Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. Spice Apothecary is healthy cookbook that shares a bunch of recipes with flavorful and aromatic spices. I enjoyed reading this book, and will definitely try out the recipes. I liked that they included the health benefits to the spices.

Herbs and spices provide a whole world of natural medicine, which many of us don't ever take the time to learn about. Everyday we cook with these powerful products, which add numerous benefits to our food. Spice Apothecary is a fantastic resource for learning about the various properties of spices and herbs, as well as good blends and preparation methods.

I am so excited to have found this wonderfully intensive yet engaging go-to guide for a home-spice-apothecary. The pictures and illustrations are completely gorgeous, and the recipes all look beautiful. I am really looking forward to try some of the custom spice blends she lays out.

This would make a phenomenal gift for anyone interested in cooking or natural health, as it is both practical and lovely. It rides the line really well between a nice book and an educational resource.

I look forward to finding myself a hard copy of this book for my own kitchen library, and in the meantime I will enjoy trying out some of the things I learned reading this.

Thank you NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this.

Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare explains common spices, their uses for every day, and how to store them. It is written in an easy format to follow, even for the novice (me!) and gives good information for anyone wanting to explore the different ways spices can help with your immune system, joint aches as well as other healthy choices to promote healing. The layout is easy to follow and the pictures helpful.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest opinion.

Spice Apothecary, explains about spices, their tastes, their flavours, their uses and teaches us how to appreciate them in our lives.

The biggest thing going for this book is how absolutely GORGEOUS it is. Incredibly visually pleasing and well layed out. The information inside is more on the basic side, but would make a great introduction for those just starting to learn about spices and their health benefits!

Informative title for anyone wanting to learn more about spices and using them.

Just wish I'd had more time to view the pdf and try things.

A wonderful book on how to utilize so many wonderful spices! I would definitely recommend this book to other novices or people who really enjoy eating/making yummy foods!

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from Bevin Clare and Storey Publishing, LLC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a pepper, garlic, and a bit of salt kind of gal, I found this book to be quite informative. I enjoyed learning about the different parts of plants used to harvest spices, the families of plants (who knew that the Nightshade family had so many peppers!?!), the best ways to store and use spices, and the benefits of adding spices to your diet. I really liked all the spice blends and will be incorporating a couple of those into my meals and I will be making a Spicy Bloody Mary for my husband and a Cinnamon Apple Oat Bake for me.

Bevin Clare’s Spice Apothecary contains the most vivid and essential descriptions of spices, and is a practical resource for anyone who aspires to make their food sing. Furthermore, Clare’s instructions about daily nutritional recommendations is a wealth of insight I didn’t know I needed.

The recipes, exceptional photography and general interior layout of the text do the body of this work great justice in keeping the reader blissfully engaged. Spice Apothecary will be a permanent part of my kitchen collection.

Accessible and easy to put into use. Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare covers many spices and herbs that are easy both to purchase and use in your daily cooking. The author explains what each spice is good for, and gives a good daily dose to aim for. Spices tend to work best in synergy, so the author gives recipes for many blends that are good for different purposes, and a range of recipes that incorporate them. This isn't a book aimed at healing serious conditions, nor to use spices in doses that would be unpalatable, but rather how to support your body's everyday health by using more spices in your food.

An interesting, informative book that gave a lot of ideas on how to use spices. I cant wait to try some of these fab ideas and see the results
Highly recommended.
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Spice Apothecary is a tutorial and introduction to the uses and active ingredients in several common herbs and spices. Due out 23rd June from Storey Publishing, it's 175 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

Storey is well known for producing practical, sensible, well illustrated books aimed at helping readers get the best out of their lives and live a healthy lifestyle. Many of their books and leaflets have found a permanent place in my library and I turn to them often for inspiration and advice. This is a well written collection of precise and accessible tutorials with lots (LOTS) of recipes for utilizing the active ingredients in spices and herbs to enhance and support the immune system and general health.

This is a beautifully presented book, well written and photographed. The recipes are interesting and (mostly) made with easily sourced ingredients. The introduction covers the history and a little scientifically accurate and layman accessible explanation of the history and uses of different spices. The equipment chapter also gives a good overview on equipment and supplies which will make life a lot easier. Scattered throughout the book are highlights and essays written about different herbalists with information and background on diverse topics such as why medicinal plants are effective, how to utilize them to maximize effect, and where they come from and some history of the spice trade.


