"But on the other hand she gets wary when I start cooking for her. She just has to look at my creations and will put on a couple pounds."
What's Cooking in the Okavango Delta? by Harry Feiersinger Trafford Publishing
book review by Susan J. Illis
Chef Harry Feiersinger draws on forty years of cooking and many cultures in creating his unique recipes. Having worked on many continents and the seas—as a cruise ship chef—as well, Feiersinger credits his mother's cooking with his lifelong fascination, preserving many of her recipes in this cookbook. The recipes are enticing, as are the photographs, despite the fact that food is notoriously difficult to photograph.
However, the strength and appeal of the recipes themselves notwithstanding, Feiersinger chose to arrange them alphabetically, by the name of the dish, rather than by type of food (appetizer, main course, side dish, etc.) as many cookbooks do. Without an index to rely on, the reader must flip through the book, seeking something arresting—although there's no lack of appeal among these recipes.
In addition, Feiersinger uses the metric system for his measurements. His attempt to help American cooks by scrupulously converting the measurements to tablespoons and cups is only marginally helpful. Measurements such as 7.33 tablespoons or 1.102 pounds will only frustrate some readers. If some degree of inexactitude is permissible in these recipes, then American cooks will achieve success; those with the compulsion to follow recipes exactly will have to measure 16.66 tablespoons of sugar. The directions, however, are quite well-written and easy to follow, with no unnecessarily difficult or complex procedures required. Readers and cooks will find it well worth the effort of finding the recipes and converting/interpreting the measurements for the final result.