More than 240 original and innovative recipes--simple to prepare, healthful, bursting with flavor--are derived from the cuisines of hot-weather places and range from unusual spice-and-seafood combinations to complexly flavored dishes.

This exhaustive reference is packed with need-to-know information on more than 350 flavor-enhancing herbs and spices, from basic basil and bay leaves to Kaffir lime leaves, Tunisian five-spice powder, and other exotic seasonings and blends. Written by an international spice merchant who buys directly from growers and knows how to make the most effective use of seasonings, it features 200 color photographs plus descriptions that include Latin names, countries of origin, and guidelines–some with recipes–on how to cook with each seasoning.

From the fourth century B.C. in China, where it was used as an aid in Buddhist meditation, to the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when its destruction became a rousing symbol of the American Revolution, to its present-day role as the single most consumed beverage on the planet, The Empire of Tea explores the effects of the humble Camelia plant--both tragic and liberating--in the history of civilization.

In one of the most useful cookbooks you'll ever own, you'll discover how to create an endless variety of exciting new dishes- and add an ethnic touch to your own recipes- by following the "flavor principles" of the thirty international cultures and subcultures collected here. Discover "flavor principles" from such diverse countries and regions as Yucatan (sour orange-garlic -archiote); Indonesia (soy sauce-brown sugar-peanut-chile); Central Asia (cinnamon-fruit-nut); Northeast Africa (garlic-cummint); and Province (olive oil-thyme-rosemary-marjoram-sage-tomato).

Many of the ingredients that seemed so adventurous to us in the eighties have now become familiar. Gazpacho and pasta primavera, raspberry vinegar and kiwi fruit may be delicious , but they just aren't as exciting as they used to be. On the other hand, new ingredients and preparations can recapture the thrill of cooking. What exactly is a chipotle pepper? What are the spices in Asian five spice powder and garam masala- and how do you use them? As important as The Silver Cookbook was to you in the early eighties, so, too, will this book be to you as we head out of the nineties.

2004 James Beard Award Winner for International; 2004 IACP Award Nominee for International Category; From one of the world's best-loved authorities on food from India and the world comes an evocative and irresistible survey of the world's greatest dishes. Starting with classic curries of her native India, Madhur traces the outside influences that have left their mark on Indian food and goes on to show how the Indian diaspora has mingled the flavors of India with the cuisines of Africa, the West Indies, Asia, Europe, and South America. She concludes with a look at Indian cuisine as it is practised everywhere, from the Pacific Rim to her own kitchen in the United States.

This cookbook, by the chef and co-owner of Tabla in New York, demystifies the flavors of Indian cooking and shows you how to use them in dishes that range from simple soups to flavorful chutneys. Cardoz truly illustrates the meaning of “fusion” by bringing Indian spices and American dishes together in delicious recipes like Sautéed Black Sea Bass with Mustard Curry.

More than condiments but not exactly side dishes, the combinations of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices featured in this book are the very definition of flavor when eaten by themselves, and add a jolt of taste that can dress up any main course. Here are 40 inventive, easy-to-make recipes ranging from the familiar to the exotic. Full-color photos.

New in paper. Homer called salt divine. Plato described it as especially dear to the gods. As Mark Kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his world-encompassing new book, salt has shaped civilization from the beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind. So valuable that it has often served as currency (and still does in places today), salt inspired the earliest trade routes across unknown oceans and the remotest deserts. Wars have been fought over salt, and while salt taxes secured empires across Europe and Asia, they have also inspired revolution (Gandhi's salt march in 1930 began the overthrow of British rule in India).