It would make a good basic introduction to herbalism for readers exploring the uses of various herbs. There is little info here for more advanced students. The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. The headers include a description and introduction. Special notes such as vegan friendly are listed in the introduction. Measurements are given in US standard only (there is a metric conversion chart at the end of the book). Special tools (mortar/pestle) and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and processing and dosage directions. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store (some items will need a specialist co-op or world-food/specialist grocery). Nutritional information is not included. Variations for each recipe are also included in a footer at the end. The book also includes an index as well as references and a suppliers list (slanted toward North American readers, but readers located elsewhere will have no trouble locating supplies online).

Four stars, absolutely gorgeous book, but -very- basic information.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A Culinary and Medicinal Delight

As a foodie and an RN who appreciates complementary approaches to health, this book fascinated me! The author writes so clearly and passionately about using spices for medicinal purposes, whether you take them straight or incorporate them into food. She espouses both ways, but the end part of the book gives culinary blends and simple recipes to use them. The book starts with a look at the history of spices, including the spice trade. I loved the world map graphic with spices used to shape the continents! What a profound way to visually depict what comes from where. She looks into the medicinal uses of herbs and spices and gives a deep dive into what she considers to be 19 of the essential ones, each section including a daily dose, more information about the plant and its uses, and the blends and recipes where it is used in the recipe section at the back of the book. She also looks at particular ailments and ways to support different parts and systems of the body (like heart, kidneys, and digestion). Frankly, all of this makes fascinating reading, and she has great visuals to go along with all of it. But I particularly loved the recipe section, both of the blends and the recipes that incorporate them. This is truly a practical way of how to incorporate medicinal herbs and spices into your life. She offers multiple blends, from simple to complex, and the easy recipes that go with them look both tasty and doable. If you have an interest in cooking with spices and herbs or with looking at your culinary spice collection from a medicinal viewpoint, you may find this book as insightful and fun as I did.

Spice Apothecary is a collection of stories, recipes, and practical guidance for using spices in your everyday life. I received a free copy from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It's an easy to.gollow practical guide that can be incorporated without investing a fortune.
Pre-order your copy for the June 23rd release: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1635860881 #spiceapothecary #book #bookreview #arc #arcreview #advancedreader #advancedreadercopy #bookrecommendations #bookworm

Spice Apothecary is a great reference book for anyone interested in incorporating more spices into their life. This book was a great reference guide and was very easy to read and understand. I also really enjoyed the amount of photos that were in this book.

Spice Apothecary is an amazing naturopathic resource to supplement your library, I highly recommend! Spices are both inexpensive and accessible (usually), and a great way to incorporate the medicinal uses of plants in your every day is by eating them! The author does so well with including an abundance of technical information in an easy to understand manner, and the layout is absolutely beautiful with gorgeous photographs and illustrations.

I'll break this down by chapter for organizational purposes and ease of reading.

CHAPTER 1 - OUR CONNECTION TO SPICES
- Brief history of the Global Spice Trade.
- Index of native spices per region, including both their common and Latin names, from: The Americas, Northern Europe and Eurasia, Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. (15, 8, 19, 4, 14, 7, 11, and 9 spices included, respectively.)
- Index of the parts of plant from which spices are sourced: Leaves and Aerial Parts, Fruits, Seeds and Pods, Roots and Rhizones, Bulb, and Bark. (24, 16, 9, 7, 1, and 1 spices included, respectively.)
- Index of plant families: Apiaceae (Carrot), Zingiberaceae (Ginger), Lamiaceae (Mint), Solanaceaea (Nightshade), Lauraceae (Laurel), Piperaceae (Pepper), Allioideae (Allium), Rutaceae (Citrus), Asteraceae (Daisy), Brassicaceae (Mustard), and Fabaceae (Pea). (11, 4, 8, 5, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 3, and 2 plants per family, respectively.)

CHAPTER 2 - HOW MEDICINAL SPICES WORK
- Provides some information on medicinal constituents of spices including the many polyphenols and antioxidants, and how they interact with and affect your body on a molecular level.
- How the medicinal properties of spices are studied: In Vitro, Animal, Human, and Population Studies.
- Safety Practices, including: Spice-Drug Interactions, Areas of Concern, and Pregnancy.
- Spice Synergy and what to keep in mind when creating and working with blends.

CHAPTER 3 - CREATING YOUR SPICE APOTHECARY
- Fresh vs Dried, Powdered vs Cut and Sifted, Sourcing, Storing, Dosing.
- 19 Spices for Everyday Use, that meet the following criteria: widely available and accessible, affordable, used extensively in cuisine worldwide, has an extensive history of medicinal use, and shows scientific evidence through high quality clinical research. A chart of these is also provided for quick reference.
- Spice profiles that include: Common and Latin name, daily dosage in both culinary measurements as well as metric weight, a brief bio involving origins and flavor profiles, spice blends that incorporate the spice, and recipes.
◆ Black Pepper, Calendula, Cardamom, Celery Seed, Chile Peppers, Cinnamon, Cumin, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Holy Basil, Lavender, Mint, Mustard, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and Turmeric.

