Healing Spices by Kirsten Hartvig

Healing Spices by Kirsten Hartvig ISBN-13: 9781848991545 Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Watkins Publishing Released: April 19, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The Healing Spices Cookbook will show you how to make the most of your spicerack and discover just how tasty healthy eating can be. Renowned nutritionist and naturopath Kirsten Hartvig offers over 100 delicious and easy recipes from around the world, from starters and preserves to confectionery and liqueurs.

Also included in the book is a detailed directory of spices, featuring profiles of the healthiest, most popular kinds, including ginger, paprika, saffron and tamarind. This is a one-stop, easy-to-use, practical guide to the colourful world of spices, telling you all you need to know about buying, storing and using them so you can release their full potential for improving well-being and vitality.


My Review:
Healing Spices is a guide to buying, storing, and using spices. In the first half of the book, the author provided in-depth profiles for 50 spices. She provided historical and general information about each spice, what to look for when buying the spice, how to store it, and how it's commonly used. She also briefly described how it has been used traditionally in Indian or Chinese medicine or what has been discovered through scientific studies.

In the second half of the book, the author provided 100 recipes from around the world. They sound fairly simple to do, though many contained spices you might not currently have on your shelf. They're intended to be healthy recipes, and the author included variations like a vegetarian alternative to a meat-containing dish. The recipes were for spice blends, snacks and finger foods, soups and salads, main courses, side dishes, deserts and baking, and drinks. Most of the recipes took between 20 to 50 minutes to make.

The spices covered were: Ajowan, Allspice, Amchoor, Aniseed, Asafoetida, Bay Leaf, Black Cumin, Caraway Seeds, Cardamom, Cassia, Celery Seed, Chilli Peppers, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cocoa, Coriander, Cumin, Curry Leaf, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek Seed, Galangal, Garlic, Ginger, Horseradish, Jaggery, Juniper, Kaffir Lime, Kokum, Lemongrass, Mace, Mahlab, Melegueta Pepper, Mustard Seed, Nigella Seeds, Nutmeg, Paprika, Peppercorns, Pink Peppercorns, Pomegranate Seed, Poppy Seed, Saffron, Salt, Sansho, Star Anise, Szechuan Pepper, Tamarind, Turmeric, Vanilla, Wasabi, and Zedoary.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.