Spices of the World Cookbook By McCormick

by Mary Collins, McCormick & Co.

Recipes from the simple to the exotic. 1984, 429 pages loaded with info, 5 1/2 By 8 1/4" Recounts the folklore of spices, their history, romance, and use to enhance foods. It contains helpful sections which include information on the use of spices and herbs (their flavors, origins, forms available, and equivalents), tips on cooking with them (terms, ingredients, equipment, substitutions, measurements), and an index listing all 100 spices and flavorings used in the book. Updated to include recipes tested for microwave ovens, food processors, and other modern appliances, this revised edition also contains a special guide to creative seasoning and a section on the use of spices and herbs in restricted diets. Written for new cooks as well as gourmets, 'Spices of the World Cookbook' will be a treasured reference guide for anyone who enjoys cooking with spices."

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

495 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 1964

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original copy of this cookbook was a freebie. Picked it up by a McCormick's spice display in the Hickam AFB, HI commissary sometime in the mid 1970s. It is an excellent reference and cookbook. The first part of the book is a listing of spices with a half page description of each to include a discussion of historical origins and suggested uses. The second section breaks down into recipes by category, i.e. appetizers, salads, poultry, and so on. Over time and with several moves around the globe my old paperback freebie got pretty beat up, even with the duct tape I used to reinforce the binding. So, I sucked it up and found a used hardbound copy on Amazon.

Recipe 152, Sautéed chicken livers made a believer out of my wife. Recipe 181 "Fish poached in court bouillon" is another winner.

This is a good basic reference and if i were to compile a list of the ten most useful cookbooks I have, this one would be on it.

Just searched the McCormick site for Sautéed chicken liver recipe and could not find it

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best cookbooks out there. Yes, it's out of print and hard to find, but totally worth it. Since it depends on a lot of dry spices, most of the recipes can be made with food from the pantry and freezer. Loads of flavor. So many family favorites that have proved themselves over decades of use. LOVE IT!

The Oven-Fried Chicken, Chicken Paprika, and Mock Enchilada Casserole are all fantastic! Many other great ones in here too!

[Jaleta Clegg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great cookbook. If you want to learn how to use spices and herbs in new ways, track down a copy and try out the recipes. The cookbook is old enough it uses real ingredients, not mixes. It's got one of my family's traditional Christmas cookie recipes - Nutmeg logs.

[E · Rating 1 out of 5]

First published in 1964 and I doubt edited since. A lot of water has flown under the culinary bridge since this one was written. (For example, coriander is only used as a seed and cilantro is not even mentioned.)

Not fair, perhaps, to criticize a 58 year old book for not being up to date, but I have other cookbooks that old that I still use. And my copy was reprinted in 1983, so it isn’t as if it couldn’t have been edited.

But, hey, the price was right. Free with the purchases of three McCormack spices, acquired by somebody in 1998, and then falling into my hands late last year.

[Colleen Deacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my family’s go-to cookbook. My grandpa had a copy, loved it, gave a copy to my mom, and I found a copy at a used book sale. We have all the family member’s notes written inside.

[Matriarchy]

I bought the 1981 paperback edition when I toured the McCormick factory in the 80s. Interesting section of canning recipes.