Learn about a spice or herb, try it out at home, and come back to talk with others about your experiences with this spice club. Spice packet, information sheet, reading & resource list, and recipes provided. Meets every other month.
Call the Reference Desk at 847-259-6050 x130 with any questions.
Upcoming Club Meetings
Featured spice: Natural Food Coloring
Dates Tuesday, March 31
Time 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Details Battle the gray days with some color! Butterfly pea flower, cranberry, hibiscus flower, and mango powders don’t pack quite as much punch as the more standardized artificial colors, but they’re still fun to experiment with.
Featured spice: Summer Savory
Dates Tuesday, May 19
Time 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Details An annual herb native to southeastern Europe and eastern Asia, its flowers and leaves are used both fresh and dried. Though it takes a while to germinate, it grows well in pots (as a mint relative, it will escape and spread unless contained and regularly harvested).
Featured spice: Sicilian Citrus Italian Seasoning
Dates Tuesday, July 28
Time 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Featured spice: Coconut Sugar
Dates Tuesday, September 29
Time 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Featured spice: Star Anise
Dates Tuesday, November 17
Time 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Past Featured Spices & Herbs
Revisit your favorite spices and herbs.
Featured spice: Green cardamom and rose petals
Details Kick off the new year with two ancient flavors. While they can be used in many ways, we’ll provide a bundle with a recipe for date and nut squares that draw on ladoo and khajur burfi for inspiration—naturally sweet, protein-packed, and imbued with the complex, fragrant scents and flavors of cardamom and rose.
In the collection
To browse books featuring nutmeg in the library, ask for help at the Reference Desk.
Featured spice: Nutmeg
Details Nutmeg's rich scent and sweet, spicy flavor has been prized for centuries, whether where it grows naturally or in the far-flung regions where it is traded.
In the collection
To browse books featuring nutmeg in the library, ask for help at the Reference Desk.
Featured spice: Galangal
Details Galangal is a cousin to ginger, with a distinct taste and scent that can layer fabulously with other spices.
Featured spice: Caraway
Details Caraway seeds are small, aromatic and were initially used for medicinal purposes before people began cooking with them. They have a complex, bittersweet flavor.
In the collection
To browse books in the library, ask for help at the Reference Desk.
Featured spice: Sumac
Details Sumac, a sour, tangy fruit found throughout much of the world, has been used both fresh and dried since ancient times.
In the collection
To browse books in the library, ask for help at the Reference Desk.
Food & Recipes
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Find a scrumptious collection of food and recipe resources including food culture, nutrition, and cooking instruction.
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Cookbook Chat highlights different sections of our cookbook collection each month.