Spiced: Unlock the Power of Spices to Transform Your Cooking

by America's Test Kitchen (Editor)

Harness the power of spices to take your dishes from simple to spectacular with 139 exciting recipes, plus find 47 easy spice blends and condiments you can use many ways.

You probably have a cabinet full of them, but do you know how to make the most of them? Spiced opens up the world of possibility hidden in your own pantry, with six chapters, each of which shares a way to use spices to amp up the flavor of your cooking, along with foolproof recipes that put these simple techniques to work. Sprinkle a finishing salt you make from sea salt and herbs on seared white fish fillets to make them special. Make a different roast chicken every week by applying a different rub. Learn the best spices to use in curries--and when to add them for fragrant (not dusty) results. Add flavor--and texture--with homemade blends (you'll eat your spinach when it's topped with pistachio dukkah). Infuse condiments with spices (try chipotle ketchup on a burger). With the following six simple techniques, plus vibrant recipes, you'll find yourself not only spooning chili powder into the chili pot but making the chili powder yourself, or flavoring desserts with saffron or cardamom rather than just cinnamon.

     #1: Season smarter with salt and pepper. You'll learn about brining, using peppercorns of all colors, and making finishers like sriracha salt.
     #2: Give meat and vegetables a rub. We'll provide blends that you can put to use in our recipes (try juniper and fennel on salmon) or your own.
     #3: Bloom and toast. Bring out ground spices' complexity by cooking them in oil; unlock dried chiles' fruity or nutty flavors by toasting them.
     #4: Finish foods with flair. Spice-and-nut/seed blends likes shichimi togarashi (a mix of spices, orange zest, and sesame seeds) add texture, too.
     #5: Let spices steep. Infuse spices into condiments like pickled fennel that punches up chicken salad or rosemary oil to drizzle over bruschetta.
     #6: Bake with spices. Go beyond vanilla by rolling doughnuts in strawberry-black pepper sugar. Make your own rose water and add it to pistachio baklava.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food, Reference, Culinary

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2019

About the author

America's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.

Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!

Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want *all* the America's TestKitchen cookbooks. Allllllllllllllll of them.

Even though they sometimes share recipes that crossover into other cookbooks, most of the books contain original and moderately easy to follow recipes.

Have to add this to my wish list!!

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many recipes I cannot wait to try, especially the ones involving fish and pork tenderloin. The fish - because we need to eat more of it and the tenderloin - because we already love it and are looking for new ways to make it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be interesting and helpful. Terms were carefully explained and there were a great variety of recipes and ways to tweak use of spices.

The ingredients called for were in general quite easily found (I live in a rural area and this is not always true).

The illustrations were lovely.

I was quite impressed and will look for the book since I read it on Kindle. I prefer hands on books for recipes but love using Kindle to determine if they are worth buying.

I'd recommend this book. Recipes weren't even as complicated as America's Test Kitchen tends to make them.

[Louise Kuhlman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way this book is organized, and it gives great information for how to make blends, rubs, infusions, etc. Lots of good basic information and a few decent recipes. I really hate ATK though. They are so stingy with their access to recipes it's annoying. I read this from the library, and just wish I could download the few recipes I really liked.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't quite the book I was expecting.

It's not really a recipe book, the book instead provides recipes for making spices, rubs, and other spicy-filled flavorings.

The book focuses on the things that make up spaces and how they're used. Not super helpful if you're looking for highly seasoned recipes, but can help you figure out what spice combinations you like.

Overall an ok find.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. They say never shop when hungry, they better add read cookbooks too! I was drawn to way to many spicy desserts, it's been a battle not to race to the kitchen and start baking!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I simply love all of the latest America's Test Kitchen books. The earlier books, from 200-2010 or so all seem to be too ambitious and too dry for me. They're huge and weigh way too much, very few pictures, the recipes are just kind of serpentine snaking across the page(s) much like newspaper print, and they used a yellow-ey kind of paper that just felt dry, old, and dusty. Even when it wasn't. But then America's Test Kitchen began printing these smaller, more focused books on glossy paper with a full color picture of every recipe, and recipes that generally limited themselves to one page making it easy to follow. Love the new format!

However, this book did make me realize that between hubby and me, there's not a lot of culinary adventurousness between us. Many of the recipes looked good, but were just a little too foreign for our sensitive taste buds and delicate little tummies. That is not by any means the fault of the book, that's totally on us and our wussiness. I know it. I own it. But I did really enjoy the spice recipes for creating your own spice mixes, flavored salts (like the smoked salt that you can apply to a hefty pork chop and cook as normal), and spice-infused oils (like the rosemary oil which sounds perfect for grilled meats or mashed potatoes).

