The World on a Plate: 40 Cuisines, 100 Recipes, and the Stories Behind Them
Language: English
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0143127659
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Eat your way around the world without leaving your home in this mouthwatering cultural history of 100 classic dishes.
Best Culinary Travel Book (U.K.), Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Finalist for the Fortnum & Mason Food Book Award
“When we eat, we travel.” So begins this irresistible tour of the cuisines of the world, revealing what people eat and why in forty cultures. What’s the origin of kimchi in Korea? Why do we associate Argentina with steak? Why do people in Marseille eat bouillabaisse? What spices make a dish taste North African versus North Indian? What is the story behind the curries of India? And how do you know whether to drink a wine from Bourdeaux or one from Burgundy?
Bubbling over with anecdotes, trivia, and lore—from the role of a priest in the genesis of Camembert to the Mayan origins of the word chocolate—The World on a Plate serves up a delicious mélange of recipes, history, and culinary wisdom to be savored by food lovers and armchair travelers alike.
coastal plains, big stretches of desert and long coastlines looking onto the Pacific to the west and the Caribbean to the east. For the traveler there are bountiful opportunities for adventure—it is almost impossible to get bored—and the food of Mexico reflects this. It veritably sings off the table— bright as a budding pink dahlia (the national flower), voluptuous as the beloved avocados, strong as a lucha libre* wrestler and patriotic as a mariachi. The cuisine is a reflection of Mexico’s
coarsely chopped 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 bouquet garni (two stems each of thyme and rosemary, tied together) 10½ oz andouille, cut into �-inch slices (if you can’t find andouille, use another smoked sausage such as chorizo) juice of � lemon 2 whole cloves sea salt and freshly ground black pepper TO SERVE � cup fresh bread crumbs, toasted 3 tbps flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 1 • Preheat the oven to 285°F. 2 • Drain the beans of
and sample their delicacies—all from your very own kitchen. • WHAT IS A CUISINE? • AMERICAN ACADEMIC-CUM-FARMER Wendell Berry once said that “eating is an agricultural act,” drawing attention to the fact that what we eat in a given place reflects the terrain and climate where local produce lives and grows. But this is an oversimplification, taking only geography into consideration. In fact, a cuisine is the edible lovechild of both geography and history. Invasions, imperialism and immigration
chelow, results in fluffy grains and a delicious crust (tahdig) at the bottom of the pan. Pury assures you there’s no need to be put off by what might appear to be a complex method—once you’ve made chelow a couple of times, you’ll find it as easy as (or, rather, easier than) pie . . . • SERVES 8 • 3½ cups basmati rice salt pinch saffron 5 tbsp olive oil 1 • Place the rice in a large bowl, cover with water and gently swirl it around with your fingers, then drain. Repeat several times to
great works of mankind that make a culture. It is the daily things, like what people eat and how they serve it. • LAURIE COLWIN, Home Cooking • WHEN WE EAT, we travel. Think back to your last trip. Which are the memories that stand out? If you’re anything like me, meals will be in the forefront of your mind when you reminisce about travels past. Tortilla, golden and oozing, on a lazy Sunday in Madrid; piping hot shakshuka for breakfast in Tel Aviv; oysters shucked and sucked from their shells