Composed in both English and Spanish, this offering by Moonstone Press holds out the prospect of creating multicultural, multinational cuisine in any home, anywhere. From soups and sides to main courses, the “famous dishes” include such classics as American chili, English favorite shepherd’s pie, French salad niçoise, German sauerbraten, Indian korma, Greek moussaka, Indonesian satay, Spanish paella, Swedish meatballs, and plov, the “prized national dish of Uzbekistan.” Each recipe is complete with ingredients down to the smallest portions of spices. Each contains a description of the food as enjoyed in its home country. From these, we learn tidbits such as that pad Thai was actually a Chinese dish introduced by the Thai government to promote Thai nationalism, and that traditional Russian borscht dates back to Roman times.

The creators of this vibrant collection have spared no efforts to make their new project a feast for the eyes as well as for the stomach, with brilliant color photographs on every page. They also offer detailed nutritional information based on daily values per six servings. The page backgrounds are color-coordinated to enhance the dual presentation of all information in both English and Spanish. Making these thirty delicious meals available in two languages gives readers of many backgrounds a chance to cook, serve, and happily consume them. In addition, the editors, artists, and translators have assembled two sections to augment the chef’s knowledge and enhance the preparation process. “Some Cooking Tips and Tricks” gives advice on important processes like keeping pasta from sticking and cleaning cast-iron pans. “Healthy Hints for the Home Cook” suggests using authentic, organic ingredients whenever possible and avoiding overuse of fats and red meats by rotating to vegetable and chicken meals. In total, this book invites readers to enjoy and share new cuisine in combination with multicultural understanding.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

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