|
|
|
|
|
|
HomeCookbooksEthiopean CookbooksEthiopian-inspired Cooking, Vegetarian Specialties |
|
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 12 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 A Real "Cook's"-Book Dec 24, 2007
By Old School Fool
A great little cookbook.
Doesn't have a ton of recipes, but emphasizes quality over quantity.
Perfect for the home cook who is serious about preparing this kind of food.
Unlike many recipes found on the Internet, these recipes actually *work*; specializing in lentil and vegetable dishes.
The potato salad is my favorite recipe.
I'm a big fan of Ethiopian food, and this cookbook, as the title states, makes these recipes accessible to Americans.
All the recipes for a "vegetarian platter" in an Ethiopian restaurant are here, in one place, plus some.
You will not be asked to seed 15 lbs. of dried New Mexico chilies. Or dry them in the sun! as with Jote Mesfin's book, which I also love, but which can at times be unrealistic for the home cook.
Even the Injera recipe works and is easy to prepare.
An essential guide to the serious home cook looking to explore this realm of cooking.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Tasty Recipes, just too few Nov 09, 2008
By Zombunny
"PDXMODCHICK"
This is the most realistic recipe book for Ethiopian cooking I have found. I was a bit taken back that it was so cheaply bound, but what it lacks in style it makes up in substance. Very great recipe for berbere the most important sauce in Ethiopian cooking, it is worth it for that recipe alone.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Strong content -- a bit short Feb 14, 2008
By Sean Fritz
Author shows a clear command of the subject, but the book is somewhat short. It would do the author well to add another 10-20 pages to future copies of the book.
If you're looking for a quick list of some Ethiopian dishes you can make at home, this is a perfect book. I suggest anyone interested in real recipes that can actually be made in American kitchen's check this book out. If you're looking to master the ins and outs of Ethiopian cooking I suggest you look elsewhere.
The one thing I would have like to see more of is cultural discussion about how food is served etc. There is a page devoted to this, but I don't really feel well informed by this book.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 dismissive of home cooks but has some potential Sep 04, 2009
By Vegas Slim
I admit this was a gamble purchase given the other reviews. Many people might be disappointed in the handful of recipes included (less than a dozen). For me the disappointment in twofold; First, the author relies too much on flavored oil. One recipe, squash curry, calls for 1 cup of oil to 6 cups of sweet potatoes or squash. That is an incredible amount of oil. I made the dish with only 1/2 cup and even then it was greasy. Several other recipes also call for 2/3 to 1 cup of oil. I am not disputing the heavy use of flavored oil (and butter) in many Ethiopian dishes, but the ratios offered in this book seem out of line for food "inspired by" Ethiopian food. A second disappointment is the author's insistence that a) Ethiopian (inspired) food is too spicy for America tastes and b) the ingredients for berbere are impossible to locate so why try? The problem for his former claim is most people seeking out such recipes likely know the "heat" involved in such cooking. For the latter claim it is simply not true. One common ingredient in berbere, rue berries, are readily available in the United States. At the very least the author could include a traditional recipe with the more difficult ingredients and provide substitutes for people who can't find these more scarce items. One last note, the author included an interview with a friend of his (pages 30-33) yet there is no context or explanation about why it is included. The dialogue (question and answer style) is something you'd see on a message board (even spelling "you" as "u" in one place). At the end of the book, seven pages of black-and-white photos are printed. I would have preferred to read more recipes and/or more about the author's experiences with Ethiopian cuisine than have these photos. Overall, I had high hopes for this and took a chance that it would be more useful than it is. I hope the author finds the means to produce a more comprehensive and complete cookbook as I am confident he has it in him to do so.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Fine Way To Get Started With Ethiopian Tastes Feb 11, 2008
By Katherine Fulton
Though properly described as a booklet rather than a tome, Finn's guide to Ethiopian-inspired cuisine is a fine introduction for the curious cook who wants to explore new tastes without spending too much on a large collection of recipes. The 11 recipes offer some basics - traditional flatbread, spiced oil and kale all make appearances - as well as hearty main dishes, all of which are vegetarian. (Carnivores shouldn't be dissuaded - any of the recipes offered can easily be used as a side for a meaty main course.) Finn's notes and asides offer practical advice in addition to fascinating cultural insights, and the book's "comb" binding allows it to lie flat, which is a real asset for those who need to refer to a recipe several times throughout the cooking process. Those looking for a definitive collection of Ethiopian recipes accompanied by glossy photos will probably want to look elsewhere, but beginning cooks or casual culinary adventurers on a budget will find what they're looking for here.
See all 12 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
| |
|
|
* Estimated shipping rate for US 48 states. Final rate calculated at checkout. |
|
|
|
