COCONUT: The Tree of Life

This is one of those attempts to mix a bit of gastronomic geography, economics, and history with a batch of recipes. But though many Indonesians might indeed sustain themselves on coconuts, Meyer's use of the plant is almost entirely limited to sweet desserts--for which all we can say is that they're a step up from Mounds bars. (Elsewhere she simply adds coconut to pancakes, baked fish fillets, fried chicken, and a concoction called ""curried beef balls"" which also includes a table spoon of jelly; all four would be better off without it.) Further, most recipes call simply for ""one cup coconut"" without specifying the form (though statements elsewhere indicate that Meyer has the prepackaged, desiccated variety in mind). The rest is a soft-center survey of uses and processes along with a few quotes from the observations of European navigators. Indifferent.