Spirit of the Earth Cookbook - Native Cooking From Latin America

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Description: Fusion is the latest buzz word of contemporary cuisine, but how many of us realize that the first fusion of native foods occurred more than 500 years ago, when the first corn tortilla was served with meat, tomatoes, and rice? 

In fact, had the Americas gone undiscovered, Italians would be eating their pasta and pizza without tomato sauce and would never have tasted polenta, Hungarians would not be enjoying a tasty plate of paprikash, and in England, the national dish might well be fish but no chips. Imagine Irish stew without potatoes, French pastries made without chocolate or vanilla, or Szechuan cuisine without its signature chiles or peanuts. The great pre-Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central and South America were the largest contributors of foods from the New World. 

Today, more than half of the foods eaten in the world originated on the American continents. Award-winning authors Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs bring the rich culinary history of the Inca, the Maya, and the Aztec to life through their recipes-as they were prepared hundreds of years ago and as they are prepared today. From the peppery ajies and delicious ceviches of Peru and Chile, the honeyed desserts of the Yucatan, and the refined and sophisticated "moles" of Mexico, the far-reaching recipes presented are as popular today as they were in pre-Hispanic times. Traditional recipes are given for such familiar dishes as tortillas, tamales, guacamole, and gorditas, as well as such delicacies as Pompano in Garlic and Chile Sauce, Quinoa and Potato Gratin, and Spicy Peanut Chowder. 

Following an introduction by Carolyn Margolis of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, more than 125 carefully researched recipes are illustrated with more than 30 color photographs that contain authentic native artifacts. Each chapter -- Inca, Maya, and Aztec -- is introduced with a text on the culture by the noted authorities Michael D. Coe and Jack Weatherford, followed by a full complement of recipes that includes appetizers and snacks, sauces and seasoning mixtures, side dishes, main courses, desserts, and beverages. An appendix of traditional ingredients, with sources, is included as well. 

Though the Spanish conquest brought an end to their political glory, the cuisine of these societies remains alive and powerful. Foods originating in the Americas have changed forever the way people eat on every continent, and the revolution continues with ancient native foods such as quinoa, amaranth, and the sweet nourishing pod of the mesquite tree being rediscovered as wonder foods for the twenty-first century. 

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Condition: Good condition.