Nirmala's Edible Diary: A Hungry Traveler's Cookbook with Recipes from 14 Countries [Hardcover]

Nirmala Narine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2009

Join "The Indiana Jones of Spices," Nirmala Narine, as she eats her way from Rio to Buenos Aires, capturing the tastes and smells of South America in recipes and photos. Millions of tourists visit this part of the globe every year, drawn by ancient ruins, vibrant cities, breathtaking natural beauty, and diverse foods and cultures. Nirmala's Edible Diary is a passport to the street markets and home kitchens of South America, with over 70 recipes for tantalizing stews, crunchy empanadas, and fruity desserts, and 100 vivid photographs of the foods, people, and landscapes that make this continent a stunning travel destination.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nirmala Narine is the founder and owner of Nirmala's Kitchen, a gourmet food company specializing in spices, exotic rice blends and Global Meal kits. Her products have been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Food & Wine, and The New York Times, among other publications.

Diana Delucia is a New York-based photographer.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First edition. edition (December 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811869067
• ISBN-13: 978-0811869065
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nirmala Narine was born in Guyana, South America and came to New York City at the age of 10. Her culinary education began at the age of 6 in a tiny kitchen with no running water or electricity.

She is the owner and founder of Nirmala's Kitchen, a gourmet importer and distributor. Her line of products includes ingredients to replicate ethnic and traditional meals from around the world, all without leaving the comforts of home. Her brand of products is known from coast to coast, and internationally.

Nirmala has been featured in The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine and FOOD & WINE Magazine. She has been featured by Country Living Magazine as one of their 2007 Women's Entrepreneurs. She has appeared on the Today Show, the CBS Early Show and Martha Stewart, among others.

Narine is a gifted teacher when it comes to sharing her extraordinary knowledge of ethnic kitchen cultures and global cuisines. She has a passion for sharing her love of cooking with children and takes every opportunity to do so on her travels abroad in the world's orphanages, and locally in New York's public schools.
She lives on a 15-acre Organic farm in New York's Hudson Valley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging stories and easy to follow recipes, May 31, 2010

By 

AreYouKidding? - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nirmala's Edible Diary: A Hungry Traveler's Cookbook with Recipes from 14 Countries (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Nirmala Narine mixes her impressions and experiences with recipes true to each country. She shares her personal memories ranging from her childhood home in Guyana to her experiences on a riverboat in Paraguay. Nirmala keeps her stories short enough without forgetting essential details.

Pros:
* Over 75 recipes from a total of 14 countries. Approximately 26 pictures of finished dishes.
* Ingredients for each recipe are kept to a minimum.
* Preparation times were reasonable.
* The book is divided by countries: an introduction to the country followed by a complete menu. In-between each recipe are photos and additional stories to tie your cooking experience together.
* Each menu contains an appetizer and main course. More expanded menus include drinks and dessert.
* As a beginning cook, I found the instructions easy to follow.

Cons:
* Since this book contains dishes that I have not seen before I would have liked more photos of the finished dishes.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Recipes sound tasty--wish you could see more of the finished product!, March 17, 2010

By 

Beldini (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nirmala's Edible Diary: A Hungry Traveler's Cookbook with Recipes from 14 Countries (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Flipping through "Nirmala's Edible Diary: A Hungry Traveler's Cookbook with Recipes From 14 Countries," you can't stop your taste buds from perking up at the sound of exotic South American morsels from Argentina (Jicama, Blue Cheese & Passion Fruit Salad) to Venezuela (Cream of Sweet Potato Soup with Plantain Chips.

Nirmala Narine, a.k.a. "The Indiana Jones of Spices," has traversed the continent many a time in search of inventory for her thriving business, Nirmala's Kitchen, so she's had plenty of opportunity to sample her share of memorable, fragrant dishes from all those countries.

The recipes she recreates here are noteworthy for their simplicity--the ingredient lists are short and the items easily obtainable, while the preparations are unfussy--a testament to their indigenous, and, in many cases peasant, roots.

The problem is, the book is also part travelog, and although there is no shortage of vivid, colorful photos, they often take the place of accompanying recipe photographs. So while, say, the Indonesian Bami Goreng (stir-fry noodles with chicken) from Suriname sound tasty, it would have been preferable to see a picture of the finished product on the opposite page rather than one of a a purposeful-looking rooster.

But the cocktails definitely speak for themselves, especially the Guava Pisco Sou, Papaya Cocktail and Sugarcane, Fig, and Basil Vodka, which set the perfect tropical mood for any outdoor (or indoor) gathering.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Memories and Recipes from a South American Native, April 14, 2010

By 

S. D. Fischer (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nirmala's Edible Diary: A Hungry Traveler's Cookbook with Recipes from 14 Countries (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Nirmala's Edible Diary: A Hungry Traveler's Cookbook with Recipes from 14 Countries features vignettes about her experiences growing up in South America many of which involve local dishes. She travelled from village to village with her grandfather, an Ayurvedic scholar and Hindu priest, until moving to the Bronx at age 10. As an adult, she has visited more than 125 countries in the past 20 years.

The book is organized by country. Each of the 14 chapters features short personal recollections and recipes. Most chapters feature a menu with recipes native to the region for a beverage, appetizer, main course, side dish and dessert.

