A culinary journey around the world in 288 pages.
With a keen sense of direction, food writer and blogger Freeman (restaurantgirl.com) guides readers on a comprehensive, contemporary, global culinary excursion. But this isn't merely an overview of 14 types of global cuisine, among them Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern. It's a challenge to investigate the world in the things around you, beginning with food. Freeman encourages readers to take chances by being upfront: “Most people won’t admit it, but half the time we don’t know what we’re eating, what we ordered, or what we might be missing because we’re too embarrassed to ask our servers or look it up.” She entices not only readers’ palate but brain as well with “tasty morsels” of information—e.g., “In Egypt. McDonald’s features the 'McFalafel,' a falafel patty topped with lettuce, tomato, and 'secret sauce' on a hamburger bun. The secret sauce is actually just tahini.” Deftly blending anecdote with fact, she includes sections on table manners and how they vary culturally. She also discusses how to get the most out of the experience by making reservations, wearing proper attire and treating people with respect. In addition, Freeman explains some simple misconceptions—e.g., “Curry actually means nothing more than ‘cooked in liquid.’ ” An innovative guide that tickles the taste buds and proves that you don't have to travel abroad to experience international gastronomy.
Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-188178-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Ecco/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2011
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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