Excerpt
ForewordWhat better way to celebrate a new millennium, a new century, and a new year than to revisit historic barbecuing and grilling in its modern forms? These recipes capture the diverse flavor memories of my travels, allowing me to savor them all over again along with the good times that made me say, "I am alive -- I have made it -- I am happy."
In 1967 I took my first trip abroad to Germany. Then there was my Olympic Gold Medal win in Mexico City. What a happy time it was for me when I walked around the ring with my American flag, making sure the whole world knew I was an American. Three and a half years later, in Kingston, Jamaica, the world once again saw that same American jump for joy when Howard Cosell yelled over and over, "Down goes Frasier! Down goes Frasier!" As World Heavyweight Champion, I soon went to Tokyo to defend my title, then faced challenger Kim Norton in Caracas, Venezuela, and finally the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" against the great Muhammad Ali. Although both joy and disappointment were with me on my journey, something more lasting remains. The world opened its doors, its heart, and the hospitality of its table to me. I was treated to the best food I could ever have imagined. When soups and appetizers were served, I said to myself, "I hope I like this." Even vegetables and breads were big "maybes" for me. But when the open-air grilling or barbecuing started, we all became one. These wonderful places were new to me, and the exotic seasonings and aromas made me realize I was truly the world champ. In this cookbook you will travel with me and revisit Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, and finally home to America. I hope you, too, will feel some of my joy and wonder in having been the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
George Foreman