Synopses & Reviews
The culinary traditions of the native peoples of the Americas are celebrated in this lavish book produced in association with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Written by chef Fernando Divina and Marlene Divina, who is of Chippewa heritage, FOODS OF THE AMERICAS presents 140 modern recipes that incorporate a wide array of foods cultivated by native people throughout North and South America. The book also includes nine illustrated short essays by native writers that provide an American Indian perspective on a variety of indigenous food traditions. Illustrated with food photographs as well as images from the museum's vast collections, the book is being published to coincide with the opening of the museum's flagship site on the National Mall on September 21, 2004.A comprehensive, illustrated cookbook with 140 recipes dedicated to the native ingredients and traditions of the Americas. Includes 24 full-color food photographs and 30 images from the Smithsonian collections.
Awards
2005 James Beard Cookbook of the YearReviews“This very important book will open the reader's mind to the culinary wisdom and ingenuity of the Native peoples of the Americas. Then it will open the reader's mouth to an enticing world of new flavors, which are in fact ancient and indigenous.” —Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets
About the Author
FERNANDO DIVINA has been the executive chef at several acclaimed restaurants. Together with his wife, MARLENE, he owns Divina Restaurant Concepts, which since 1989 has provided restaurant planning services and menu guidelines for a wide array of clients—most notably the National Museum of the American Indian’s Mitsitam Café. The Divinas’ articles and photography have appeared in such publications as The Oregonian, Northwest Indian Magazine, and Arizona Food and Lifestyles Magazine. The Divinas and their son, Zoey, are based in Arizona.