Food contains the history of the world. Without words, it tells a thousand stories of political struggle, of ethnology, religion, geography and migration. Tastes, flavors and textures uncover centuries-old events; local specialties unlock the mysteries of agriculture and climate; foods foreign to a region reveal the effect of expansion and commerce. The Foodlover's Atlas of the World weaves an intricate portrait of the food regions of the world today and how they came to be. Renowned cookbook author Martha Rose Schulman lends her expertise to an intimate look at what makes each cuisine unique, engaging the mind as much as the taste buds.
A journey across many lands, The Foodlover's Atlas of the World gives in-depth details on local customs and lore, typical menus and traditional ingredients for each region. For the cook, the casual food reader, the gastronomic fanatic and the cultural historian, there is no other book on the food of the world that packs such a visual, cultural and culinary punch.
The Foodlover's Atlas of the World features forty-three distinctive regions and subregions that go beyond political boundaries to gastronomic borders; and close to 300 evocative photographs, 90 special recipes, plus sample menus, dish definitions, local food lore and historical detail.
Putting together all she has learned from writing 17 cookbooks (including Mediterranean Light, Provencal Light and Mexican Light), Shulman provides a whirlwind tour of the globe's culinary traditions. Illustrated throughout with 300 full-color, National Geographic-style photos, this overview of food around the world is divided into "Europe," "Africa and the Middle East," "Asia and Australia" and "the Americas," and is subdivided by country and region. In each section Shulman discusses the staple foods, culinary history, specialties and mealtime customs of each area. Sidebars spotlight signature dishes and special ingredients, beverages and such concoctions as Hungarian stews, Indonesian rempah paste, Vietnamese pho and Paraguay's yerba mate herbal tea. Typical menus are also included. Shulman describes the various ways that commerce, imperial expansion and immigration have influenced each region's cuisine. The book concludes with a sampling of 80-plus recipes from every continent, including the Chinese Hot and Sour Soup, the savory Proven al Tapenade, the flavorful Lamb and Prune Tagine from Morocco and the rich, sweet Linzertorte from Austria. The volume covers a surprising amount of ground in reasonable depth (though the Africa and South America sections are arguably skimpy), and the recipes live up to Shulman's usual high quality. This single volume will provide any cook with an international repertoire not to mention plenty of theme party ideas. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-Arranged by continent and countries, this interesting and readable book discusses the specifics of how geography has influenced the culture of food in a particular location. Each chapter includes a history of food, social influences, staples, an explanation of ingredients, well-known dishes, and how to read a local menu. Material is presented through broad discussions, not the precise dictionary style of Larousse Gastronomique (Crown, 1988) or Alan Davidson's The Oxford Companion to Food (Oxford, 1999). Boxed inserts highlight interesting or unusual facts or traditions. Large, color photographs relate to the adjacent text and will attract browsers. The final section gives approximately 75 recipes arranged by courses with the country of origin noted. An excellent resource for geography, foreign language, and home-economics students. Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
For over 30 years I have been writing cookbooks devoted to eating well. A pioneer in vegetarian cooking, I began my career in 1973 at the age of 23. This was long before well-educated people from upper middle class backgrounds fantasized about becoming the next Food Network star or owning a successful restaurant. I was then a student at The University of Texas at Austin. I changed my major every semester, but my passion for cooking and for giving dinner parties was unwavering. I also had an interest in health, and combined the two in my approach to food, drawing upon many of the world's cuisines to create vegetarian dishes that were much better than the standard brown rice fare of the early 1970s. Culturally I was very much a product of my era, but as far as my cooking was concerned, I have always been way ahead of my time. Once I'd had my epiphany about my calling, I developed a series of vegetarian cooking classes that I taught through the University of Texas Extension, and I opened a private "supper club" in my home. Every Thursday for two years I prepared a sit-down 3-course dinner for 30 people. My cozy "home restaurant" allowed me all the fun and few of the headaches of running a public restaurant, and at the same time gave me a place to experiment and develop a repertoire of dishes to showcase. I also learned to cook for a crowd. Soon I had a vegetarian catering service; I catered everything from breakfasts in bed and dinners for two to wedding receptions and conferences for two hundred. I had also been, all along, a writer in search of a subject. I knew that I would write a cookbook, and when The Vegetarian Feast came out in 1979, my career had evolved from cook/caterer to food writer and cookbook author. The Vegetarian Feast won a 1979 Tastemaker Award (a precursor of the prestigious James Beard Awards) for Best Book, Health and Special Diets category, and remains in print. I was never doctrinaire about vegetarian cooking; I just felt that I'd had my quota of meat by the time I reached the age of 21. I admired all good cooks, especially Julia Child, with whom I corresponded. In my first letter to her, a fan letter dated September 2, 1976 in which I described my cooking classes and my supper