaican, and Southern Barbecue
• Marinades and sauces-including South of the BorderMarinade and Teriyaki sauce
• Salsas and salads-including Tomato Salsa, Plum Salsa, andSpiced Fruit Salad
• Vegetables and legumes-including Mashed Spiced Butternutand Vegetarian Bean Chili
• Pasta, potatoes, and grains-including Pasta Puttanesca,Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Cumin, and Curried BarleyPilaf
• Chicken, meat, and seafood-including Down Home BarbecuedChicken, Indonesian Beef Sate, and Shrimp Curry

Complete with such indispensables as a spice quantity guide(showing exactly how much you should use), a glossary of cookingterms, eight pages of tempting, full-color photos, and humorouscartoons, Cooking with Spices For Dummies gives you just what youneed to know to cook with confidence and create delicious, excitingdishes for your family and friends.