[.ca] Taste Of Eritrea (ISBN 0781807646)

From Amazon.com:
Taste of Eritrea provides 100 recipes and a substantial amount of background on this little-known country on the eastern coast of Africa. The cooking of Eritrea shows strong influences from such diverse regions as neighboring Ethiopia, former ruler Italy, Turkey, and England. From Ethiopia comes the use of berberé, a fiery blend of red chilies, garlic, ginger and other aromatic spices; ghee, a kind of clarified butter seasoned with ginger and a distinctive blend of other ingredients, including celery seed and fenugreek; and ingera, a sourdough flatbread made from wheat flour or teff, a local grain. This dish of towel-size, spongy bread is used as both plate and eating utensil by Eritreans. Like the Ethiopians, they eat with their hands, tearing off pieces of this moist bread and using it to convey every bite of food to their mouth. It may seem odd to find pizza and lasagna in an African cookbook, but while few Italians remain in their country, Eritreans still eat spaghetti, drink espresso, and love Macedonia di Frutta, a mixed fruit salad served everywhere. Easy dishes likely to please include Alicha, a mixed vegetable curry; spiced Eritrean Doughnuts; and Doro Zigni, a spicy chicken stew akin to the incendiary wats of Ethiopia. Author Olivia Warren opens Taste of Eritrea with a good description of the country, its history, and culture. Anyone planning a trip there will also find it somewhat useful as a travel guide. --Dana Jacobi

This isn't the way to do it............:
Okay, I've lived in Eritrea, and I can assure y'all: what this book is presenting is NOT authentic Eritrean cuisine!!! The recipes are very simplified and a lot of spices and ingredients are missing. The cooking technique isn't properly described, either. And half the book is full of Italian recipes..... so, if you're really interested in Eritrean cooking, buy "Exotic Ethiopian Cooking" by Daniel Jote Mesfin instead. Eritrean and Ethiopian cooking is almost the same (Ethiopian is even more versatile). I give this book 1 star, because the author at least tried.... and the way she writes about the Eritrean culture in the introduction showes that she got a lot of love for the country.

Taste of Eritrea Disappoints:
My title says it all. Of the 100 or so recipes in this book, most are of Italian vintage. The remainder are fairly humdrum versions of traditional Ethiopian dishes, better recipes for which are widely available (The Africa News Cookbook; Dorinda Hafner's Taste of Africa, etc.). Further, the author's Ethiopian ingredients are limited to berbere, onions, and tomato paste, guaranteeing that each new dish the reader prepares is going to taste a good deal like the last one. Either the author is herself an inexperienced cook, or she is writing down to those who are. For example, she gives extensive instructions for boning a chicken breast on the assertion that "you cannot buy this cut of chicken," contrary to the evidence available at any North American supermarket. Warren's affection for Eritrea is evident in her introduction and the anecdotes that accompany some of the recipes. But spending a little time in a country doesn't usually qualify a traveller to write a cookbook when she gets home.

Eritrean Food?:
It seemed puzzling that Eritrean food consisted of Ethiopian Spices and Italian recipies. Is there nothing original in this cook book. If I wanted Italian Food or Ethiopian Food then I would buy those cook books. The book is an excellent introduction of Eritrea.

A splendid introduction to Eritrean cuisine!:
Eritrea is one of Africa's most beautiful, interesting countries, and offers a unique cuisine drawn from a culinary tradition influenced by Italians, Turks, British, Egyptians, and Ethiopians. From Eritrean Papaya Juice, Dense Dinner Rolls, and Spiced Barley Squares, to Piquant Fish Stew, Roast Pigeon, and Custard with Caramelized Sugar, Taste Of Eritrea offers mover than 100 easy-to-follow recipes, each adapted for the Western kitchen. Taste Of Eritrea is further enhanced with an insightful and informative introduction, along with Olivia Warren's own reminiscences about her time in the country along with fascinating glimpses of the history, culture and traditions of Eritrea.