The Ethnic Food Lover's Companion: A Sourcebook for Understanding the Cuisines of the World

From Booklist
Those curious to explore virtually every cuisine on the planet have a new comprehensive guide to world cooking in Eve Zibart's The Ethnic Food Lover's Companion. Zibart has not only meticulously researched the well-known ethnic cuisines of Western Europe but she has also mined the traditions of Asia, Africa, and South America in new ways. This is a handy guide not only to eating in ethnic restaurants in the U.S. but also for getting a good meal in almost every foreign country. For each cuisine, Zibart provides some history, describes major ingredients and cooking methods, identifies common dishes, and offers lists of dishes to assemble in a representative meal. For those who want to try some of these dishes at home, there are simple recipes reflecting each cuisine. Sticklers may quarrel with the author's occasional oversimplifications, and typographical errors mar what is otherwise a worthwhile reference tool and boon companion for the foodie traveler. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Nowhere is America's rich ethnic and cultural diversity more apparent than in its restaurants. Every city and region of the United States has a unique cultural heritage - whether it's Cuban, Thai, Spanish, Italian, Indian, French or German - reflected in its dining choices. So what do you order in an ethnic restaurant, and how do you eat? The Ethnic Food Lover's Companion provides all the information you need to make every ethnic dining experience a pleasant and memorable one. In this book you will find information about what to expect in any type of ethnic restaurant; detail profiles of each ethnic cuisine, including key ingredients, spices and methods of preparation; cultural tips to put you at ease with the customs and etiquette of each cuisine; representative dishes of each cuisine defined and described; recommended complete meals from appetizer through dessert and easy recipes you can prepare at home.


From the Back Cover
Nowhere is America's rich ethnic and cultural diversity more apparent than in its restaurants. Every city and region of the United States has a unique cultural heritage - whether it's Cuban, Thai, Spanish, Italian, Indian, French or German - reflected in its dining choices. So what do you order in an ethnic restaurant, and how do you eat? The Ethnic Food Lover's Companion provides all the information you need to make every ethnic dining experience a pleasant and memorable one. In this book you will find information about what to expect in any type of ethnic restaurant; detail profiles of each ethnic cuisine, including key ingredients, spices and methods of preparation; cultural tips to put you at ease with the customs and etiquette of each cuisine; representative dishes of each cuisine defined and described; recommended complete meals from appetizer through dessert and easy recipes you can prepare at home. (5 1/4 x 8, 464 pages, maps, recipes)



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Ethnic restaurants are literally popping up everywhere, and it is helpful to know what to expect before encountering a new cuisine. Eve Zibart provides historical information in a delightful manner that makes it easy to understand how the individual tastes of rulers along with local economies influenced the evolution of cuisines. This comprehensive book provides a wealth of information to make unique dining experiences pleasant, memorable and comfortable. Here you will find detailed information about various cultures, their histories, the main ingredients they use, and how to order and eat like a native. Each chapter includes: descriptions for all aspects of dining from appetizers to salads, soups, vegetables, rice and grains, seafood, poultry, meats, condiments, beverages, and des-serts. Representative dishes from each cuisine are both defined and described. Over 90 easy recipes are included: Paella, Pork Adobo, Codfish Fritters, Shrimp Curry, Smothered Chicken Stew, Potato Omelet and many other wonderful dishes. Obviously a good resource in public libraries, and I strongly suggest purchase for both middle schools and high schools where information about countries and cultures is covered in the social studies curriculum. KLIATT Codes: JSA—Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2001, Globe Pequot, Menasha Ridge Press, 444p. maps. index., $16.95. Ages 13 to adult. Reviewer: Shirley Reis; IMC Dir., Lake Shore M.S., Mequon, WI , November 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 6)


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