4 sections

 1. A Sense of Wonder 

  • What is the origin of flavor? What was the first flavor ever?
  • Why spices smell like humans and why we find that comforting
  • Toxic vs Edible - botany for beginners

2. Essentials: Joy & Survival

  • Do we need spices to survive? The science of why humans use spices
  • What spices do you like? Mapping our personal preferences 
  • Choosing the essentials that are right for you
  • The psychology of abundance - why having a lot of spices feels good, but is also misleading
  • Using spices every day, every meal

3. Inspiration and Memory: Our brains on spices

  • Exploring the senses - how olfaction works
  • The sense of touch with spices (capsaisin and others)
  • Cravings - why spices play a part and how to cook food that is 'crave-worthy'

4. Balance: What's for Dinner?

  • How to layer flavor when cooking with spices
  • Spice blends vs pure spices - short cuts for all!
  • Quality and Buying tips 

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Outline

April 10, 2023 What effect / impact do I want my spice book to have? Rainbow structure…not an analogy I actually plan to use in the final book it just feels like an easy way to describe the different feelings I want the book to produce! Also rainbows are the best. Red ~ Action!  How to get started using more spices with confidence / How to approach unfamiliar palates, such as global cuisines you like but aren’t sure how to cook without buying an entirely new pantry. Red because we think of it being intense and urgent. This effect of the book is illustrated by concrete tips and recipes, and why having a minimum variety of spices (say, 8?) is useful in cooking an array of foods. In other words, taking the sometimes-dizzying effect of too-many spices or choices and narrowing it down so its approachable and actionable. It’s important that the recipes in this book aren’t inaccessible because of the ingredient lists – too many cookbooks have that, and it feels like a stumbling block, or ...
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