Nina Simonds - Spices of Life: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Great Health

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats

Asian Wraps

A Spoonful of Ginger

Asian Noodles

China Express

Chinas Food

Chinese Seasons

Classic Chinese Cuisine

This Is a Borzoi Book Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Copyright 2005 by Nina Simonds

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Distributed by Random House, Inc., New York.
www.aaknopf.com

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Photographs by Tina Rupp. Additional photographs by Mark Alcarez ().

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Simonds, Nina
Spices of life : simple and delicious recipes for great health / by Nina Simonds. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
eISBN: 978-0-385-34973-4
1. Cookery (Herbs) 2. Spices. 3. Quick and easy cookery. I. Title.
TX819.H4S6 2005
641.6383dc22
2004021089

v3.1

For Don,
my devoted and loving partner in this crazy and
wonderful dance of life

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air;

drink the drink; taste the fruit,

and resign yourself to the influences of each.

Henry David Thoreau

Health food makes me sick.

Calvin Trillin

How to begin? This is always the most difficult part for me since so many people are involved in the making of all of my books and this one certainly is no exception, but I have only limited space. However, I must thank the following:

The many special friends and colleagues (in the United States, Europe, and Asia) and my family who have inspired and supported me throughout my career.

My inspirational teachers and authorities, who contributed to the content of this book and whose work I drew from: Dr. Jim Duke, Dr. U. K. Krishna, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Walter Willett, Dr. David Heber, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Lilian Cheung, Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, Uby Munoz, Lucia Douglas, Darina and Myrtle Allen, and Chef Suresh Vaidyanathan. Thank you also to Norma Miller and Claudia Rodin for sharing great recipes.

My dear friends and recipe testers, who were indispensable in testing, tasting, and then helping with the food preparation for the wonderful photos: Debby Richards, Francoise Fetchko, and Julie Lutts. In London, special thanks to Shelagh Shipley, Lindsay Wilson, and Joy Adapon for helping me in my little Notting Hill kitchen. A special thank-you to Julie Lutts for her help with the cover design.

Dr. Tavalone Krishna, Vinita Rashinkar, and the staff at the Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre in Mysore for their generous hospitality and rejuvenating therapies.

Special thanks to Roger Berkowitz (who conceived of the books title), Rich Vellante, Carla Celona, Joan Giblin, Ann Flannery, and all the crew at Legal Sea Foods, plus Anne de Ravel and Karen Cathey, who worked so hard on the Spices of Life project and who made it a smashing success.

Thank you to our dear neighbors Jimmy Raye and Bill Healy, and to Jennifer Lynch at Crate & Barrel, who were so generous in lending props for the photographs, to Susan Babine and the Hawthorne Hotel for their gracious hospitality, and to Kate Hammond from the Grapevine Restaurant for her gorgeous olives.

Thanks to Tina Rupp, an amazingly talented and ever resourceful photographer, and her assistant, Teresa Horgan, who came to my house, reorganized my pantry, and created the magical photographs for this book.

Thanks to Ariel Apte, whose unique and innovative talents brought order to the numerous components in this book, creating a beautiful and cohesive design.

A special thank-you to Peter Andersen at Knopf for the time and energy he generously gave to the design, and to the tremendous team at Knopf, who have brilliantly supported my work and helped to produce this book, including Paul Bogaards, Tracy Cabanis, Carol Carson, Rita Madigal, Karen Mugler, Sheila OShea, and Ken Schneider.

A big kiss and thank-you to Abigail Gehring and Juliette Hobbs, who kept my family supplied with chocolate chip cookies and provided generous assistance in helping me with the sometimes overwhelming chores and details of my daily life.

Thanks also to Jane Dystel, my terrific agent and energetic cheerleader, for her continual support, advice, and friendship.

A special thank-you to my esteemed editor (and taskmaster), Judith Jones, who continually challenged and helped me to make this book better.

And last, but certainly not least, to Don and Jesse Rose, who have been steadfast in their support, especially during the writing of this book, and who have filled so many of my days with joy, love, and laughter. I am blessed.

Nina Simonds
May 2004

this book was first inspired by a visit to an organic spice garden in the mountains of kerala, along the southwestern coast of India.

There Manu Abraham, a third-generation spice grower, showed me buds of clove growing alongside allspice, mace, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon trees, and roots of ginger and turmeric. As he pointed out each spice, he told me about its therapeutic properties.

Later that evening, I ate a superb vegetarian meal. It started with a memorable curry fragrant with a garam masala (spice powder made up of star anise, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and mustard powder) and ended with a cardamom-flavored pudding studded with raisins and cashews. Each bite reminded me of how delicious and satisfying healthy food can be. It was a revelation.

As unlikely as it sounds, it is possible to enjoy the pleasures of food when eating for good health. Its hard for people to believe that food can really taste good when its good for you. I think its because too many people have forgotten about the satisfying flavors of basic food. Some havent even experienced it. Our palates have become corrupted by sugar, fat, and the artificial flavors of processed foods, and the flavors are very seductive. This, combined with lack of exercise and oversized portions, has resulted in a dramatic rise in obesity, particularly among children.

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are increasing at an alarming rate. Low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets may achieve a temporary reprieve or weight loss, but they do not sustain good health or provide great pleasure.

With this book, I hope to seduce the reader with food that is prepared simply with fresh, seasonal ingredients enhanced by vibrant herbs and seasonings, and that provides satisfaction as well as sustenance. Most of the recipes are designed for convenience and simplicity, since we all lead such busy lives. The food also reflects my eclectic personal tastes, which extend beyond the realm of Asian cooking. The recipes are inspired by research as well as my recent travels through Asia and Europe. I also share a number of my familys favorites, the food I cook on an everyday basis.