cover image The Universal Kitchen: A 250-Recipe Tour of World Cooking

The Universal Kitchen: A 250-Recipe Tour of World Cooking

Elisabeth Rozin, Elizabeth Rozin. Viking Books, $27.95 (400pp) ISBN 978-0-670-85404-2

In this multi-ethnic cookbook, Rozin, a James Beard Award nominee (The Primal Cheeseburger and Ethnic Cuisine), reveals culinary patterns that span the globe and unite far-flung cuisines. Throughout, she offers historical and linguistic perspectives on such topics as the development of the word ""stew,"" our taste for sugar and the discovery of the cooking fire. Chapters are arranged by cooking concepts: Meat on a Stick; The Primal Soup; Little Bits of Meat; Vegetable Refreshments. Rozin demystifies exotic dishes by demonstrating their links to familiar recipes. Tomato Bulgar and Toasted Noodle Pilaf, after all, isn't so different from All-American Marcaroni Casserole. After following a succulent recipe for Mexican Carnitas, one has only to alter the spices to produce the next recipe in the section, Chinese Meat Shreds. The recipes are eclectic (Cypriot Spiced Sausage Roll; Venison Stew with Dried Cranberries; Turkish Swordfish Kabob) and generally robust (Jollof Rice with Shrimp; Afghani Leek Dumplings with Minted Yogurt; Harvest Vegetable Spice Cake). Even the salads are bold--Japanese Eggplant and Double Ginger Salad; Hungarian Wilted Pepper Salad. Calling for ingredients generally available, these recipes offer the home cook a chance to sample the flavors of the global village. (Sept.)