Mighty Spice Express

Title: Mighty Spice Express

Author: John Gregory- Smith
Publisher: Duncan Baird Publishers
Genre: Cookbook, Spices
Rating:

My Thoughts:

Mighty Spice Express begins with an explanation about the book and how it came to be. The introduction includes the story of John's adventures over seas- in Fez, Essaouira, India, the Far East, and China. Spices from all around the world are used in the recipes included in the book. The next section of the book outlines the different "express flavor essentials". It discusses the spices- how they taste, smell, and what they are good for- and divides them into the region of the world they are from.

The book has a great layout- it is divided into sections such as "Mighty bites", "Not Quite Lunch", "Midweek Lifesavers", "Nice & Easy", "Something Spectacular" and "Naughty but Nice". Each section has a variety of recipes all with fabulous spices. Mighty bites includes snacks that can be put together in 15 minutes or less. Not quite lunch has recipes for "a lazy breakfast, early lunch or brunch" which can be assembled in under 25 minutes. Midweek Lifesavers have tasty, fast recipes for when you need something quick to make after work- the recipes mostly take under 20 minutes. Nice & Easy includes recipes you can serve to friends, and all are ready in 45 minutes or less. Something spectacular includes recipes for when you really want to impress friends and family and has recipes that take at the most 45 minutes. Finally, naughty but nice has desserts, drinks and cocktails- everything you need to finish off the perfect meal.

There are so many recipes in this book that I want to try- chicken tenders with sweet chili and basil sauce; thai pork sliders; los danzantes empanadas; the Bosporus burger; and Korean braised chicken with rice noodles. They have a wide variety of meat recipes- chicken, pork, beef, etc. all with a lot of flavours.

Tried the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Stir-Fry from the Midweek Lifesavers section. It was really really good. At first I thought it wouldn't have any flavour since there wasn't much of a sauce, but the ginger and the garlic really made it tasty. The recipe was super easy to make and didn't take much time at all. It was a great meal for the middle of the week when I was exhausted and didn't really feel like cooking. The one complaint I have was with regards to cooking the beef. The timing on the cooking of the beef was off and made the beef really tough. This might have been my fault because I might have sliced the beef too thin, so just adjust the cooking depending on the thickness of the beef. I definitely am planning on trying more recipes from the Midweek Lifesavers section.

My Overall Impression:

I was amazed that even with so few ingredients, the recipes were absolutely delicious! I was very impressed that within 15 minutes I had a tasty bowl of noodles. I am keeping this cookbook handy for those night when I want something super tasty but don't want to have the hassle of spending 4 hours in the kitchen. The book is not only full of tasty recipes but also very informative about spices. This book might also be a great gift for those who don't have the idea of seasoning planted into their minds yet… those who fear seasonings and spice. Overall, I give this cookbook 4.5 forks!