The menu for Guyana includes the following recipes:
* Mauby Tisane
* Pan-Fried Green Plantain Cakes
* Short Ribs and Pork Butt Pepper Pot Soup
* Cook-Up Rice with Okra and Curry Powder-Dusted Fried Chicken Livers
* Star Anise and Mango Gourma with Cinnamon Beignets

The menu for Peru includes recipes for:
* Guava Pisco Sour
* Chupe de Camarones (shrimp soup)
* Papas A La Huancaina (Peruvian potato salad)
* Anticuchos (Peruvian skewered beef tenderloin)
* Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf
* Picarones (sweet potato donuts)

The menu for Suriname includes recipes for:
* Feijoa Pineapple Punch
* Javanese Soto Ayam (coconut milk and shrimp soup)
* African-Style Baked Coo-Coo (stuffed okra with shrimp)
* Indonesian Bami Goreng (stir-fry noodles with chicken)
* Coconut-Raspberry Bread and Butter Pudding

The menu for French Guiana includes recipes for:
* Ti Rhum Punch
* Taro, Coconut Milk and Cardamom Vichyssoise
* Yucca-Turmeric Souffle
* Sardines Stuffed in French Baguettes
* Croquembouche with Rum and Coconut

The recipes in the Venezuela menu include:
* Papelon con Limon (sugarcane and lime juice drink)
* Cream of Sweet Potato Soup with Plantain Chips
* Pumpkin and String Bean Salad
* Guasacaca con Chifles (green tomato and avocado dip with chips)
* Pasticho (lasagna with red sauce and white coconut milk sauce)
* Cachapas con Frutas (corn cakes with blackberry compote)

The menu from the Falkland Islands includes recipes for:
* Baked Curry Fish and Chips
* Lamb and Rutabaga Cottage Pie

The menu for Uruguay includes recipes for:
* Sugarcane, Fig and Basil Vodka
* Sopa de Zalallito (stuffed acorn squash soup with bacon)
* German Salad with Lima Beans
* Carne Asada con Salsa Caruso (grilled beef skewers with caruso dipping sauce)
* Pasteles de Carnes con Crusta de Boniato (sweet potato and meat pies)
* Alfajores con Frambuesas y Helado (stuffed cookies with raspberries and ice cream)

Recipes for the Colombia menu include:
* Refano (soda beer)
* Baked Avocado and Crabmeat Salad
* Tamales de Pollo Y Platanos Dulces (chicken and sweet plantain tamales)
* Stuffed Pork Loin with Coconut Milk Gravy
* Espresso Chocolate Cups

The Ecuador menu includes recipes for:
* Naranjilla Spiced Punch
* Llapingachos Bellenos (potato pancakes with Ecuadorian peanut sauce)
* Braised Oxtail with Cranberries
* Caraway Seed Cookies with Dulce de Leche

The Bolivia menu includes recipes for:
* Carica Yungueno (papaya cocktail)
* Conejo de Castilla con Cebada (rabbit soup with barley)
* Soltero de Queso de Cabra (goat cheese salad with chayote)
* Jallpahuaica (tomarillo salsa with yucca fries)
* Paella La Valenciana (quinoa with duck breast paella)
* Helado de Oca Y Canela (purple and sweet potato ice cream)

Recipes for the Argentina menu include:
* Licuado de Mora (mora berry fruit shake)
* White Beans, Crabmeat, Kale and Chardonnay Soup
* Jicama, Blue Cheese, and Passion Fruit Salad
* Empanadas de Chorizo Y Queso de Cabra (chorizo and goat cheese pastry)
* Grilled Veal Chops with Jalapeno and Butternut Squash Gnocchi
* Mango Custard with Sugar Wafers

The Chile menu features recipes for:
* Cola de Mono (monkey's tail)
* Cazuela (Chilean comfort soup)
* Artichoke Heart, Potato and Pine Nut Salad
* Completos (Chilean-style hot dog)
* Pan-Seared Halibut with Tomatillo Pebre and Quinoa-Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes
* Avocado and Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Recipes for the Brazil menu include:
* Caipirinha
* Feijoada Brasileira (Brazilian black bean stew)
* Black-Eyed Peas and Mango Salad
* Crispy Polenta Chicken Fingers with Coconut Milk and Cheese Dipping Sauce
* Auntie Nevis's Brazilian Holiday Turkey Dinner
o Cachaca and blood orange baked turkey
o Yucca and linguica stuffing
o Garlicky kale
o Brazilian rice
* Passion Fruit Jellies

The menu for Paraguay includes recipes for:
* Terere (yerba mate-spiced tisane)
* Bori-Bori (Paraguayan hearts of palm soup)
* Empanadas Rio Paraguay-Style
* Cornmeal-Encrusted Baked Catfish
* Roasted Tamarillos and Purple Potatoes

There are beautiful color photos throughout the book. Some are of the finished dishes but many are what you might see in a guidebook - mountains, buildings, people, and plants. They are unfortunately not labeled. I would have liked to have known where many of the photos of scenery were taken - which mountain range, which food market, what type of plant and where it grows, etc. I would have also liked to have seen more photos of the finished dishes.

I was surprised that more of the recipes didn't call for exotic ingredients but some do require ingredients not likely to be in the average supermarket. A few of the items that I am not sure where to find include oxtail, naranjilla, ground annatto, sugarcane juice and green plantains. There is no appendix with suggested sources for these items, and the only tip I recall seeing is to check Latin American stores and the internet.

The type font for the dishes is very difficult to read (especially since many of the dishes have names that are unfamiliar).

As a vegetarian, I didn't see many dishes that I am able to eat. Hopefully the list of recipes by chapter will help you decide whether you are adventurous to partake in enough of the dishes to make buying the book worthwhile.