I don't often write about self-published cookbooks. There are simply too many out there to do it fairly. Also, other than the specific church or community organization compiling the book, there's little that sets each book apart, as they frequently contain the same or similar tried-and-true recipes.
That isn't the case with A Passport to Foods of the World: A Cookbook Featuring Over 285 Recipes From Around the Globe by Robin R. Jones and Jaime A. Hurtado. (Longtime readers may find a familiar name among the pages as Helen Austin, a former Food editor of the Arkansas Democrat, wrote the introduction and is credited as a proofreader.)
The spiral-bound book is jam-packed with recipes. The recipes span the globe, yet are approachable and easy-to-follow. And aside from a handful of Thai dishes, the recipes use ingredients found at most supermarkets.
What you won't find are typical Southern, Midwestern or Northeastern recipes. But that's not to say the United States isn't represented. There are chapters devoted to Louisiana Bayou Country, the American Southwest and the West Coast and Pacific Northwest.
For many years Jones and Hurtado taught private cooking classes in the Little Rock area called Casino Royale Cooking School. The recipes in the book are the accumulation of the recipes taught in those classes and Jones' and Hurtado's travels around the world. Each chapter -- African, Austrian and German, Chinese, French, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Russian, Thai, Tropical Islands (Caribbean and Polynesian), and the three aforementioned U.S. regions --
features a short introduction and a variety of recipes.
I think anyone interested in expanding their cooking repertoire to international flavors without spending a lot of money on multiple cookbooks will enjoy the book.
A Passport to Foods of the World costs $25 and can be ordered by sending an email to foodsoftheworld@comcast.net or bought in Little Rock at WordsWorth Books and Co., Terry's Finer Foods, Eggshells Kitchen Co., The Everyday Chef, The Full Moon, Diane's Gourmet Foods, Rhea Drug Store and Remedy Drug.
So far I've made two recipes from the book. A dip and a soup. Both were delicious, but the soup was simply divine.
Feta Dip (Feta Meze)
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Pita bread, for serving
Place the cheese, olive oil, yogurt, cayenne and walnuts in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Place in a serving bowl and refrigerate several hours before serving. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle top with chopped parsley and serve with pita bread.
Makes about 2 cups.
Acorn Squash Bisque (Ghianda Zucca Bisque)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped carrot
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 acorn squash, peeled and cubed (I used about 8 cups cubed squash)
1 tablespoon chicken base concentrate (I used Better Than Bouillon)
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup dry sherry
Ground red pepper (cayenne)
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion, carrot, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Cook over low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring often. Add potatoes and squash. Dissolve chicken base concentrate in chicken broth. Pour broth into vegetables and simmer, covered, over low heat for 25 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Let cool slightly and puree in a food processor (I used an immersion blender). Return soup to pot. Stir in half-and-half. Add sherry. Taste for seasoning and reheat. Sprinkle each serving with a dash of cayenne pepper.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Recipes from A Passport to Foods of the World: A Cookbook Featuring Over 285 Recipes From Around the Globe by Robin R. Jones and Jaime A. Hurtado
Food on 10/19/2016