The Spice Kitchen: Flavorful Recipes from Around the World

New Zealand chef Haines presents a richly-layered, curiously organized (chapter titles include ""Mezze,"" ""Luxury Sundays,"" ""Dinner at the Yees,"" ""Winter Blues"") tour of global spices and seasonings, leaning heavily on Asia, India and the Middle East. Fellow Kiwis will likely get the most out of the book, as few Americans have easy access to spices like kokum, green and brown cardamom, cassia bark, amchur and seemingly ubiquitous kaffir lime leaves; further, Haines offers no substitution suggestions. That said, those with patience and a good list of Internet sources should find plenty of flavorful projects to tackle, the most ambitious of which may be Siamese Mussaman Chicken Curry, a multi-step meal requiring 29 ingredients. Recipes aren't all that complex; Simple Ginger Shrimp, for one, lives up to its name. Happily, some vibrant desserts make the cut, including Arabian White Coffee Ice Cream and a Spicy Chocolate Ginger Tart (sure to give brownie-lovers new perspective). Though ideal for adventurous cooks with access to well-stocked ethnic groceries, anyone uninterested in working to broaden their palettes will find this a frustrating exercise.