Gourmet Herbs: Classic and Unusual Herbs for Your Garden and Your Table

by Beth Hanson

Written by acclaimed herb experts, this handsome and fact-packed compendium is a don't-miss for both gardeners and cooks. Not only does it feature the classic culinary herbs, but also the up-and-coming and hard-to-obtain varieties at the heart of the new international cuisine. From epazote (used in Mexican and Southwestern entrees), to fenugreek (an essential in Middle Eastern dishes), these plants go beyond the purely ornamental to bring you fresh,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889538213
• ISBN13: 9781889538211
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Useful entry in this area......

Growing herbs has been a passion for a while, and in recent years, because I live in an urban area on a small parcel of land, I have planted more and more herbs in pots, until my pots line the patio and sunny patches along the major walkways around my house. Over time, I've also managed to purchase several monographs and larger books on herb growing and growing edibles in containers and built a useful `herb garden' library. My all-time favorite herb-container book is still HERBS IN POTS by Rob Proctor and David Macke, because it includes many beautiful photographs of herbal arrangements in a variety of unusual containers, as well as plenty of practical herb information. However, if you are just beginning to grow herbs, or if you have been growing herbs a while, but forget what you planted and why you planted it, as I sometimes do, you may also want a virtual encyclopedia with big pictures and text descriptions of individual herbs to help you sort it out - a sort of identity parade if you will. Or, perhaps you don't know what to plant given your situation - there are so many choices and some may be more suitable after all. You will want to purchase the BBG GOURMET HERBS monograph to help you deal with choice and confusion. In addition, the BBG monograph includes a short history of herbs and their origins (Asia, America, Africa..) as well as touching on practical (medicinal, culinary) as well as aesthetic applications, and provides a quick overview of various `herb garden' designs you might consider (Western European, Southwestern/Mexican, Mediterranean). Because this is a BBG product it includes a practical section on growing herbs. The BBG monograph is a great addition to your garden library.

Great little book!

I learned a lot about herbs from this little book: how they are used in cooking, for diet, for rituals, and for healing. There was also a section on herbs around the world which was most informative.Each section was written by a different, obviously well-qualified person (biographies were at the end of the book).Herbs of the Mediterranean were carried off by soldiers of the Roman Empire, who took them to Europe and then they were taken on to the New World. Half of this book is an encyclopedia of herbs...illustrations, descriptions, growing tips, recipes, and preservation of herbs. I found this most informative and interesting.I learned that some plants are both an herb and a spice, and that herbs and spices contain flavor, which is made up of both taste AND aroma. Salt, for example, is only a taste, so it is neither and herb nor a spice. Coriander is the herb CILANTRO while the plant's dried seeds are the spice CORIANDER.I enjoyed the section on herb garden designs, even though I would never have one. Traditionally, this kind of garden uses a four-square or four-quarter designI especially liked the section on container gardens since that is what I would be most likely to do. The authors recommended herbs that can be grown together in one large pot so as to be eye-appealing.A good resource book.