Review by Booklist Review
Author, activist, and media figure Lakshmi (Love, Loss, and What We Ate, 2016) offers this personal book informed by extensive traveling and befriending of those who "create and evolve the cuisine of the U.S." American food, she notes, is now "more salsa and sriracha than ketchup." She collects stories of immigrants--war brides, refugees, students--and honors their culinary contributions. Lakshmi shares her mother's coconut rice recipe alongside her own immigration story of a long solo flight at age four. Recipes, organized by course, all come with a backstory. West African jollof rice is an example of cross-pollination through immigration. Nigerians don't typically include dashi or sun-dried tomatoes in theirs, while an American version amps up the umami with those ingredients. She includes a friend's recipe for classic Filipino arroz caldo and the versatile, make-ahead Persian dish, kuku sabzi. Ruiz's Pieces are a healthier, Indigenous American take on a popular candy, made with peanut butter and mesquite flour. Beautiful photography and step-by-step instructions will tempt home cooks to try a new world of recipes, and Lakshmi's suggested pantry staples (chilis, herbs, oils) will make flavors pop. Delicious food and unforgettable immigrant stories will broaden and enrich readers' culinary repertoire, strengthening bonds among all who call America home.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Taste the Nation host Lakshmi (Love, Loss, and What We Ate) uses this gorgeous compendium of recipes collected during her travels across the U.S. to craft a "love letter" to "all immigrants who have made a life here and, in turn, made America what it is." An extensive introduction offers practical advice on best cooking practices and a comprehensive pantry list in which Lakshmi breaks down potentially unfamiliar ingredients, stating that one of her goals is to "get you familiar with the flavors you love (or will love) but may have never tried cooking at home." For starters, there's som tum, or Thai green papaya salad, and Afghan leek and scallion dumplings. Meat, poultry, and seafood dishes include Italian saltimbocca, Filipino chicken adobo, and Peruvian ceviche. The chapter on grains features abundant rice dishes, from Cuban moros y cristianos (black beans and rice) to South Carolina crab fried rice. Dessert and drink options pull from a similarly wide range of cultural influences. Lakshmi's instructions are thorough, and she provides both plenty of substitution ideas and step-by-step photo illustrations for trickier dishes. Throughout, profiles of home cooks and professional chefs from immigrant backgrounds add heart. This accomplished collection is a treasure trove. (Nov.)This review has been updated.
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Review by Library Journal Review
Once again, Lakshmi (The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs) demonstrates true culinary grace and grit, in a book that is both homage and manifesto. This work that draws on Lakshmi's TV show Taste the Nation is dedicated to immigrant families and their cuisines in the midst of continuing political dehumanization of the very people who make the United States' culinary culture far richer than it would be without Mexican, Indian, Iranian, and so many other influences. Lakshmi beautifully articulates what it means for her to use food as a lens into other people's lives and cultures, and she gives voices to those whose daily lives are full of spices and specialties that many readers might, at first glance, view as unfamiliar. She draws on her own experiences to demystify practices, noting, for instance, that frying spices can seem intimidating but is a simple skill that she learned as a child. Throughout the book, she shares stories, many from Taste the Nation, and offers recipes that are meticulously written to ensure readers' success when trying new ingredients or cooking methods. VERDICT Lakshmi shows that these recipes, ranging from Afghani dumplings to Indian coconut rice to Peruvian tamales, are as all-American as apple pie in a book that is a love letter to the diversity of the United States, written through food.--Emily Bowles
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