CHAPTER 4 - USING SPICES TO SUPPORT HEALTH GOALS
- Provides information pertaining to the body's ecosystem and includes information on some spices and what kinds of boosts they aid in. A chart of these is also provided for quick reference as well.
- A variety of medicinal topics: Bolster Immune Protection & Defense. Healthy Connections: Skin, Bones, and Joints. Create Calm and Focus. Strengthen Digestion. Balance Flow for Kidney Health. Support a Healthy Heart. Breathe Easy for Respiratory Health.

CHAPTER 5 - RECIPES
- Tips on measuring and blending spices for flavor, medicinal properties, and how to incorporate them into your foods. There's a Global Flavor Profiles for Blending Spices chart that breaks down common blends by region, and what spices are commonly used in these blends.

◆ Everyday on Everything Blend
-- Recipes: Spicy Virgin Bloody Mary, Herby Gravy
◆ Reminds-Me-of-Pie Blend
-- Recipes: Cinnamon Apple Oat Bake, Cinnamon Spice Jellies, Spicy Wonder Gingerbread
◆ Green Goddess Blend
-- Recipe: Green Goddess Dressing
◆ Seed Blend
-- Recipe: Roasted Eggplant with Garlic Yogurt
◆ Mint and Chili Blend
-- Recipe: Minty Yogurt Spread
◆ Warming Digestive Blend
-- Recipe: Comfy Compote
◆ Fennel Dukkah Blend
-- Recipe: Dukkah Roasted Vegetables
◆ Heart Healthy Blend
-- Recipe: Heart Healthy Hummus
◆ Cognitive Blend
-- Recipe: Booming Breakfast
◆ Peppery Synergy Blend
-- Recipe: Heart Synergy Fudge
◆ Not Necessarily Spicy Chili Blend
-- Recipe: Red Chili Pozole
◆ Plus 8 more recipes here (including 3 different PESTO, yum!), and a few more sprinkled around the book.

- A few more resources can be found in the back, such as: Appendix on guidelines for safe practice, sourcing resources, an extensive Bibliography, a metric conversion chart, and Index. They also recommend Body Into Balance by Maria Noel Groves, which is another resource that I highly recommend as well.

My kitchen now smells heavenly. My cardamon seeds have been pulverised and will be ready for me to make my chai tea! Bevin Clare's book reminded me that I have spices deep within my cabinets that are good for me! Not to mention that they smell wonderful and are so flavorful to boot.

Spice Apothecary is full of gorgeous photographs of and information about spices that you don't have to sail the seven seas and fight in wars to obtain (unlike in the past! Ha!)

I like that the author has used scientific studies to show to us that indeed the spices are really beneficial and not some quackery. She is also a clinical herbalist and licensed nutritionist.

Well presented with some charts, well written and easy to read. The recipes for blends looks so interesting. Can't wait to try them.

Great introduction to the use of herbs and spices for health and wellness. There is also a healthcare practioner's guide to using medicinal spices at the back of the book.

Thank you, Netgalley and Storey Publishing, for the chance to read and enjoy this book. This is my honest review.

Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare would be a fantastic book for a beginner herbalist or someone wanting to learn more about the plants around them and what they can incorporate daily into their lives to help improve their health.
I also think someone who has been using spices in cooking or for medicine for awhile might enjoy this book because I know I get stuck in a pattern and reach for the same spices over and over, and this would be a reminder that there is a world full of spices to share their gifts with us.

Spice Apothecary is laid out in a thoughtful manner, starting with Chapter One and Our Connection to Spices which contains some history and the different plant families. Chapter Two is How Medicinal Spices Works which goes more in depth into the science and research in regards to spices.
Chapter Three talks about Creating Your Spice Apothecary aka buying, storing, dosing, etc… and takes a look at the various spices. Chapter Four gives an even more detailed description of the 19 spices and breaks them down into various blends to help with digestion, heart health, emotional well-being, and more. And Chapter Five has a bunch of recipes that you can use the spice blends that you made in Chapter Four as well as other recipes to enjoy. Besides all of this you get beautiful photos and drawings and lots of resources for you to explore more.

Spice Apothecary by Bevin Clare is definitely a book that I will be adding to my herbal non-fiction book collection.

Great book that focuses on 19 spices and how to use them for great food as well as for better health. A must for all kitchens and cooks. Written well and easy to understand. I wealth of information that just may help change your life through spices and foods.