In Nirmala's Kitchen: Everyday World Cuisine (Hardcover)

by Nirmala Narine (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Through her travels to such exotic locales as New Zealand, North Africa, India, and the Caribbean, to name a few, Nirmala Narine has scoured local markets and remote hillsides for herbs and spices to bring home to her own kitchen. In this collection of recipes and personal anecdotes, Nirmala includes a thorough glossary of herbs and spices to guide even the most inexperienced cook beyond table salt and pepper.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lake Isle Press (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891105264
• ISBN-13: 978-1891105265
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #405,444 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Destined to be a Classic!, November 17, 2006

By	Paul J. Romanelli (Cutchogue, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a phenomenal cookbook on so many levels. Aside from the stunning photography of the dishes and Nirmala's travels, it's full of her personal journal entries, making the recipes even more enticing. Being an Italian-American, these recipes are not typical of my own kitchen and until this book, I would only eat these meals at restaurants. Nirmala brings it home in a brilliant way. She has organized the recipes by country and then suggests entire dinner menus. It's very exciting. I've purchased her spices in the past (at nirmalaskitchen.com) but didn't have a clue on how to truly enjoy them. This book is a terrific complement to her spices and the recipes are easy to use. I recommend that you buy the book and then wander over to her website to check out her spices. It's truly an adventure!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exotic Cuisine, October 12, 2007

By	Rebecca Johnson "SeasonedwithLove.com" (Washington State) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

"It's difficult to describe the flavor of wattleseed, which I discovered in Australia's northern territory, but I haven't stopped experimenting with them since the day I found them. The taste is mocha-like (although the seeds are caffeine-free), with touches of hazelnut and chocolate." ~ Nirmala, while discussing how she created Wattleseed Ice Cream

"In Nirmala's Kitchen" is one of the most exciting cookbooks I've discovered this year. Each recipe tells the story of Nirmala's travels to exotic locales. My idea was to read the entire book in one day and to make a shopping list so I could try some of the delicious recipes. The first recipe I tried was for the "Yellow Split Pea Fritters." The scent of curry infused my home with warm aromas. They were easy to make but I had to go to a health food store for dried yellow peas, which I then ground into flour in my Oster blender. My blender then came in handy for the second recipe I tried for the fresh frothy "South American Passion Fruit Smoothie."

Some of the recipes you might enjoy include:

Argentine Gaucho Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Plantain Chips
Spiced Hibiscus Flower Tea (Try Tazo Passion if you can't find dried flowers)
Mulligatawny Soup
Xian Five-Spice Banana Rolls
Crab and Ginger Soba Noodle Salad
Kashmiri Apricot and Saffron Pudding
Tibetan Butter Tea

As I type I'm enjoying the Tibetan tea, which is made simply with tea, star anise, butter and half and half. I tried it with rooibos tea just to be different.

The beauty of this cookbook is the endless variety. The recipes are inspired by Guyana, the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Israel, India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Tibet, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Nirmala's poetic writing style infuses the book with mystery. She writes about experiences from her childhood and from her travels abroad.

Most of the ingredients in this book are not difficult to find and Nirmala gives variations whenever necessary. Her guide to exotic ingredients is filled with pictures of delicious fruits and vegetables. For the most part, amazon has all the ingredients you need for the more exotic recipes. I found passion fruit in cans and vanilla beans for a very reasonable price. The only thing I haven't been able to find lately is Kashmir saffron.

I can highly recommend this
cookbook for your collection.

You may also want to try: Nirmala's Kitchen Exotic Salt, Mauritius Fleur De Sel, 4.0 Ounce Unit (Pack of 3) I used it when making the fritters.

~The Rebecca Review

5.0 out of 5 stars In Nirmala's Kitchen Review, February 9, 2008

By	J. Bollig "JB" (MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Wonderful book! Truly takes you around the world gastronomically. Interesting narratives. All recipes tried so far have been fantastic.