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Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure
Join Cheryl and Bill Jamison, James Beard Award winners of The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining, on a gastronomic tour around the worldAfter years of writing award-winning cookbooks, renowned culinary experts Cheryl and Bill Jamison were ready to take a break. So in the fall of 2005 they packed their bags, locked up their house in Santa Fe, and set off on a three-month-long visit to ten countries—all on frequent-flier miles.
Among their stops
Bali
Where they celebrated a second honeymoon in Ubud and encountered a rogue monkey
Australia
Where they found the world's best breakfast sandwich and visited family-owned wineries
Thailand
Where they took a wild ride on an elephant in an enormous forest reserve
India
Where they found themselves in the midst of Diwali, the Festival of Lights
China
Where they attended a banquet of local Chiu Chow cuisine that required hours of preparation by the "Emeril of Chaozhou" and forty cooks
South Africa
Where they went on a safari among rhinos, giraffes, and very hungry lions
Brazil
Where they soaked in the sun and Creole flavors of the coastal town of Salvador
Combining the intelligence and humor of Anthony Bourdain with the charm and insight of Frances Mayes, Around the World in 80 Dinners transforms traveling into an unforgettable odyssey.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2008
About the author
Bill Jamison
37 books1 followerCheryl and Bill Jamison are the authors of more than a dozen cookbooks and travel guides, and have four James Beard awards and numerous other honors to their credit. Their most recent books are The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking and Entertaining; Good Times, Good Grilling; Chicken on the Grill; A Real American Breakfast, and a revised and expanded version of their landmark Smoke & Spice, one of the best-selling cookbooks of the last decade. The Jamisons appear regularly on TV and are frequent contributors to magazines like Cooking Light and Bon Appetit. They live just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 30, 2010
Should have read other reviewers before taking this one on. I love the Jamisons' cookbooks, esp. the Border Cookbook and Smoke and Spice. The pictures on the cover promise exotic adventures in colorful foreign lands, and there is some of that. There's also a fair amount of high end hotels and private dining experiences that a regular Joe Traveler would never have access to. The recipes are good, and I do like some of the descriptions of the more exotic meals in Bali and Thailand. But I was constantly stopped cold by the poorly contrived dialogue. If the sentences were just used as third person narrative, they would work fine, but they are obviously just thoughts forced into quotation marks. a couple of examples:
"The meat isn't much," he says, "but the sauce is a tribute to the potency of pepper, building bite by bite in glorious intensity."
Good observation, sure. Something that Bill said in the course of dinnertime conversation. Don't think so.
This is Bourdain lite. Sure, Tony's playing a part, but he is able to act naturally while doing so.
"The meat isn't much," he says, "but the sauce is a tribute to the potency of pepper, building bite by bite in glorious intensity."
Good observation, sure. Something that Bill said in the course of dinnertime conversation. Don't think so.
This is Bourdain lite. Sure, Tony's playing a part, but he is able to act naturally while doing so.
December 20, 2020
Cheryl and Bill Jamison’s Around the World in 80 Dinners is about a three-month trip the two writers took around the world, to mark their twentieth wedding anniversary. And to use up points from frequent flyer miles, and to explore the world from a culinary perspective. Their journey took them first to Bali, then on to Australia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, South Africa, and finally Brazil before heading back to the US.
The book begins with extensive back stories of how they planned the entire trip, with exhaustive (if somewhat exhausting) details of every single item they packed, how the itinerary came together, what problems they faced in planning the trip, etc. Then, when the trip begins, each chapter is devoted to one country and has details of where they stayed, what they saw, and (naturally) what they ate and where. The chapter ends with contact details of every establishment mentioned, plus a recipe from that country.
There were some things I liked about this book, one being the food described, which sounds absolutely delectable. Some cultural and historic details about the places visited are interesting (I was fascinated, for example, by the Creole elements of Salvador and its Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomblé).
The rest of it is at times irritating, condescending, and just pure not fun to read.
Among the things which irritated me was the style of writing: the Jamisons write as ‘we’ but when one of them says or does something, it changes to the third person. Bill said, Cheryl did… jarring.
Then, their observations about other countries and other cultures, while mostly positive, occasionally smack of condescension or just plain ignorance. Australia’s left-hand-drive rule flummoxes them and they wonder why, when most of the world drives on the right, Aussies drive on the left (maybe they should have had a look at an old map of the world showing areas of British dominion till about a hundred years ago? They’d know then that the British Commonwealth covers a huge expanse across Asia, Africa, and Australia, as well as a large proportion of the world’s population—all of whom, as a result of the British legacy, drive on the left).
