[.ca] Gourmet Herbs: Classic and Unusual Herbs for Your Garden ... (ISBN 1889538213)

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 design I 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.