Flatbreads & Flavors [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Alford (Author), Naomi Duguid (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 20, 1995

"Two people caught in the grip of wanderlust, " as Alford and Duguid describe themselves, this Canadian pair has traveled for nearly two decades, singly and together, throughout Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and North America. As they have pursued their passions for travel photography and culinary research, they have found around the world a shared and nourishing element of culture and cuisine: flatbreads, the simplest, oldest, and most marvelously varied form of bread known to humankind. Immersing themselves in local cultures - from the Malaysian island of Penang and the high Himalayan passes of Tibet to the market stalls of Provence and the pueblos of New Mexico - Alford and Duguid have studied bread baking and cooking with local bakers, in family kitchens, with street vendors, and at neighborhood restaurants and cafes. In Flatbreads and Flavors they share more than sixty recipes for flatbreads of every origin and description: tortillas from Mexico, pita from the Middle East, naan from Afghanistan, chapatti from India, pizza from Italy, and French fougasse. As well, within each of the eight regional chapters of the book, they provide 150 exuberant recipes for traditional accompaniments to the breads. These include chutneys and curries, salsas and stews, rich samplings of the Mediterranean mezze table and the Scandinavian smorgasbord, and such delectable pairings as Chinese Spicy Cumin Kebabs wrapped in Uighur nan or Lentils with Garlic, Onion, and Tomato spooned onto chapatti. Oven-baked, grilled, fried, skillet-baked, steamed, or even baked beneath the desert sand, flatbreads are a fascinating, satisfying, and simple form that brings wholesome grains into our diet.They can be made from every grain imaginable: wheat, rye, corn, oats, millet, sorghum, teff, rice, buckwheat. They can be unleavened or leavened. They can be made so thin that they become transparent, or they can be two inches thick and sliceable. But Flatbreads and Flavors is not

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An amazing cookbook that travels to the furthest reaches of the world to celebrate flatbreads with over the recipes for a myriad of breads, including Afghani naan, Mexican tortilla, French fougasse, Middle Eastern pita, and Armenian lavash. Hungry for something to go with all that bread? The authors include another 150 recipes for traditional accompaniments. How about a Scandinavian smorgasbord, tomatillo salsa with arbol chiles, Nepali green chile chutney, Ethiopian beef tartar, or Yemeni stew?

Review

More than sixty recipes for flatbreads of every kind range from Mexican tortillas to pizzas from Italy and chapatis from India. Splendid and unusual breads mark an exceptional cookbook which goes way beyond just placing recipes in logical format: explanations of recipe origins and cultural influences make for a detailed, in-depth guide. -- Midwest Book Review

These people have really gone and done it! They've brought the real excitement of these flavors and textures back home. -- Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1 edition (March 20, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688114113
• ISBN-13: 978-0688114114
• Product Dimensions: 1.4 x 8.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > International

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 84 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The only cookbook I'd grab in case of fire! October 1, 1998

By [e-mail] Kathy Bungard

Format:Hardcover

These recipes are so clearly written and easy to follow that I have not had a failure yet and I've tried nearly two thirds of the recipes in the book to date. This book opened a whole new world of baking and cooking for me. Peasant breads I had never heard of are now part of my family's daily diet and are met with rave reviews from even the pickiest eater. The food in this book is not only simple it is certaily healthy eating as well. I've had many cookbooks, this is the one I've had to get a second copy of, because I wore the first one out. It sits on my counter for daily use and hasn't seen a bookshelf yet. Please, Jeffrey and Naomi, more cookbooks like this one. Love their travel tales almost as much as recipes. Bon appetit!

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Flatbreads and Flavors April 12, 2002

By Erica Eastley

Format:Hardcover

I love this book. I have had it for nearly a year and I use it several times a week. I made Afghan Homestyle Naan and the Uigher bread with cumin and onions yesterday, and have the recipe for injera souring now to try for the first time. I was first introduced to flatbreads while studying Arabic in the Middle East 5 years ago, and I was delighted to find this book that has so many of my favorites, plus many new ones to try. There are a wide variety of breads in this book, along with plenty of delicious accompaniments. I personally use a baking stone to replicate the tannur breads and have found it to work pretty well, although nothing can compare with a flatbread hot off a saj or out of a tannur. I agree with the authors that bread are a fast food- I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, and I find flatbreads are one of the most convenient things to make. My boys love the breads. I highly recommend this book!

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The recipes are fantastic and it reads like a novel! July 22, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Traveling around the world with the authors is only a small part of the joy this book brings. The detailed recipes are described step by step, enabling even novice bread makers to create a marvelous array of flat breads that are both delicious and appealing to the eye. It is the bible of flatbreads and should be part of every bakers library.