Certain dishes just automatically come to mind when we think of certain countries or cultures. Maybe they are stereotypical dishes, but they continue to be associated with that country and there are tons of versions out there. But when you want a tried and true version of that dish, it's hard to want to wade through the online versions. That's where Famous Dishes From Around the World comes in.
This softcover book is notable because the first thing you see when looking at it is that it has both English and Spanish translations for every recipe. In the introduction to the book, it explains that they worked to make sure that each ingredient for the recipe could be found in national food chains, if not online. Many of the spices, oils, and vinegars are used in multiple recipes. That way readers aren't buying an obscure $15 bottle of oil that will just work in one recipe. That's a commitment I like from cookbook authors who care about the wallets of their readers.
I cooked a few recipes from this book and looked at pretty much every one in the book. There are a lot of recipes that call for turkey meat instead of chicken, beef, or pork, but if you prefer, you can easily sub it back in. There are also a fair number of seafood recipes in this book, so if you like me, are a seafood hater, then this book may not be for you.
It is a great source of inspiration though, as it gives both insight into new flavors and ingredients from around the world. It also shows a tasty morsel of a look into other cultures. I never knew any Colombian foods until perusing this book, but now I know that sancocho, a hearty stew of meat and vegetables like yucca, corn, and plantain, is the national dish of Colombia. This is just one take on it, but there is inspiration for other versions in the author's notes in this recipe, and others too.
A few of the dishes I made from Famous Dishes From Around the World are the Italian Primavera, Swedish Meatballs, and Indian Korma.
Italian primavera
I learned quickly from the primavera dish to check the serving sizes, which in this book run from 6-8 on any given recipe. I had a LOT of primavera. If you're cooking for a much smaller amount of people, keep that in mind when making these recipes and halve it as needed. The primavera was really good but did not necessarily reheat very well and is better fresh!
Swedish Meatballs
The Swedish meatballs were a foray into beef cooking, though I had Patrick roll them up for me. We ended up adding about a ½ cup of breadcrumbs to the mixture as it was very wet and hard to keep together. Even though I didn't cook the meatballs all the way through they were given pretty good feedback from my friends who ate some when they came over. These did reheat well, according to Patrick, who ate the rest of them.
Indian korma
And the Indian korma was a similar situation as the primavera in that I ended up with a mountain of korma to eat myself. I liked the flavor and the vegetable combinations here, and would definitely make this one again, but about a quarter of the recipe. It's a vegetable and flavor packed dish that reheats well for lunch the next day!
If you're looking to get out of your food rut and introduce some new nationalities into your kitchen (and if you like seafood) I recommend Famous Dishes From Around the World, especially for the price point of less than $11. Bonus points if you can make the recipe just using the Spanish version. Snag a copy for yourself and be a much more interesting cook.
Thanks to Moonstone Press for sending me this book to review, and thank you to everyone for supporting the brands that support this blog.