[Eric Mesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual for a book by America's Test Kitchen, there's a good combination of educational content and tasty recipes. I've already made a few recipes from this book, most recently the spiced ragu which had a unique taste due to its use of Five Spice Powder. It was not out of place, after all, for a while the spice trade passed through Italy. But it was also not a boring same-old Italian recipe. It went over pretty well with the family, as well.

If you're the experimental type, looking for some spice blends and infusions you can use creatively in your recipes, this is a great book. If you're among America's Test Kitchen's target audience - not yet experimenting on your own and requiring specific recipes - it's yet another great book by them.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one- like most ATK books, there are tons of photos and everything is explained really well. I really appreciate that this one had nutritional information for the recipes (not all of the spice blend books do/did), the spice rub ideas, and the flavored salt section. My only qualm with this book would be the dedication to salt. It literally says "You simply can't cook without salt and pepper." Which... I love salt like the next person, but that really leaves out cooking for people with congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, etc. These are people who could arguably benefit the most from finding creative ways to embrace spice to avoid salt.

[Edward Fenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really spicy book! If you want to know your spices better or if you want to expand your spice palate more but want to be sure you are doing it wisely, this book is for you. Lots of info on common and not-so-common spices and combinations, then gives you recipes in which they shine. Definitely worth a look. Recommended.

[Lindsey Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The careful analysis of their spice blends, how to use them, and why the particular recipes work makes it a valuable resource both for those who want a specific recipe to follow, and those who are looking to pick up techniques to apply. The recipes generally excited me, too - not overly ambitious, but all interesting.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to have to buy this book now. I believe that this is a great reference book an all kinds of different spices and different kinds of flavoring and some recipes that they make to go with a dish.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.


A solid intro to spices and the various blends you can make to help elevate any dish. Or, if you’re lazy like I am, a reminder that you need to put in an order at Penzeys Spices and Savory Spice.

[Edwina Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to be able to start cooking again. Easy to read and understand the variety of ways to use the various spices available to our kitchens. With the information in this book my taste buds will never be bored.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not a standout.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed through the book. Tried the jerk chicken which was way too overwhelming. Interesting flavor. I'd prefer to eat with my eyes with this book devouring the pictures.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Handful of good recipes

[Viviana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good spicy suggestions to start avoiding pre-made mixes and start experimenting oneself at home or to learn about mixes from afar.

[Pam Christison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting cookbook. Great ideas and info about using spices. Not a lot of recipes but what's here is interesting and good.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of the ATK books I've looked at recently. Wanted to love it, but just didn't.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

test kitchen does topics right, and this is one of their best. I know it takes a lot of work to do the research (test kitchen) but the info is well worth it.

[Pearl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

This is a well written book with a large variety of recipes. I am going to start my first recipe today.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many of these recipes centered around meat or ingredients that would be difficult to get in my one-grocery-store town. I'm sure if I could taste each recipe, I would enjoy most.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great spice combinations and ideas.

[Evil Secret Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about adding flavor to food great food to make.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest of The America's Test Kitchen books, but a good one for adding more spice to your dishes.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the idea of having a cookbook centered around spices and how to use them. Found some good recipes in this one.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many great ideas for spicing up foodstuffs -- hoping that there is an Herbed out there somewhere.

[Aprilleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, the first thing you need to know is that I'm a big fan of America's Test Kitchen's cookbooks. If money and space were no object I'd own a lot more of them. This is one I don't own, but it looked intriguing when I spotted it at the library.

There is some great information about different spices, including different kinds of salt and peppercorns, in here. I know a lot of it, but even I learned some new things. Even better are the recipes for making your own spice blends, which I'm a big fan of, and the details about brining and salting. There are also sections on toasting & blooming spices, finishing a dish with spices, and steeping & infusing. The usual tips about why specific recipes work are present and still worth the read just for those.

The recipes are varied, although they seem a little meat-heavy in many chapters. These are usually one of the biggest draws for me, but in this case, there aren't many recipes that are of interest to me personally. Don't misunderstand me here, there are great recipes in here, I just already do many of these things without the benefit of a recipe, so it's not worth it to me to purchase the book for a few new ideas. Among the new recipes that I found intriguing are the spice-roasted butternut squash variations and the pan-roasted pork tenderloin with cider-caraway vinaigrette. Yum!