Make the most of culinary herbs and spices.

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Reference Desk A Pinch Of... has been around for seven years now.  The site has more than 150 pages so we created this page to help you find your way around.  You will find links to the main pages there on your left but we have further defined links to many of the other pages below.    Frequently Requested Links      Alternate Indexes   Stuff We Love Metric Conversions     Where to buy herbs and spices   Just for fun   Q&A Quick Find   What's new    Coming soon   Our signature series has always been the All About... stories. Centered on a single herb or spice, each one covers the history and lore, a complete description and, where applicable, growing information. All of these articles offer suggestions for how to use the spice in your own kitchen and includes a recipe. Here is the full list so you don't have to wade through the Articles list if you are looking for the whole story about a particular herb.  All About Allspice All About Anise All About Annatto All About Arugula All About Basil All About Bay Leaves All About Calendula All About Caraway All About Cardamom All About Cayenne All About Celery Seed All About Chervil All About Chives All About Cilantro All About Cinnamon All About Cloves All About Coriander All About Crushed Red Pepper All About Cumin All About Curry Powder All About Dill All About Epazote All About Fennel All About Fenugreek All About Filé Powder All About Flavored Salts All About Garlic All About Ginger All About Horseradish All About Juniper Berries All About Lavender All About Lemon Balm All About Mace All About Marjoram All About Mint All About Nasturtiums All About Paprika All About Parsley All About Peppercorns All About Poppy Seeds All About Rosemary All About Saffron All About Sage All About Savory All About Sesame Seeds All About Shallots All About Shiso All About Sumac All About Tarragon All About Thyme All About Turmeric All About Vanilla        Frequently Requested Links Green Garlic Explanation         Goya Products       Orlando Vanilla Alternate Indexes Other Useful Links The Hints and Tips Page Recommended Books Herb of the Year 2004: Good Old Garlic Herb of the Year 2005: Oregano, Family and Friends A Bounty of Basil: How to Preserve the Harvest Gardening Articles An Herb Gardener's Diary Series:   Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six Combination Plantings Equal Culinary Gardens Growing and Harvesting Rosehips The Simple, Essential Herb Garden Herb Harvest How-To Cooking with Herbs Compound Butters Rescue Plain Foods Guidelines for Seasoning with Herbs and Spices Season in Layers Saffron Takes Rice From Plain to Exquisite Tea Time Ideas for Entertaining Celebrate Breakfast with Herbs and Spices An Herbal Happy Hour The Pleasure of Fresh Herbs Taco Salad Buffet A Pinch of Saffron: Herbal Tapas All About Chiles Smokin' Chipotles Chile Relleno Magic What's a Scoville Heat Unit? Chiles Q&A page Sofrito Fiesta Holiday Articles The Gift of Food Holiday Recipe Index Unusual Gifts for Herb Lovers (or Yourself)   Book Reviews The United States of Arugula Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe The Herbfarm Cookbook The Mistress of Spices Spices Sticks and Scones Thyme of Death The Bountiful Container All About Herbal Condiments Capers Uncovered Making Mustard at Home Marinades: Create Your Own Signature Dishes Endless Pesto Possibilities The Great Garlic Roasting Experiment Tahini in Your Kitchen Miscellaneous Information Nifty Herb and Spice Gadgets Handy Herb and Spice Glossary A Multi-Lingual Herb and Spice Index Another Multi-Lingual Herb and Spice Index Take Time to Stop and Eat the Flowers Stuff we love... Metric conversions... The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Hermann Loomis Chipotle Chile Paste from Penderys Mexico, One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad. King Arthur's Baking Catalog Beef and Chicken Soup Bases from Penzey's.   US Metric 1/4 teaspoon 1 ml 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 ml 1 teaspoon 5 ml 1 Tablespoon 15 ml 1/4 cup 59 ml 1 cup 237 ml 2 cups (1 pint) 473 ml 4 cups (1 quart) .95 liter 1.06 quarts 1 liter .035 ounce 1 gram 1/2 ounce 14 grams 1 ounce 28 grams 4 ounces 113 grams 16 ounces (1 pound) 454 grams 2.2 pounds 1 kilogram The Basics at Home Series... Basic Italian Flavors Great Snack Basics At Home Mexican Restaurant Basic Lunchtime Favorites Basic Vegetable How-to Pantry Basics   In the oven   Fahrenheit Celsius 300-325 149-163 350-375 177-190 400-425 204-218 450-475 232-246 500-525 260-274 Where to buy herbs and spices... Just for fun... Penzey's for high quality and a wide assortment San Francisco Herb Company for buying in bulk on a budget Amazon Gourmet Foods La Tienda for hard to find Spanish foods and seasonings The aPinchOf.com Mini Mall Pretty plant photographs Photographs of Spices Our Poster Store Subscribe to the newsletter A Pinch of...Blends Seasonings Reader Recipe Exchange What's new... Coming Soon... All About Calendula: The Herb of the Year 2008 All About Shiso An Herb Garden Takes Root Spice Buyer's Journal: Nutmeg Field Report   All About Lemongrass All About Arrowroot Irradiated Spices: Good, Bad or Indifferent?

Quote of the week: 

"Did you ever stop to taste a carrot? Not just eat it, but taste it? You can't taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie." --Astrid Alauda
 

 

Last month's most visited pages:

1.  A Bounty of Basil: How to Preserve the Harvest

2.  Fresh or Dried Q&A Page

3.  Basil Q&A Page

4.  All About Epazote

5.  Mint Q&A Page

6.  Making Mustard at Home

7.  Storing Herbs and Spices Q&A Page

8.  Garlic Q&A Page

9.  Fresh vs. Dried

10. Endless Pesto Possibilities

Great Reference Books The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking With Herbs  Straight from the experts with a bonus chapter of stunning photos and information about the National Herb Garden in Washington, D.C.       Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices &Flavorings This book is worth the money just for the beautiful illustrations but you will find an incredible amount of information as well.         Herb Companion The magazine for herb lovers who want to learn more about growing, cooking and what's going on in the world of fresh herbs.          New Book of Herbs McVicar's loyal following as well as the critics love this beautiful book. Although written for gardeners, culinary enthusiasts will find also it helpful.   The Herbfarm Cookbook    A luscious book from the Herbfarm kitchen-nursery filled with unusual ideas for using fresh herbs. See aPinchOf.com's review of this book.   The Great Chile Book  Not a cookbook but an illustrated guide to ninety fresh and dried chile peppers from a man who knows how to use them.