They often cock a snook at local attempts at English, at unfamiliar customs, and at cattle class tourists, doing all the cheap, predictable things tourists with not much money do…
Plus, the dialogue. Who talks like this? It’s so textbook, so something that’s written, not actually spoken.
At the end of our second dinner, Cheryl reflects on the food. “It’s amazing that the same basic set of ingredients can yield so many different flavors and textures. Coconut in all forms, black mustard seeds, pepper, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chiles, and coriander, in one combination or another, produce incredible bounty.”
“Yeah,” Bill says, “and each is a bit player rather than a star, part of an ensemble rather than a show-stealer, like basil can be in Thai cooking.”
“But, Bill, this is the closest relative to Thai food in the world, with similar seasoning elements, complexity, and robust flavor.”
Despite the food, not a book I’m going to read again. And this certainly puts me off trying to read any of the Jamisons’ other books.
The book begins with extensive back stories of how they planned the entire trip, with exhaustive (if somewhat exhausting) details of every single item they packed, how the itinerary came together, what problems they faced in planning the trip, etc. Then, when the trip begins, each chapter is devoted to one country and has details of where they stayed, what they saw, and (naturally) what they ate and where. The chapter ends with contact details of every establishment mentioned, plus a recipe from that country.
There were some things I liked about this book, one being the food described, which sounds absolutely delectable. Some cultural and historic details about the places visited are interesting (I was fascinated, for example, by the Creole elements of Salvador and its Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomblé).
The rest of it is at times irritating, condescending, and just pure not fun to read.
Among the things which irritated me was the style of writing: the Jamisons write as ‘we’ but when one of them says or does something, it changes to the third person. Bill said, Cheryl did… jarring.
Then, their observations about other countries and other cultures, while mostly positive, occasionally smack of condescension or just plain ignorance. Australia’s left-hand-drive rule flummoxes them and they wonder why, when most of the world drives on the right, Aussies drive on the left (maybe they should have had a look at an old map of the world showing areas of British dominion till about a hundred years ago? They’d know then that the British Commonwealth covers a huge expanse across Asia, Africa, and Australia, as well as a large proportion of the world’s population—all of whom, as a result of the British legacy, drive on the left).
They often cock a snook at local attempts at English, at unfamiliar customs, and at cattle class tourists, doing all the cheap, predictable things tourists with not much money do…
Plus, the dialogue. Who talks like this? It’s so textbook, so something that’s written, not actually spoken.
At the end of our second dinner, Cheryl reflects on the food. “It’s amazing that the same basic set of ingredients can yield so many different flavors and textures. Coconut in all forms, black mustard seeds, pepper, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chiles, and coriander, in one combination or another, produce incredible bounty.”
“Yeah,” Bill says, “and each is a bit player rather than a star, part of an ensemble rather than a show-stealer, like basil can be in Thai cooking.”
“But, Bill, this is the closest relative to Thai food in the world, with similar seasoning elements, complexity, and robust flavor.”
Despite the food, not a book I’m going to read again. And this certainly puts me off trying to read any of the Jamisons’ other books.
July 29, 2011
I found the first chapter of this book incredibly annoying in a narcissitic way--the story was told from the standpoint of ANYTHIGN that was interesting to the writers themselves would be interesting to the reader. For me, this was exceedingly untrue, and seems inherent in the audience who would be attracted to this book. I got it out because I love Smoke and Spice, like the Border Cookbook, and their shrimp cocktail recipe from teh New American Cooking cookbook changed my ability to cook shrimp--I could have learned it from Alton Brown, but his method is a bit more wacky and complex, and the Jameson's approach is no nonsense and something I do after a hectic day without even thinking about it. So I was a fan--and there are moments in here where the food is enough of a centerpiece that I was glad I got the book out, and it really made me want to do some food based travel (as opposed to the extreme travel guys who make me want to never have something). But it could have been ALOT better, and I wouldn't read another book by them of this sort without reading some overwhelmingly positive reviews first. I did think that the Singapore experience is one that I would do in the next couple of years as a result of reading this, though.
