Take a Bite
Full of fascinating facts and recipes from around the world, ‘Take a Bite’ is all about food, glorious food! The Mizielinskis visit twenty-six different countries, exploring global food and cultural traditions. A map on the endpapers identifies the places which the book visits taking the reader from the first wheat fields to the space age meals astronauts eat. The following index introduces the recipes which can be found throughout the book, offering plenty of treats to try and enjoy!
The book starts with Turkey, the ‘crossroads of culture’, discussing the importance of its location for, including other things, the combining of the customs and cuisines of many nations. Here, readers are encouraged to make ‘imam bayildi’ whose name literally translates to mean ‘the imam fainted’. Further on in the book, a visit to Japan discusses the ingenuity of Japanese chefs who used a few local ingredients to create dishes which are both beautiful and delicious whilst the stop in America shows how their food reflects the great diversity of its people- bagels invented by Polish Jews, donuts based on Dutch olykoeks, popcorn inspired by the native inhabitants of North and South America.
The book includes recipes which appeal to those with a sweet tooth as well as those which are savoury. Melomakarona are honey biscuits served in Greece at Christmas and honey gingerbread is a spiced treat from Poland. Pastries from France will come as no surprise and the book offers recipes for both mille-feuille and croissants.
In addition to all the recipes, there is a wealth of information on every page, making this book perfect for dipping in and out of or for focusing on a particular place or culture. It would be an excellent introduction to a country’s cuisine before a holiday or offer an opportunity to try something from a country or culture being studied. It is a fascinating read, including timelines and a comprehensive index to help readers locate information if required.
Take A Bite: Eat Your Way Around the World
Aleksandra Mizielinska, Daniel Mizielinski and Natalia Branowska
Translated by Agnes Monod-Gayraud
Big Picture Press ISBN: 978-1800782884