The Spice and Herb Bible.

By Ian Hemphill

One of the most satisfying experiences a cook can have is getting a combination of seasonings just right. A great balance is immediately recognizable and invigorating. Like a perfect song or a perfect day, it makes you want to dance or sing or clap your hands. If you're smart, you learn from the experience and experiment more and more.

One of the best tools to facilitate mastery of seasonings is The Spice and Herb Bible. From ajowan to zedoary, spices are compared and contrasted, combined, and explained, and otherwise detailed by a guy who really knows his stuff, Ian Hemphill, owner of a prestigious Australian spice shop, Herbie's, has been working with spices since he was a child. He provides just enough history and background about each ingredient to pique your interest, and then explains exactly how to employ the spice or herb in explicit measurements and combinations. All the spices and herbs in the book are from plant sources and are prepared in cruelty-free ways. However, the recipes that accompany each description are quite often not vegetarian. Still, if you're confused by caraway, you've got three jars of turmeric gathering dust in your spice rack, or you've always wanted to try out nigella, this book is a great place to start.

The Spice and Herb Bible (ISBN 0-7788-0043-3) is published by Robert Rose, Inc. This 498-page softcover book retails for $22.95. Look for it in your local bookstore. Reviewed by Meri Robie.