December 19, 2008
I am in the middle of this book. I just finished the Thai chapter and am on to the India chapter but I have to admit that I'm having a hard time finishing this. I don't think I'll make it to the end... which was unexpected when I picked this one up because I love food and travel books. I had high hopes initially but the writing is hard to get get through and there was a lot of detail that I didn't care about and too little story interwoven between meal stops (not to mention the switching back and forth between I and she and we and us and he - maybe they should have gone back and forth in writing chapters from their own point of view).
December 20, 2015
I don't usually write reviews of the books I read, but if this review saves one person's time, it will have been worth it.
Just. Don't. Bother.
This book is not worth your time or the paper it was printed on. The authors keep on jumping between writing in the first and third person, constantly whinge about the minor ailments they suffer while they travel and overuse the words succulent and luscious to the point that I never want to read them again to describe food.
I struggled through half the book, then gave up. Life's too short, and there are many other, better written travel and food memoirs available to read.
Just. Don't. Bother.
This book is not worth your time or the paper it was printed on. The authors keep on jumping between writing in the first and third person, constantly whinge about the minor ailments they suffer while they travel and overuse the words succulent and luscious to the point that I never want to read them again to describe food.
I struggled through half the book, then gave up. Life's too short, and there are many other, better written travel and food memoirs available to read.
February 17, 2010
I finish ALL books, and couldn't get past page 50 of this one.
The writing style is really not cohesive -- they write together, and use the "we" frequently, then when they write about something that one of them did or said, it's really disjointed and sounds like they're making fun of each other.
In terms of the travel writing, it's less than inspiring. The premise is great, an around-the-world adventure, but it falls flat in many ways.
However, if you want to know the favorite Barbarra wines of this couple who you have not even a little bit of a connection to, you might enjoy this.
The writing style is really not cohesive -- they write together, and use the "we" frequently, then when they write about something that one of them did or said, it's really disjointed and sounds like they're making fun of each other.
In terms of the travel writing, it's less than inspiring. The premise is great, an around-the-world adventure, but it falls flat in many ways.
However, if you want to know the favorite Barbarra wines of this couple who you have not even a little bit of a connection to, you might enjoy this.
March 12, 2020
2020 bk 86: Cheryl & Bill manage to rack up a lot of frequent flyer miles and when they decided to take a culinary trip around the world, they ensured that their flights would all be free, leaving them to use their frequent flyer miles to eat their way through all of the countries they visited (and thus ensuring enough points to plan another such trip in the not so distant future). I enjoyed their trip, the places and people and food they encountered, and the fact that they brought Flat Stanley along. A good read for a cloudy winter day.
January 26, 2009
The premise of this book, eating your way around the world, really appealed to me. However, in execution, the authors were self-centered, pompous and horrific food critics. The majority of the book ignores the food they eat and focuses on their difficulties in finding flights and exploiting their foodie connections. Half the time they ordered the same entree at restaurants. What a waste of a good idea.
May 3, 2008
A few times I doubted I would finish this book. I was excited to get my hands on this one after reading some reviews but I found the writing and insight disapointing and found myself skimming over chapters with lengthy hotel descriptions, tedious detail and lackluster excursions.
July 25, 2008
We'll see how this goes...I haven't actually gotten to the food stuff because of the excruciating detail the first chapter goes into in setting up the travel plans. It reads like an ad for American Airlines, ONEworld members, the Alliance Web, and all the other business acronyms, complete with multiple gripping phone conversations with airline employees: "Then, for some of the additional frequent-flyer miles in your accounts, we can switch your three flights inside Australia to a separate reward package, removing them from this itinerary." Okay, looking at the book now, that segment is really only the first 10 pages. And I'm sure "How in the world did you plan that trip? What, you did it on frequent flyer miles???" was a frequent question the authors were asked. But truly? Does this need to be the opening passage of the book? The in-depth discussion of the attributes of Bill's TravelSmith blazer a few days later indicates that this love for inane details and brand faithfullness will continue throughout the book. But that could be a benefit in describing foreign places and food - we'll see!
Oh, the other offputting thing at first has been the frequent changes between writing in the 1st and 3rd person. I don't know if there is another way to approach this, given that the book was written by 2 people. It's just a lot of shifting, like this: "Sam threatens to clip our wings for taking undue advantage of American's AAdvantage program. Bill immediately confers with Cheryl aboout response tactics." But Bill and Cheryl ARE the "us"...hmm.
...
