The appealing Jamisons prove themselves consummate guides to culinary travel.
Charming journal of three globe-hopping months, largely around Southeast Asia, by a pair of seasoned food professionals.
With five James Beard awards and more than a dozen cookbooks and travel guides under their belts, the Jamisons in 2005 cashed in years of frequent-flyer miles and planned an itinerary guided by nostalgia, curiosity and, most importantly, taste buds. They started in Bali, where the couple reminisced about their honeymoon there 20 years earlier, participated in a cremation ritual and sampled traditional smoked duck in the home of their driver. Their exploration of the Australian wine country came alive under the guidance of a series of welcoming local farmers and vinters, and they splurged on some five-star dining in Sydney. Singapore stood out largely for the abundance of street vendors dishing out everything from oyster omelets to banana fritters. The next stop was Thailand, where they happily navigated the produce markets of Chiang Mai with a fellow culinary enthusiast and tried to dodge tourist traps in Bangkok and Phuket. They took a memorable houseboat trip (complete with professional chef) in southern India and hosted an impromptu cooking demonstration in China before fleeing Asia for South Africa. There, they went on a safari cookout and sampled the unique fusion cuisine of Cape Town. No culinary journey would be complete without a stop in France, and for the Jamisons that meant returning to their favorite inn, La Riboto de Taven in Provence. Finally, the couple headed to Brazil for a special stay in Salvador, vibrant capital of Creole culture. Despite their distinguished stature in the food world, husband and wife write with a wonderfully humble, familiar touch that makes world travel seem as accessible as it is exciting.
The appealing Jamisons prove themselves consummate guides to culinary travel.Pub Date: March 11, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-087895-5
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2007
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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