Customer Reviews

The Art of Uzbek Cooking (Hippocrene International Cookbooks)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Growing up Bukharan in 1970's North America, I have had a difficult time explaining to people where I'm from etc. Thank goodness someone has finally taken an interest in and published a book about my favourite aspect of my culture . . . Food!

In terms of the actual recipes, this is a very good book. They all turn out as they should and are fairly authentic (which is rare in any cookbook). My only caveats have to do with the book iself:

1) It is poorly bound. My copy fell apart after about 2 months.
2) There are no photographs accompanying any of the recipes. This is a shame considering that most people are unfamiliar with this cuisine and wouldn't know how it's supposed to turn out or what the ideal presentation should be.
3) The index (is bad). It's basically the table of contents but in alphabetical order. If you're looking for, say, all recipes with mung beans, you will have to search through the entire book to find them.

However, after all this I still urge you to buy this book. Why? Because the recipes are easy to follow, nutritious, filling and delicious. (And of course, exotic.) Also, if you're interested in the history of this fabled land of the Silk Road, you'll find this a well written & researched book that you could curl up with as well as cook from.
Solomat!
Thank you, Lynn Visson.

Uzbek cooking may be unfamiliar to many Americans, but it is simple to prepare, exotically spicy, and healthy to boot. This cookbook gives an excellent introduction to Uzbek cuisine through recipes that emphasize basic techniques of Uzbek cooking, such as pilafs, soups, dumplings, etc. I have not been disappointed with one recipe from this book. My only complaint is that the cookbook was too short!

I found this book wonderful for two reasons - exotic yet undaunting recipes (delicious!); plus the fascinating background cultural information. I agree with the other readers - Hippocrene did a terrible job with the binding - cheap and falling apart! Nevertheless I strongly recommend this book - it is a culinary and cultural masterpiece regarding a cuisine little known in North America. Lynn Visson - Great Job!

This cookbook is an excellent sampling of Central Asian cuisine in general, and Uzbek cooking in particular. Having lived in various places in Central Asia for the last 5 years, I can attest that these recipes, and the insightful introduction are infused with cultural accuracy. With dishes coming from a range of cultures from Mongolian to Turkish, Indian, Arab, and more, the breads, salads, stews, and main dishes are flavorful and fairly comprehensive. I can't wait to make the Lagman (my personal favorite)! I particularly appreciated the little tips on how to transform an American oven to perform more like an Uzbek oven would do. This is an excellent cookbook, and I'm so glad to have it in Kindle format, for easy transportability.

Due to the course of world events, Central Asia has been in the news a great deal lately, but the cuisine and culture of this region remains a mystery to most people in North America. This book makes the food of this region accessible to the English speaking world. Uzbek cooking bears an intriguing mixture of influences: The Middle East, Russia, India, and China have all influenced the cuisine. The recipes in this book are excellent and easy to prepare. We enjoyed the Lamb Plov, served with flatbread and the pomegranate and white radish salad. One negative, though: I must agree with Djonn from Toronto that the binding of this book is of very poor quality: ours fell apart on the first use!

I have never eaten Uzbek cooking before, and when I picked up this book I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. I made the steameed meat roll dish, the dish with the stuffed pepper and the feta chese and the yogurt sauce and well, it was a tremendous hit. I now crave that yogurt sauce and intend to make more to keep on hand. It is better than sour cream! The meat roll was also very yummy. I liked this book so much, that I ordered a printed copy so I can add notes.

If you like unusual cuisine or something different, please try this book. I think it is great!

I think the authors captured the essence of the region well. There are however some russian recipies mixed in, but that understandable as Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union and the mix of cultures occured.