The Exotic Kitchens of Peru [Paperback]

Copeland Marks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2001

The first cookbook to assess Peruvian cooking, The Exotic Kitchens of Peru provides readers with not only sumptuous and unique recipes, but also a wonderfully detailed history of Peru. Whatever your tastes are, you are sure to discover many new favorite dishes in The Exotic Kitchens of Peru. Illustrated throughout with line drawings, and with a complete glossary of Peruvian culinary terms, this unique cookbook is a must-have for everyone from cookbook collectors to those seeking to learn more about the exotic Peruvian culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: M.Evans & Company (May 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871319578
• ISBN-13: 978-0871319579
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Latin American

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars nice introduction, misses the boat on flavors, March 6, 2007

By 

A Mom (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Exotic Kitchens of Peru (Paperback)

Copeland Marks specializes in traveling to 'exotic' locations and writing cookbooks based on their food with some information about the place. This is a nice looking book with a short introduction and a small glossary that will be useful to first time cooks of Peruvian food. The recipes are generally simple (sometimes simplified) and easy to follow, and they yield okay food, but hardly the best Peruvian cuisine has to offer. Also, without more guidance on selecting ingredients, these are likely to yield some pretty disappointing results. For example, Peruvian potatoes include hundreds very flavorful varieties, and different types are used for different recipes. If an unsuspecting novice prepares causa with idaho potatoes the result will be quite bland and unlike anything what you'd eat in Peru. Mark's discussion of substitutions is limited and in my opinion mostly misses the mark (you cannot replicate the flavor of Rocoto Relleno using a bell pepper!!!!).

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent authentic recipes, April 11, 2004

By 

Charles Miller (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Exotic Kitchens of Peru (Paperback)

When my son and I went to Peru on vacation a couple of years ago, we fell in love with Peruvian food. With this book you can make a pretty good stab at capturing the tastes of the area--assuming you are able to find the ingredients. Fortunately, many communities now have markets that specialize in items from South and Central America. My favorite recipes are: 1) Ceviche de pescado, fresh fish "cooked" in lime juice. Two recipes are provided, one from Trujillo and one from Cuzco; 2) Sajta de pollo, special chicken in peanut sauce; and 3) Adobo de chancho, spicy pork with potatoes and yuca.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect but pretty good, November 7, 2002

By 

pontmarie (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Exotic Kitchens of Peru (Paperback)

If you're like me, someone who loves Peruvian food but didn't really learn how to cook Peruvian food and now wants to try, this book will be a great help. True, some of the recipes don't quite hit the mark to what I am used to, but this is a great start.

I especially liked that the recipes list the cities or regions where they were created, and even mentions the fusion in Chinese-Peruvian and Japanese-Peruvian cuisines.