According to authors and culinary adventurers Jeffrey Allford and Naomi Duguid, Flatbreads and Flavors is “in part a journal, a travel, diary a record of events and memories expressed in recipes.’” All of their cookbooks are excellent—the personal writing, the recipes, their instructions, the photographs—and this one (their first) is no exception.
In Flatbreads and Flavors they share more than 60 recipes for flatbreads of every origin and description: tortillas from Mexico, pita from the Middle East, naan from Afghanistan, chapatti from India, pizza from Italy, and French fougasse. Of course one cannot live on bread alone, so the authors have collected 150 recipes for traditional accompaniments to the breads—with tortillas there is a black bean mole and an ancho chile salsa; with dosas there is coconut chutney and a spicy lentil curry; with nan there are grilled chunks of lamb marinated in onion juice and a yogurt dip with garlic and mint.
Flatbread and Flavors is divided into chapters based on geographical regions and within each chapter, the recipes are grouped by country or culture. The book begins with a chapter on Flatbread Basics, an nice introduction for novice bakers, and then a section called Selecting a Flatbread to Make which zeros in on the best breads for impressing friends or eating every day. The original life-sustaining food served around the world since time began, flatbreads are forgiving breads for beginners, they are versatile and they are healthy. Whether you are keen to prepare your own flatbreads—or any bread for that matter—or just want to go along for a culinary adventure, then this cookbook is essential.
“A whole world of breads can be found within these covers. What will make this a classic is the authenticity and enchanting openness with which Alford and Duguid write about their global adventures to bring us tantalizing recipes and evocative insights into lives that enrich our own.” —Carol Field, cookbook author
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Posted by Food Junkie on March 14, 2004Categories - Baking, Bread, Dessert, Regional, International