Refugees by status, chefs by calling.The Kitchen Without Borders is a special kind of cookbook. In it, chefs from around the world – all part of Eat Offbeat, a catering company staffed by immigrants and refugees who have found a new home and new hope through cooking- offer up to 70 authentic, surprising, nourishing recipes. The food has roots that run as deep as its flavors, celebrating the culinary traditions of Syria, Iran, Eritrea, Venezuela, and more. Discover Iraqi Biryani, a rice dish combining vegetables and plump dried fruits with warming spices. Chari Bari, hand formed meatballs simmered in Nepali- spiced tomato and cashew sauce. Iranian rice with garbanzos, Sri Lankan curry dhal, and Manchurian cauliflower straight from the Himalayas. More than a collection of delicious foods from around the world, this inspiring cookbook- with its intimate chef profiles and photographic portraits-offers a glimpse into the journey of displaced people and highlights the profound link between food and home.*From March 1, 2021, to March 1, 2022, (including any preordered copies that ship during this period), Workman Publishing will donate 2% of the cover price for every copy of The Kitchen without Borders cookbook sold in the United States and its territories, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and European Union member states, to the IRC, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid, relief and resettlement to refugees and other victims of oppression, conflict, or disaster with a minimum contribution of $25,000 USD. For more information, visit rescue.org/cookbook and https://www.workman.com/kwob. No portion of the purchase price is tax-deductible. For additional information about the IRC, see rescue.org.
The Kitchen without Borders is a touching and very human recipe collection based on the culture and experiences of chefs who came to the USA as refugees.
This is a lovingly crafted tribute, wonderfully photographed, with recipes (yay!) from a number of world cuisines and cultures. The chefs profiled all came to the USA as refugees from a number of places including Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Their culture and experiences have left an indelible stamp on their food and recipes. There are 14 chefs spotlighted and a total of 70 recipes from Eat Offbeat, a multi-cultural literal melting pot catering service.
Each of the listings include a picture of the cook, recipe introduction with ingredients in the sidebar (measurements in US standard only, but there's a conversion table in the appendices), and step by step instructions. The ingredients are mostly relatively easily sourced and should be available from any well stocked international grocery or large supermarket. The book includes a recipe listing by chef as well as a regular table of contents. There are accompaniment suggestions with recipes for coordinating sauces and enhancements.
This is a beautifully photographed book with fascinating and awe inspiring stories of courage and generosity in the face of adversity. This is such a vibrant book full of world cuisine and entrepreneurial spirit. The bios are fascinating and the food is just gorgeous.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
