In this gorgeous cookbook, which was named the National Winner of the 2003 Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards, Shirley Kerins shares her wealth of knowledge about growing and cooking with herbs. Featuring a full range of dishes, from appetizers, salads, side dishes, soups and breads to entrees, preserves, desserts, and beverages, the book includes an innovative Pad Thai Pesto, a tried-and-true Herbed Vichyssoise, and a luscious Apple-Rosemary Tarte Tatin. Gardeners will find A Celebration of Herbs to be an essential reference, with information on cultivating, harvesting, drying, and storing herbs and an extensive listing of plant and seed suppliers in North America. Peppered throughout the cookbook are excerpts from the Huntington Library's collection of rare herbals and botanical books from the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries.

About the Illustrations
The Huntingtons: Their Books and Their Gardens
1. Learning to Use Herbs in Cooking
2. Herb Butters, Sauces, Pestos, Salsas, and Marinades
3. Appetizers
4. Salads and Salad Dressings
5. Soups
6. Breads
7. Pasta and Pizza
8. Vegetables and Side Dishes
9. Main Courses
10. Desserts
11. Jams and Jellies
12. Beverages
Appendices
A. Growing, Harvesting, Drying, and Storing Herbs
B. Herb Chart
C. Herb Sources
Suggested Reading
Index

Shirley Kerins has lectured and taught classes on herbs for more than 25 years. She served as curator of the Huntington Herb Garden from 1984 to 1999 and now manages the Huntington's plant production and plant sales. She has appeared on various national and local TV and radio programs, such as "Today in LA Weekend," "Willard Scott’s Garden Almanac," "The New Garden," "Good Food," and "Talk of the City."

“Friends and fans of the Huntington Garden and foodies of all types will enjoy wandering through this collection of recipes inspired by the beauty and glory of the Huntington’s Herb Garden. . . . Botanical prints are sprinkled throughout the book’s handsome lay-out, making it a pleasure to read.”—Marge Howard-Jones, California Garden

"The book is packed with information. …More than 200 recipes are provided, such as goat cheese and basil ravioli, Thai beef and mint salad, and lemon thyme poached peaches. Hungry yet?"—Sunset

"Kerins shares her vast knowledge about growing and cooking with herbs through an eight-step program for learning to cook with herbs that starts with single-herb butters and progresses through experimenting with soups and sauces. . . . More than just a great cookbook, gardeners will find A Celebration of Herbs to be an indispensable resource.—ForeWord

"This part history, part cookbook is worthy of the elegance associated with the Huntington Library's formal gardens, renowned art museum, and marvelous library."—American Herb Association Quarterly

"One of the most gorgeous books I've seen all year."—Kitty Felde, host of KPCC's "Talk of the City"

"Shirley Kerins’ enthusiasm for growing and cooking with herbs, and the colorful lore of these useful plants, shines in this beautifully designed book with botanical illustrations and excerpts from the Huntington’s collection of rare herbals, sure to delight cooks, gardeners, and bibliophiles alike."—Carole Saville, author of Exotic Herbs: A Compendium of Exceptional Culinary Herbs and Herbs: A Country Garden Cookbook

"Comes in a confident square format package with an old-fashioned feel. . . . A book to enjoy on many levels, beautifully produced, a pleasure to read and with many mouthwatering recipes."—Herbs: The Journal of the Herb Society