July 4: East Meets West

By JULIETTE ROSSANT What are you cooking for July 4? Whatever you are cooking, buy East Meets West (Pembrokeshire: Accent, May 2005). Go online and buy it now! The proceeds from the sale of the book are going to tsunami relief in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It is a fun, lovely cookbook that is a terrific introduction to the recipes of many important British and Asian chefs. Come to think of it, buy a few. This is the way to celebrate July 4th. It has been just about six months since the Indian Ocean was rocked by the deadly tsunami on December 26, 2004. Many of the poor have still to receive aid, and a great deal more work is needed to rebuild their lives. As many of you readers may recall, superchefblog has reported heavily on the tsunami (see previous articles), until Medecins Sans Frontieres stopped accepting donations for the tsunami (and started asking for other ravaged regions). The book's compilers, Barbara Jayson and Jenny de Montfort, met in Indonesia. Barbara set up and runs the Foundation for Mother and Child Health. Jenny was born in Sri Lanka and spent time in Indonesia. She worked in the wine trade in France and England and helped publish a previous charity cookbook in Indonesia. They decided to put together a cookbook of recipes from leading Asian and Western chefs and foodies. They first approached Nigella Lawson who helped get the ball rolling, getting other chefs onboard quickly. Funds will go both to Indonesia to UNICEF and the Foundation for Mother and Child Health, focusing on Aceh and Sumatra, and to Sri Lanka to the Navajeewana charity and various groups. As author myself, I am in awe at how such a handsome book was put together in an unbelievable four months. The recipes are grouped, with handy strips of differing colors, into brunch, starters, salads, fish and so on. Each recipe gets a photograph of the contributor with a short biography and many are accompanied by photographs. They range from Coconut Pancakes with Banana and Passion Fruit Syrup (pp. 20-21) from one of Australia's leading cookbook writers, Bill Granger, to Ballymaloe Strawberry Muesli (p. 22) from famed Irish chef Darina Allen. There are plenty of more exotic recipes like Fofos (p. 56), which are Goan fish rolls, from Atul Kochhar, a London-based Indian chef. Nigella has a few recipes like Asian Style Spiced Kedgeree (pp. 32-33) and Thai Crumbled Beef in Lettuce Wraps (pp. 60-61), both of which are interpretative rather than authentic original recipes. There are terrific vegetable dishes that would spice up a July 4th barbecue like Porial Kadama (pp. 180-181) from Pat Chapman (cookbook author and founder of the Curry Club), which is a south Indian vegetable dish served in a pineapple. And, if you happen to have any passion fruit left over after making the pancakes, try Lime and Passion Fruit Souffle (pp.232-233) from food writer Silvana Franco which ought to tame all the hot peppers. Or, try a lovely Green Tea and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Chocolate Sauce from reformed bad boy Jamie Oliver Ladies, well done! Foodies of America, do your stuff: buy up and eat well! Happy 4th of July -- and don't forget to check out today's other cookbook review "July 4: Paul Gayner's The Gourmet Burger." Previous articles: Robert Klein: The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue Christy Campbell: The Botanist and the Vintner Kathleen Daelemans: Getting Thin and Loving Food! Aroma: Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel Tyler Florence: Eat This Book The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life Mother's Day Gift: Finding Betty Crocker The Sensual Language of Baklava: Diana Abu-Jaber Paula Deen & Friends Roland Mesnier's Dessert University Puerto Rico: Grand Cuisine of the Caribbean Don Pintabona: Shared Table Annabel Karmel: First Meals Nigella Lawson's Feast Cook Like a Kyrgyz Ozzi Dining Downunder and Bushfood Personal Favorites: The Chefs of Las Vegas Anne Willan: The Good Cook Gale Gand's short+sweet More Food from Alton Brown Manju Malhi's India With Passion SOS: Baking from the Heart Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs All Hail Alfred Portale Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs Book links: Publisher Amazon.co.uk Technorati Tags: chefs food restaurants cooking branding cookbook tsunami charity July 4th --> back to superchefblog