Indian Culture and Cooking (Exploring Cultures in the Kitchen)

by Lindsey Lowe

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Indian Culture and Cooking is a well written, colorful, and inviting booklet for middle grade readers by Lindsey Lowe. It's part of the Exploring Cultures in the Kitchen series. Released 1st Aug 2023, it's 48 pages and is available in paperback and library binding editions.

The first part of the book focuses on the various cultures and traditions of different areas of India. The second section, containing the recipes, is arranged thematically: classic recipes, national celebrations, family celebrations, and life in India. The author/publisher have also included some handy appendices: a glossary, links and resources lists, and an index. 

Recipes are written in clear, basic language. All the ingredients are listed in a bullet sidebar. They're provided with imperial (American) measurements only. Most will be readily available at any well stocked grocery store. Some of the spices will require a trip to an international/Asian grocery store. 

All the recipes have easy to follow step-by-step prep and cooking directions, and all are accompanied by one or more tutorial photos. Special points of interest are written into highlighted text boxes throughout. 

Four stars. Well written and age-appropriate; these dishes could be prepared by an 8-11 year old (the target audience) with minimal adult supervision. It is a very short booklet, but would make a nice choice for public or school library acquisition, gift giving, and home use.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.