Customer Reviews

Brazil: A Culinary Journey (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Don't buy this book! First off, even though the book was published in 2005, it lists Amapá, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins as territories. Amapá became a state in 1991; Rondônia in 1982; Roraima in 1988; and Tocatins in 1989. The book is divided into cuisines from the various Brazilian regions. I have been associated with Brazil since 1966, and am currently a permanent resident. Strangely, I never heard of most of the obscure dishes listed in this book, which omits some of the most popular regional dishes. I wager that 90% of Brazilians never heard of most of these dishes. I live in São Paulo, which has restaurants representing all different parts of Brazil, and frankly, I have not seen but few of these dishes on restaurant menus.

Most of the recipes serve from 8 to 12 persons. Thus, they can only be prepared for a large dinner party! I read cook books all the time, and rarely do they list recipes for such a large number of people.

This cookbook entices both your mind and your taste buds! Delicious, easy-to-make recipes with straight forward instructions. A "must have" for your international cookbook collection!

Such a great cookbook. It gives you an historical perspective on Brazilian cuisine. The recipes are easy and delicious! Viva Brasil :)

I liked this book because it is very simple and easy. Besides, in the back there are a list of addresses where it is possible to find the "exoctics" ingredients. Very useful!!

I lived in various cities near Sao Paulo for nearly two years and I am completely unfamiliar with many of the recipees. Granted Brazil is huge and each region has their own cuisines. The book tries to encompass too much of Brazil - I wish it just focused on a specific region.

I was really hoping for a cookbook with recipes that I could use at home in the United States. As a recipe book, I found this disappointing. Many, in fact most, of the recipes call for ingredients that simply are not available in the States. (Manioc flour, anyone?) If it had offered possible substitutions, it might have been fun to try some of these.

However, the lore and stories behind the recipes are fascinating. The book appears to be well researched. If one were to use it to acquire a cultural education, I would imagine it to be fairly accurate. Since this was listed as part of a "Cookbook Library," that is not what I expected.

This is a terrible book. The recipe's names are different from what I see in Brazil, the quantities seem off, the spicing strange, and there are no pictures. That's important if you eat places where menus are rare and you are trying to make something you aren't sure of the name of. In fact, near as I can tell, they never even tell you what the dishes on the cover are.

Don't do it. Buy something else.