Review by Booklist Review
At the junction of Europe and Asia appear names and places, savors and smells, that imply exotic, almost unreproducible cuisines. Yet this collection from a Turkish-born food writer and U.S. university lecturer yields such surprises as bass in paper, leek fritters, sun-cooked tomato paste, spaghetti with eggplant, roasted red peppers, and poblano chilies. A cuisine that melds the fragrances and flavors of the Far East, Central Asia, Iran, Anatolia, and the Mediterranean is enriched by Algar as she goes well beyond the standard recipes (160 of them) to explain Turkey's historical, cultural, and culinary traditions--and, along the way, to include a glimpse of her personal family heritage. Occasionally, names are longer than the directions; frequently, the steps could overwhelm or even intimidate a kitchen dabbler. Nonetheless, an important addition to gastronomic literature. ~--Barbara Jacobs
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This compendium of Turkish fare does much to advance Algar's ( The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking ) theory that ``it is the imaginative combination of carefully cooked ingredients, however humble they may be, that creates good taste.'' While her writing is at times stiltingly formal, the recipes are anything but. Called traditional, they're in fact truly contemporary: full in flavor, redolent of fresh herbs and crushed spices and filled with healthful vegetables and grains. At their best, these dishes successfully combine present-day foodstuffs and concepts with classic Turkish antecedents, as seen in roasted eggplant and chili salad, mussel brochettes with walnut taratorsic and zucchini cakes with green onions, cheese, and herbs. Also featured are delicious Turkish condiments--e.g., sun-cooked tomato paste and sun-cooked purple plum marmelade--as well as desserts (poached dried figs stuffed with walnuts; chilled summer fruit in rose petal-infused syrup). Mail-order ingredient sources would have broadened the book's appeal. Algar is the Andrew Mellon Lecturer in Turkish at the University of California at Berkeley. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
An excellent introduction to a relatively unknown cuisine. The Turkish culinary tradition is of course related to other Mideastern cultures, but such dishes as a flavorful Chicken in Paprika-Laced Walnut Sauce or an assertive Smoked Eggplant Salad with Jalapenos demonstrate the diversity and uniqueness of the food. Algar, a Berkeley professor and food writer, provides knowledgeable commentary on the recipes, cuisine, and country, and few of the dishes require exotic ingredients or techniques. For most collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
