Build layers of taste, infuse your dishes with character, and create well-balanced meals that comfort your heart and nourish your soul-even if you are a complete newbie in the kitchen!Picture this: You're at your favorite restaurant and the server shows up with a juicy steak, still sizzling in the pan. Wafts of steam curl up from the plate, and you get a whiff of pure heaven, thanks to the perfect interplay of herbs, spices, and buttery goodness.

Or perhaps you are into seasonal vegetables and look forward to the first months of spring so you can tuck into a fresh, al dente stalk of asparagus, lightly grilled and covered in a creamy Hollandaise sauce. Come to think about it, what makes all your favorite meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes stand out is what goes into or on top of them-the delectable sauces, rubs, and marinades that send your taste buds into overdrive.

Herbs and spices hold the key to a knockout meal that foodies long for and look forward to. They mark the difference between simply cooking and the art of creating meals that form the basis of unforgettable memories among family and friends.

Perhaps you have always envied that friend who throws the best garden parties, with dishes that stand out from the typical barbecued meat owing to the intricate rubs and marinades they prepare. Now, here's the rub.

This part of cooking-preparing sauces, marinades, salsas, and other blends-is one of the easiest yet most impactful components of cooking. And this guide is here to give you a whopping 102 recipes to create mouthwatering meals from all over the world.

Inside, you'll discover:Recipes that strike the perfect balance between sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami flavors6 reasons why rubs, marinades, and sauces are the unsung heroes of the culinary worldAll the ingredients and tools you need to turn your kitchen into a haven of ready-made rubs40 amazing rubs hailed by chefs and diners from across the globe-from a sweet and spicy mango chili lime rub to a festive gingerbread spice!The incredible world of marinades-get those taste buds dancing with a citrusy lime marinade, a sweet-and-sour balsamic fig marinade, or a spicy Indian tandooriThe Remarkable World of Sauces: Uncover the key to classic sauces, gravy, salsas, vinaigrettes, and reductionsHow sauces can be used as they are, or as a base for a variety of other dishes-including soups, casseroles, and pastaAnd much more. If you always thought you didn't have the time to make your own rubs, sauces, and marinades, this book will show you how quickly it can be done.

You no longer have to reach for those store-bought products or settle for a boring salt-and-pepper blend. .