Cover Image: The Kitchen without Borders

The Kitchen without Borders

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is a beautiful book. The stories about the immigrant chefs were accompanied by photos of the chefs, alone and with others in the kitchen. Their recipes were distributed throughout the book and each recipe was identified by the chef and region, with notes about the recipe, like how the chef made it their own. Not all recipes had photos, but many did and the photos were gorgeous.

The recipes themselves ranged from very simple to more complex; the ingredients also ranged from very accessible to less common (in the US.) Thankfully, several resources were provided for shopping. I would love to make some of these recipes.

Was this review helpful?

A really lovely premise for a cookbook: all the recipes come from recent refugees, as a way of symbolizing how shared food can bring people together. The biographies of several of the chefs included in the book, scattered amongst the recipes.

As for the recipes, while some of them are a bit more complicated than I prefer (personally, I'm way too lazy to make my own dumplings, whether they’re momos, samosas, or any other regional variety, and the recipe here for beef kibbeh requires a meat grinder – how many people own one of those?), there's also a good selection of classic dishes, easy and delicious, with recipes straight from the cook's home to yours – hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghannoush, paneer, jollof rice, mujaddara, several varieties of dal, and so on. There's also several dishes that were completely new to me but look delicious – that Bell Pepper Soup is particularly calling my name. A lovely, useful cookbook!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3632180322

Was this review helpful?

This is a wonderful cookbook. I've already mad the hummus in it and I'm planning on making the Nepali Pizza later in the week. The Sumac Brownie recipes sounds so interesting--can't wait to make that one too. A lot of the recipes are Middle Eastern, Indian, and African influenced, with well-placed images throughout the book.

I feel like I bookmarked a handful more than I usually do when I read through a new cookbook. I really loved the influences and the outlooks presented in these dishes. We need more of this. Kudos to all the chefs in this book, it's a great addition to a cookbook collection. But even more than that, it seems like one that I'll actually use and cook from a lot!

Was this review helpful?

This book was received as an ARC from Workman Publishing Company in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I learned so much from this book and the appreciation I have for these chefs is remarkable and the culture is so enriched with traditions and culture that it even made it more pleasurable to read. I can't wait to try a lot of these recipes and I definitely found enough to make this a candidate for a future cooking demo. Recipes such as the Biryani with the Doogh sounds so delicious that it is reminding me that it is almost lunch time. I know this book will circulate well in our library.

We will consider adding this title to our TX Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

A really beautiful volume full of individual stories and intriguing choices of recipes. I understand why it's not available in a more accessibly format, though this is probably one I would rather have on my kitchen counter than an electronic device.

Was this review helpful?

The Kitchen Without Borders is a cookbook. It’s a cookbook that reads like a novel and is a testament to survival. The cookbook is a product of the Eat Offbeat caterers in New York, run by immigrant chefs who brought their recipes and love of cooking with them to America.

Classically organized by meal groupings beginning with Appetizers and Dips, the sections include interviews with the chefs. Each describes their favorite dishes and tells how they learned to cook. Some learned from mothers or grandmothers, some from restaurant work but all have stories. They remember climbing trees to find green almonds for a special dish, making a recipe over and over to get mother’s approval, hiding curry in a pocket to bring to the United States, family celebrations and so much more. As one chef says “food is love”. That could be the theme of The Kitchen Without Borders.

The dishes are gorgeously displayed and photographed. The recipes are easy to follow with notes suggesting occasional substitutions, when to serve it and how to enhance the flavor of certain ingredients. For instance, you’ll learn how to seed a pomegranate and smoke an eggplant. Many of the ingredients are universal and easy to find in supermarkets. Rice, lentils, couscous, eggplant, potatoes, chick peas and chicken are featured in many dishes. A Pantry section gives suggestions of where hard to find spices may be ordered online.

As the chefs use their catered meals to share their skills and connect with their customers, The Kitchen Without Borders brings their talents to the home cook. Enjoy! 5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Kitchen without Borders: Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs. I voluntarily chose to review this cookbook and my opinion is freely given.

Eat Offbeat is a catering company that hires refugees who come to the New York City area from all over the world. The regions of origin of the chefs is readily apparent in the food, with its blend of unique spices and flavors that span the globe. The recipe sections are broken up with biographies of some of the chef contributors, which I appreciated. I wish there were more photographs of the finished dishes, especially those that are distinct to a region but may not be familiar to readers. Listed below are the different sections and some of the standout recipes.

Appetizers and Dips: Fatayer (hand pies with chicken, peppers, pomegranate molasses, and cheddar); Cachapas (corn cakes topped with melted butter and cheese); Hummus

Salads and Soups: Edamame Salad; Fattoush (salad in a pita); Lentil Soup

Grain Dishes: Algerian Couscous; Red Rice

Vegetarian Dishes: Adas (lentils pureed with berbere spices); Manchurian Cauliflower; Nepali Pizza

Meat Dishes: Chicken Karahi (chicken stewed in tumeric, garlic, and tomato sauce); Chula (ground chicken curry); Fried Plantains

Desserts and Drinks: Shanthi's Tea (milk tea with vanilla and sugar); Rolled Baklava

Overall, The Kitchen without Borders: Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs is a great cookbook for those looking to expand their palates and try something new.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and The Eat Offbeat Chefs for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

This recipe book is INCREDIBILE!! Love the design of the book, the colors, the recipes, the idea behind this project and wow, those recipes are so yummy. I've always been intrigued by Middle-Easter and African food and this book is a great source!! I love the stories of the chefs and I cannot wait to try and recreate all those dishes!
This book is amazing, I would be happy to receive it or to gift it for those who love to cook.
Definitely recommend. 5 star out of 5!

