Customer Reviews

The Best of Gourmet, Featuring the Flavors of India

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This is one of the very best of the "Best of Gourmet" annual compendiums. I use this one and the 1995 "Best of..." all the time. The section on Indian food at the back is excellent: without pretending to be a comprehensive book on Indian cooking in and of itself, the editors cover a surprisingly wide array (in good detail) of ingredients, techniques, and regional flavors, and the recipes have all been adapted quite suitably for the reasonably experienced, dedicated American home cook. Having traveled in India and experienced the "real thing", I have found that this section in this book is remarkable in presenting authentic dishes without forcing the cook to obtain unusual spices or ingredients by mail order. Most of the ingredients used are readily available in Indian and/or Asian markets in a medium-sized city. I have made virtually all of the recipes in the Indian section at least once, and several have become regular favorites -- ones I turn to even when preparing an all-Indian meal using Julie Sahni, Lord Krishna, and other standard Indian cookbooks. Another great feature of this book is the number of very good recipes in all of the regular recipe sections that are proportioned for two diners. Ruth Reichl, when she took over Gourmet magazine, and her food editors apparently forgot that many of the most sophisticated and adventurous cooks are older couples (like myself and my partner) who prepare fine meals every day and do not want a half can of straw mushrooms or three-quarters of a savoy cabbage left over after dividing a recipe by half or two thirds. I highly recommend this book. Buy one while it is still available!

I love to cook and this cookbook is one of my favorites. I would highly recommend it.