Synopses & Reviews
International culinary borders are gradually disappearing, opening up a world of new cooking pleasures for everyone. At the turn of this century, we started gently adopting new culinary habits. We are not talking about ethnic or exotic cooking any longer, as these terms imply far away places and not necessarily authentic. No longer is it strange or foreign to cook Chinese, Indian, or Mexican food. Today's approach consists of finding one's culinary inspirations wherever one can. In earlier times, to try ethnic cooking was considered bold, but today it is part of our daily trip to the local supermarket. To find exotic ingredients used to require the skills of a good detective or adventurous friends willing to carry strange foods from foreign lands. Today these can be found at most grocery stores. We are not afraid any longer of spices, unusual containers, or colorful fruit-we have learned how to use them. Even better, we have learned how to adapt them into our everyday lives. The whole world comes naturally into kitchens, with all of its fresh flavors, fully intact; at the same time we are discovering different eating traditions and dieteac principles, which open our minds to recollection and meditation. Our kitchens have become a natural melting pot of fusion food, and what used to be unusual is now so familiar that its foreign origins are forgotten. Cafe Food from around the World is an exciting new series created in the spirit of fusion food, bringing the best of casual dining from different parts of the world into your kitchen. Hosting a party is simply the decor and the accesoues for the festivity, says author Irish Deseme. Learn how to relax and forget about the sophisticationand difficulty and instead go for simplicity and quality ingredients. Learn how to celebrate with inspirational recipes and themes from backyard barbecues and housewarming parties to preparing foods by color and season. Crate atmosphere and put the sparkle back into your next party by hosting a wonderful evening that friends will be talking about for years to come.