How to be a Spice Grrl

This is different, of course, from a Spice Girl, that silly 90s phenomenon we'd all do best to forget.

Since the broken elbow has impeded solo soup making over the past few weeks, I decided to spend some time studying how spices and herbs impact each soup I make. I found a wonderful guide called: The Spice Lover's Guide to Herbs and Spices (by Tony Hill) and I've stocked up on a bunch of amazing spices and herbs which I will experiment with over the coming weeks (don't worry! there will also be soup!).


In The Spice Lover's Guide, the author leads us through an alphabetical journey of international proportions. From ajwain to zedoary, we learn a bit about each herb or spice: where it is harvested, parts used, and different ideas for how to incorporate each into your culinary adventures. Following each mini-history is a recipe that will tickle your taste buds in ways you never thought possible.

This is culinary alchemy (what I like to practice while I'm creating my soups;  using the magical power of food to engage in the process of transmuting a common substance into a substance of great value and comfort) at its finest.

Check out the book and the following recipe to see what I mean.