The American Ethnic Cookbook For Students: (Cookbooks for Students)

Rating:
Summary: Author's Review
Review: I was born to write this book, was fortunate enough to get the contract, and now you can share the fun! It contains a short profile and 2-6 recipes for each of 122 ethnic groups in the United States. The recipes are almost entirely verbatim from church and community cookbooks, internet exchanges, and my files of almost 30 years as a food journalist. The publisher, Oryx Press, wanted a reference book for middle-school and high school students doing assignments in social studies, modern languages, local history, US history, multicultural studies, and those "Roots" assignments that are so popular these days. But I think this book will be delightful reading for anyone interested in roots and other peoples' roots. It's also a very good cookbook -- unlike the clever inventions of chefs, these are proven family recipes, and surprisingly healthful. The book sticks to supermarket ingredients, and the recipes have a range of difficulty. Some of the recipes with a lot of steps, such as

the stack cakes of Icelandic-Americans, Scotch-Irish-Americans, and Melungeons, make good class or group projects.

Speaking of Melungeons, the book contains some small and little known ethnic groups, including rare recipes from Gypsy-Americans, Vlach-Americans, and Garifuna; ethno-religious groups like the Mormons and the Black Muslims; groups that formed in the United States, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch and the New Mexico Hispanics; the ten largest Indian tribes (and 12 smaller Native groups); and almost all immigrant groups with more than 100,000 descendants on the 1990 Census Ancestry Survey.

From the Acadians (Cajuns) to the Zuni, from Amish Church Peanut Butter Spread to Zazich and Zgance, from breakfast dishes to midnight snacks, this is a wild anthology of the many delicious ways American cooks have held onto group identities while bringing traditional dishes into American lifestyles.

You have never read a cookbook like this before, and you may never see one another like it until I finish The American Historical Cookbook for Students next year. --Mark

Rating:
Summary: Especially recommended to members of specialty dining clubs
Review: Superbly designed as a reference for school and professional cooking school curriculums, Mark Zanger's The American Ethnic Cookbook For Students is ideal for the home chef as well. Virtually every ethnic background represented in the American populace is represented with this impressive collection of culinary dishes that will pleasure the palate and satisfy the appetite. The hundreds of entries are arranged alphabetically by ethnicity and range from Acadian (Cajun) to Zuni. In addition to a wealth of culinary treasures, The American Ethnic Cookbook For Students is enhanced further with appendices on "How To Knead"; "The All Stuffed Cabbage"; "They All Fried Bean Cakes"; "They All Fried Dough"; an annotated bibliography, and index of recipes by states, and a general index. The American Ethnic Cookbook For Students is especially recommended to members of specialty dining clubs whose menus celebrate ethnic cuisines.

Rating:
Summary: A great cookbook for teachers and adventurous eaters!
Review: This is a terrific cookbook, brimming with wonderful facts about the myriad of ethnic groups that people America! Mark Zanger has rounded up not only a great collection of recipes, but also stories about the food and the culture from which it comes. I'm a new teacher with students from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and more...and I love the information provided about favorite dishes of each of these cultures that I can share with my kids! I'm already wishing for volume 2, wanting more recipes from many of these groups. I know I'll use it often.

Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating, Funny and Friendly Book about Food
Review: This is the first cookbook that I have stayed up reading in bed. I am not a student in chef school - this book is a gem for anyone interested in people. I loved finding out about other people's family history and heritage, and my own. The introductions to each ethnic group are short and informative. What makes this cookbook really special, though, is its style. The introduction is full of comments about good cooking practices that made me laugh out loud for their truth and wit. I also liked the sensetive comments and suggestions about food substitutions for people with religious and other dietary restrictions. Finally, the recipe directions are simple and clear, never omitting possible adjustments that sometimes are necessary, which experienced chefs would know, but that novices like myself would miss. There are clear illustrations and as always in this book, gentle humour that makes reading and cooking a joy. I look forward to the author's next book.

Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating, Funny and Friendly Book about Food
Review: This is the first cookbook that I have stayed up reading in bed. I am not a student in chef school - this book is a gem for anyone interested in people. I loved finding out about other people's family history and heritage, and my own. The introductions to each ethnic group are short and informative. What makes this cookbook really special, though, is its style. The introduction is full of comments about good cooking practices that made me laugh out loud for their truth and wit. I also liked the sensetive comments and suggestions about food substitutions for people with religious and other dietary restrictions. Finally, the recipe directions are simple and clear, never omitting possible adjustments that sometimes are necessary, which experienced chefs would know, but that novices like myself would miss. There are clear illustrations and as always in this book, gentle humour that makes reading and cooking a joy. I look forward to the author's next book.