The Nepal Cookbook [ペーパーバック]

This is truly a 21st Century, global product. It is a book of family recipes, many never put into writing before, collected from Nepalis living in the Americas. Simple food, with subtle flavorings, Nepali food reflects the influences of India and Tibet, the cultural development of the vibrant Kathmandu Valley, and the harsh topography of the mountains of Nepal.

I collect cookbooks. I watch cooking shows on TV. (Simply Ming and Paula Dean are my favorites.) I don't have a wildly exotic palate, but I do like to "play" when I cook. Living in New York, I have access to a nearly unlimited variety of food ingredients, and I enjoy experimenting. What makes this a standout cookbook for me is that it contains recipes passed down from mother to daughter for generations. It is not only reflective of Nepali culture and history, it is personal.

Despite a smattering of unfamiliar ingredients like asafetida and jimbu, the recipes are basically uncomplicated and manageable for anyone with basic cooking skills. It is the unique mix of ingredients, applied with a delicate hand, that make them special. Plantain Curry, Turkey Turnovers, Creamy Onions, Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese and Herbs, Pork Chops and Rice, Onion Pickle, and Crispy Rice Doughnuts all caught my eye. I can't wait to start cooking. Thank you, Snow Lion!

(InannaWorks.com received a free review copy of this book.)

Are you ready for the challenges of new tastes, techniques and ideas? Then grab a copy of this book and Cook! Eat! Laugh! Make some new, unique dishes and have a good time with family, friends, and your kitchen. My experience with this book ranged from total knock-out success to dismal failure.

Perhaps you're wondering why I'm so excited about a cookbook that included a serious failure. First of all, I'm not done experimenting with the concepts in the recipe. Second, it presented food preparation ideas that were completely new to me. I've been through literally hundreds of cookbooks in my life--and nearly a hundred just in the past few months. The kitchen in Solomon's palace has nothing on mine for searching out new things: there are very few truly new ideas under the sun that can be used in the home kitchen.

The unsuccessful recipe was for a dehydrated, raw bean dish. The results presented color, taste and texture I don't recommend to Western cooks. (Stay tuned to CookEatLaugh online to get the new, updated recipe I am already working on.) On the other hand, other recipes were amazing, unique, and completely successful. I tried five recipes from this book for the review.

From the Carrot Fudge to an usual salad, we all had a great time investigating the new textures and tastes. What follows is the recipe I am likely to use the most. It sounds like a weird combination--and I had 9 out of ten votes for "Give me a copy of that recipe!" As a result I am confident recommending Grapefruit Salad as a perfect first recipe from this book.

Grapefruit Salad combines unexpected elements in something that probably seems a bit like fruit slaw to someone used to eating Western foods. The dish however is phenomenally better than adding raisins to your coleslaw. (Stop that people! It's just weird in my opinion.)

You will find the design of the book very basic. Graphics are primarily little drawings added to the pages. No pictures of the food are included to help you with the process. The recipes and book are really for at least intermediate cooks and food people. While I am rating the book five stars, be advised it will be a challenge for those just mastering their kitchen legs. In the same vein, for those still developing their tastes for different combinations and flavors the recipes may also be too intimidating. The other books, "Tibetan Cooking" by Elizabeth Esther Kelly or "The Lhasa Moon" bookbook by Wangmo and Houshmand.