For many of us, it would be a dream to recreate the trip taken by Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne’s classic novel Around the World in 80 Days. But even if you aren’t able to travel the globe, you can still bring a taste of those locales into your kitchen by visiting a Charleston County Public Library branch with this cookbook list.
London
Fogg starts off on his journey from London, so we’ll start our cookbook journey there, too. Great Britain is not famed for its cuisine, but it is known for the Great British Bake Off. For a classic British bake, you can’t get any better than Mary Berry's Baking Bible.
Egypt
Fogg’s journey next takes him to Egypt, and we have just the cookbook: EGYPTIAN FLAVORS: 50 recipes by Dyna Eldaief. This introduction to Egyptian cuisine has recipes that can be prepared by novice and expert alike. This book is currently on order, but I’m excited to sink my teeth into it once it arrives.
India
Next up is India, a huge country with myriad cultures and food traditions. Our next cookbook, however, focuses on just six spices. The recipes in Ruta Kahate’s 6 Spices 60 Dishes are accessible and tasty, and Kahate even includes stories from her own culinary life.
Hong Kong
We’re making our way now to Hong Kong by way of Helen and Lisa Tse’s Sweet Mandarin Cookbook, and their recipe for Hong Kong Beef Skewers with Satay Dip is definitely the right choice for our Verne-inspired culinary travels.
Singapore
Our next cookbook comes from an author who has spent 30 years working at restaurants in Singapore. Dim Sum Basics by specialist Ng Lip Kah promises to make these bite-size snacks easy for us to make in our own kitchens.
Japan
We travel now to Japan, a country whose cuisine can be intimidating for a curious cook. Fear not: chef Masahuru Morimoto channeled Julia Child in his Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking, hoping to demystify Japanese cooking.
San Francisco
We’ve landed in San Francisco, so let’s have Brandon Jew and Tienlon Ho introduce us to the birthplace of Chinese American food with Mister Jiu's in Chinatown. These 90 recipes highlight the past, present and future of Chinese cooking in the U.S.
New York City
Our last stop is the Big Apple itself and trying to pick one kind of food to describe New York City would be like trying to pick one food to describe the world. So instead of a cookbook, try Ina Yalof’s Food and the City. In it, New Yorkers from all walks of the food industry talk about what they do and why they do it.
Thank you for joining me! Next trip: Coming to a CCPL branch and planning your next culinary adventure.
Debbie Clark is an Adult Services Librarian at the Wando Mount Pleasant Library, 1400 Carolina Park Blvd., 843-805-6888, ccpl.org.