Was this review helpful?

Food is an integral part of who you are, no matter where you go. It doesn't just nourish your body but also your soul, bringing memories of people and moments you hold close to your heart. I enjoyed reading the stories of other immigrants and their recipes and can't wait to try them in my kitchen. I already knew how to make a couple of dishes in the book and found the recipes and ingredients authentic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

This delightful book will be at home with readers who enjoy encouraging stories about those who become successful despite odds against their succeeding, particularly in the industry of food service.. It is a beautiful book suitable to being on a coffee table or kitchen counter for browsing by guests.

I did not try any of the recipes, but feel certain with the quality of the book that they would be good for those wishing to prepare authenic ethnic food. This would be a good book for older home school students to use as part of their social studies curriculum.

I received this book free of charge in ebook format through #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Was this review helpful?

This definitely looks like a book I will order. We have a HUGE cookbook collection. we've also had a cookbook club here over the past few years. Since this book has been moved to 2021 publication, I will add more to this review later but it's definitely on the list to be ordered.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC from Workman Publishing Company, via NetGalley. This review is my opinion.

This book is not the common recipe book, it feels like when you enter a home and give you a warm welcome. I found important information about condiments and how we could find them in our country, each recipe has a small story; with an easy step and with colorful pictures this book open to a multicultural gastronomic experience. But in my opinion what makes this book unique is their heart, their people. With hard, difficult, and some painful experience each story is woven like a heart. Brothers Mannal and Wissam vision to shared experience and common ground: the table. You can see the love the dedication of the people of The Eat Offbeat. I believe this book could be a great choice for several reasons, to shared new recipes, to learn about different cultures, and to also learn about this great company.

Was this review helpful?

Nice read easy recipes not too much exotic or hyper difficult
4 well deserved stars
Really approved and appreciated by my very pesky and high standards family
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was this review helpful?

it's much more than just a cookbook. sharing stories and histories of each and every food and the struggles of immigrants in search of food from home and ingredients. Highly recommend reading and trying out some of the recipes.

Was this review helpful?

THE KITCHEN WITHOUT BORDERS by The Eat Offbeat Chefs contains "Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs." Eat Offbeat is a catering company that operates in New York City and hires refugees to prepare food from their cultures. As noted in the introduction, these recipes and "tasty dishes represent cultures where cooking is valued as an act of love for your family, not just an elevated art that professionals practice in restaurants." Founded in 2015, the first group of chefs were from Iraq, Nepal, Eritrea, Spain and Lebanon, expanding after three years to represent fifteen countries. They begin the book with a "glossary" of unique ingredients like Bird's-eye chili (or piri piri) and possible substitutes (habaneros or jalapenos, in this case). Then the 70 recipes are split by appetizers and dips; salads and soups; rice and grains; vegetarian dishes; meat dishes and desserts and drinks. Unfortunately, there are relatively few images and no calorie or nutrition information. What makes this cookbook unique is the accompanying stories of each chef so, for example, in addition to learning how to make Paneer and Peas or Red Pepper Soup, readers will also learn the stories of their creators, Chef Rachana from Nepal and Chef Larissa from Central African Republic.

More info on the company: https://eatoffbeat.com/

Was this review helpful?

It's been a long time since I found a cookbook that I wanted to read straight through from beginning to end. I loved the idea behind this one - featuring refugee chefs from around the world. You not only get recipes of dishes from their home countries but photos and a biography on each. I felt like I knew these chefs by the last page. The food in this book sounds amazing, with beautiful color photos that transport you to a kitchen table in another part of the world. This was such a beautiful cookbook and one that I will treasure. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

EatOffbeat was born the idea of all the refugees settled in New York City representing themselves through food. While the food in The Kitchen Without Borders may not be familiar to some readers, all will relate to the idea that the smell or taste of even the idea of a dish can bring to mind memories. The cookbook – recipe, ingredient descriptions, menu suggestions, etc - is well laid out and easy to follow. Even more so, it is the chef's stories that bring the recipes of this book to life.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/05/the-kitchen-without-borders.html

#TheKitchenWithoutBorders reviewed for #NetGalley. Project in conjunction with InternationalRescueCommitte.

Was this review helpful?

The Kitchen without Borders is a touching and very human recipe collection based on the culture and experiences of chefs who came to the USA as refugees.

This is a lovingly crafted tribute, wonderfully photographed, with recipes (yay!) from a number of world cuisines and cultures. The chefs profiled all came to the USA as refugees from a number of places including Africa, South America, and the Middle East. Their culture and experiences have left an indelible stamp on their food and recipes. There are 14 chefs spotlighted and a total of 70 recipes from Eat Offbeat, a multi-cultural literal melting pot catering service.

Each of the listings include a picture of the cook, recipe introduction with ingredients in the sidebar (measurements in US standard only, but there's a conversion table in the appendices), and step by step instructions. The ingredients are mostly relatively easily sourced and should be available from any well stocked international grocery or large supermarket. The book includes a recipe listing by chef as well as a regular table of contents. There are accompaniment suggestions with recipes for coordinating sauces and enhancements.

This is a beautifully photographed book with fascinating and awe inspiring stories of courage and generosity in the face of adversity. This is such a vibrant book full of world cuisine and entrepreneurial spirit. The bios are fascinating and the food is just gorgeous.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Was this review helpful?

I did not get a chance to review this book before it was archived (I sincerely apologize for this), but I love the concept of it and will be sure to check it out at my closest bookstore.

Was this review helpful?

This was a very well written cookbook. I found the layout to flow well and the recipes were easy to understand and follow along to. I look forward to trying some of them out for my family.

Was this review helpful?