PINCH OF THIS, A GRAIN OF THAT: THE CREATIVE GUIDE TO HERBS & SPICES Géraldine Lacerte-Neumann. Ottawa, Deneau Publishers, c1983. 89pp, paperbound boards, $12.95. ISBN 0-88879-084-8. Grades 12 and up. Reviewed by Marilyn H. Kogon. Volume 12 Number 3 1984 May With fewer than sixty recipes, this slim volume is disappointing. Rather than living up to its introduction "to stimulate your imagination and dare you to venture into the world of herbs and spices," it skims the topic without providing the user with a firm base upon which to build and experiment. The major portion of the book is devoted to twenty-six categories of food such as appetizers, fish, soups, and vegetables to which spices may be added. Each category is set out on two facing pages. The left side has a list of the names of various herbs and spices that may be used to season this particular type of food, while the right side has from one to three recipes. For a beginner, there are no alternatives given for varying the spices in the recipes or suggestions for trying different spices in other recipes. The recipes are in both metric and imperial measures. In the first few pages, a general introduction on the uses of herbs and spices is covered in just over one page, and a brief history, in two and a half pages. The two most interesting sections are in the last ten pages. One includes recipes for homemade allspice, chili powder, and curry powder. The other section describes the part of the plant a particular herb or spice comes from, where it is grown, and with what type of food it can be used. There is plenty of white space throughout the text, and attractive black-and-white drawings add to the design. Overall, this is a rather superficial look at herbs and spices. No index. Marilyn H. Kogon, North York P. L., North York, ON.