club, my catering service and the book I was trying to get published, I told her I was "trying to shed a new light on vegetarianism, to present it as an unmysterious, classical, and memorable cuisine. The art of cooking with an emphasis on nutrition as well as flavor is my interest, and because I am a vegetarian my cuisine is a meatless one." Two years after the publication of The Vegetarian Feast I moved to Paris, where I continued to write cookbooks and articles, revived my Supper Club, and became a much better cook. During the twelve years I lived in France I traveled extensively in the Mediterranean to research its many cuisines. My book Mediterranean Light was published in 1989, just as the benefits of the Mediterranean diet were coming to light in the United States. The region continues to be my richest source of culinary inspiration. To date, I have 27 cookbooks to my name. My work has been of a piece; not all of my books are vegetarian, but they all have a healthy focus. Several of my books have been nominated for cookbook awards and three have won them. In addition to the 1979 Tastemaker Award for The Vegetarian Feast, I've received the following nominations and prizes for my work: *2001: International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), The Best Vegetarian Recipes, Nominee, Single Subject category *1995 James Beard Awards, Great Breads, Nominee, Bread and Pastry category *1994 Bertolli Olive Oil Award, Provençal Light, First Prize, Health and Special Diets category, Julia Child Awards *1991 International Association of Culinary Professionals, Entertaining Light, First Prize, Health and Diet category *1991 James Beard Awards, Entertaining Light, Nominee, Entertaining category *1989 Tastemaker, Mediterranean Light, Nominee, Health and Special Diets category *1988 Tastemaker, Supper Club chez Martha Rose, Nominee, Entertaining category
My cooking continues to evolve, as I hone and simplify my recipes to make them accessible to a wide range of cooks. I feel that I have played a role in improving the eating habits of many Americans, particularly since I began writing a daily recipe feature called Recipes for Health for the health section of The New York Times on the Web, in 2008. Its purpose is to empower people to cook healthy meals every day by giving them straightforward, delicious recipes. Each week's column is themed around a fresh ingredient from the market, a pantry item or a type of dish, with a new recipe posted every day. The reader response has been enthusiastic; my recipes regularly appear in the "10 Most Emailed" list on the health page. It has been extremely satisfying to know that I am reaching so many people and having an impact on their cooking.
This review is from: The Foodlover's Atlas of the World (Hardcover)
This book is very attractive and filled with lovely pictures of food, different countries, and often what's special in their culture. There is an excellent exploration of many different countries with 2 to 3 pages devoted for many of them. There is a brief recipe section in the back that has clear and concise recipes to follow. I really like this book because you can read it in small segments and you don't feel the need to sit down and read the whole book at once. The book is fasniating you will learn a great deal about different cultures and food that you may not be familiar with. This is a great book to thumb through for information and ideas.
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This review is from: The Foodlover's Atlas of the World (Hardcover)
From the different culinary styles and regions of France to the history of and cultural influences upon North African cuisines, the Food Lover's Atlas Of The World provides a wide-ranging discussion of various food trends, styles, and influences around the world. Color photos of fresh ingredients and regional marketplaces accompany histories which focus on regional signature dishes and their evolution. A bright, fascinating coverage which invites browsing.
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This review is from: The Foodlover's Atlas of the World (Hardcover)
The concept behind "The Foodlover's Atlas of the World" is imaginative, and author Martha Rose Shulman, a renowned, award-winning author with 17 cookbooks to her credit, carries it off exceptionally well. She divides the world into four major culinary regions--1) Europe, 2) Africa and the Middle East, 3) Asia and Australia, and 4) the Americas. Then, in glossy, exquisitely illustrated pages, she describes the cuisines of each country within the region. Each country gets on the order of a half-dozen or so pages--the depth of coverage is thus outstanding.
This is fascinating information. There are no recipes in the main text (although a few are included at the end of the book). Rather, each country section covers in detail the history and characteristics of the food of that land. Here, for example, are the topics from the section on Greece (each country is presented in a similar way): "Staple Foods" covers cheese, bread, wine, olives, honey and more. "Festive Food" describes festival fare such as traditional Easter bread and savory Christmas mezedes. "Signature Dishes" is a sidebar that defines tzatziki, htapothi xithato, dolmadakia and other dishes. "The Influence of Religion" describes the influence of the Greek Orthodox religion on the evolution of Greek food. "A Regional Flavor" compares foods among the various regions of the country, especially between the mainland and the islands. "Food Through the Day" describes what Greeks eat at meals throughout a typical day. Finally, "Reading the Menu" presents a menu of restaurant meals that one might find in Greece.
If you enjoy cooking, eating and learning about ethnic cuisines from around the world, "The Foodlover's Atlas of the World" is for you. I recommend it highly.
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