Padma's all American Tales, travels, and recipes from Taste the Nation and beyond

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