A Taste for Adventure: A Culinary Odyssey around the World [Paperback]

Anik See (Author)

Book Description

Series: Adventura Books | Publication Date: February 9, 2002

One of the most accessible entrees into another culture is its food — a lesson Anik See has learned well. In A Taste for Adventure, See describes in loving detail her gastronomic forays into Iran, Indonesia, Turkey, and nine other countries. On bicycle, See travels the breathtaking mountains of Chile’s Patagonia region and partakes of a roadside asado (barbecue). Riding into post-Soviet Georgia, she lunches with a mercenary-turned-cop then continues to a wine-harvest feast in the mountains. In a savory twist on travel literature, each chapter concludes with selected recipes from See’s excursions, including Malaysian roti (flatbread), Mexican pozole (pork with hominy), and Georgian adzhapsandali (ratatouille). 38 original recipes complement the text.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Canadian cyclist See travels off the beaten path and returns with exotic recipes in this tale of adventure and exploration. As she bikes, often solo, through Malaysia, Georgia (Russia), Patagonia, Argentina, Iran and half a dozen other countries, she does so with the belief that one can come to know a culture through its food. Her respectful and forthright approach to travel in different lands pays off in the eating department. Charmed by the lone cyclist, people around the globe press local delicacies upon her, sharing glimpses of their ways of life along with their meals. Each chapter finishes with a selection of recipes for dishes See has eaten along the way: Rosita's Pozole from Mexico, a creamy hominy dish; Tkemali, a pungent sour plum sauce from Georgia; Bubur Injin, a rich Balinese black rice pudding. Although some recipes include somewhat exotic and perhaps difficult-to-find ingredients, the preparations are straightforward and the results delicious. When See writes that "realizing in places where culture is celebrated vivaciously, fear simply dissipates the world is much more opened-armed than we think," it may be hard for the reader to hold back a wistful, rather melancholy smile. Yet it's equally difficult not to be charmed by her sunny and disarming narrative, which is full of vivid details and telling moments. This is a hopeful and fascinating book for armchair travelers with a taste for exotic adventure.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A Canadian best seller last year as A Fork in the Road, this installment in the publisher's series is finally available in the United States. See, a cycling editor for Canada's Big World magazine, has worked in television as a food researcher and traveled around the world, investigating the food and culture of 11 countries. In this delicious book, which will whet the appetite of every traveler and everyone who loves to cook, she encourages readers to expand their worlds both by traveling to exotic places and by experimenting with exotic foods. With a sharp eye for detail, she describes the taste and texture of each morsel of food that passes her lips. Moving from Mexico, through the Middle East, and into British Columbia, she shares her many culinary experiences and provides thorough insight into each culture. In Georgia she joins a wine harvest festival; in Argentina she stumbles upon and is invited into a wedding celebration; in Patagonia she feasts grandly at an asado, or barbecue. Each chapter ends with a few recipes of native dishes that See has personally tasted. A joy to read, this book is highly recommended. Stephanie Papa, Baltimore Cty. Circuit Court Lib.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (February 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580050654
• ISBN-13: 978-1580050654
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,389,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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