To sum up: It would be worthwile to read before visiting a place, to get a different take on eating ideas than just guidebook blurbs. Their avoidance of street food was fairly surprising given that eating around the world (and getting authentic food, not a Westernized version) was the point of the book. They stuck to a lot of hotel restaurants, which seemed pretty odd in my experience, but who knows. Obviously being sick would kind of ruin the experience as well - they did eat street food in certain countries where they were more comfortable about sanitation. The other funny thing was the places that seemed most tempting to me were the least exotic - the visits to Australia and France. Guess I'm boring, or maybe all the descriptions of fish (ick) everywhere else just failed to tempt me.
The book would be remarkably imporoved with more pictures, I think. Descriptions of the food and places were a bit lacking without that element. They did provide a website where you can go, but when I actually make it off the computer and open a real paper book the last thing I need is to get back on the web!
The writing still got under my skin, particularly a habit of replaying really fakey sounding conversations to describe the food. I returned the book already, but it was along the lines of:
Bill: What do you think of the beef, Cheryl?
Cheryl: It has a lovely piquant flavoring, tart and yet savory. I love how Australian chefs are developing a new experimental cuisine.
Bill: Yes, I think they are remarkably innovative, in contrast with blah blah blah...
Who knows. Maybe food writers really talk like this even to their spouses.
Oh, the other offputting thing at first has been the frequent changes between writing in the 1st and 3rd person. I don't know if there is another way to approach this, given that the book was written by 2 people. It's just a lot of shifting, like this: "Sam threatens to clip our wings for taking undue advantage of American's AAdvantage program. Bill immediately confers with Cheryl aboout response tactics." But Bill and Cheryl ARE the "us"...hmm.
...
To sum up: It would be worthwile to read before visiting a place, to get a different take on eating ideas than just guidebook blurbs. Their avoidance of street food was fairly surprising given that eating around the world (and getting authentic food, not a Westernized version) was the point of the book. They stuck to a lot of hotel restaurants, which seemed pretty odd in my experience, but who knows. Obviously being sick would kind of ruin the experience as well - they did eat street food in certain countries where they were more comfortable about sanitation. The other funny thing was the places that seemed most tempting to me were the least exotic - the visits to Australia and France. Guess I'm boring, or maybe all the descriptions of fish (ick) everywhere else just failed to tempt me.
The book would be remarkably imporoved with more pictures, I think. Descriptions of the food and places were a bit lacking without that element. They did provide a website where you can go, but when I actually make it off the computer and open a real paper book the last thing I need is to get back on the web!
The writing still got under my skin, particularly a habit of replaying really fakey sounding conversations to describe the food. I returned the book already, but it was along the lines of:
Bill: What do you think of the beef, Cheryl?
Cheryl: It has a lovely piquant flavoring, tart and yet savory. I love how Australian chefs are developing a new experimental cuisine.
Bill: Yes, I think they are remarkably innovative, in contrast with blah blah blah...
Who knows. Maybe food writers really talk like this even to their spouses.
November 23, 2011
It is a policy of mine to not speak negatively of others, or their reviews, however I'd suggest that you take with a grain of salt any review featuring cap locked words that are spelled incorrectly.
Finishing this book took me longer than usual, owing to the fact that I felt weird reading it at home or on the ground. If you pick this book up while traveling, I think you'll especially enjoy it. Sure, some of the dialogue did read contrived, and I asked myself if the authors were serious. Then I read a few restaurant reviews, in the Times, (which use the same sort of phraseology) and noted the authors mentioned having tape recorders with them, and I was able to suspend disbelief.
I recently read another travelogue, one that has a higher average rating, for which I did not care. The masses seem to want to hear from pretentious "I have to travel on a shoe-string budget" types, who themselves are anything but average, or thoughtful. If you have a beef with this book, based off your view of the authors and their experiences, I'd suggest the following:
1st. Take a deep breath.
2nd. Note that these people prepared for this vacation explicitly for over 4 years.
3rd. Note that this was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
4th. Consider how much even one week at DisneyWorld costs, to include buying hamburgers and apple slices at the park.
5th. Realize maybe you overreacted about the inaccessibility of these experiences and give them a break.
Part travelogue, part memoir, with contact info and recipes, this book is a jack of all trades and master of none. It is enjoyable, and worth taking one chapter at a time. It highlights interesting places you might be surprised to hear about (South Africa for example) and it gives you a roadmap to turn the book into a choose your own adventure. And I for one fell in love after the first chapter, because Bill's experience with the airline is like deja vu to me. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves to travel, and food.
In absolute terms, probably a 3.5, I rounded up because this book is unnecessarily taking a beating by reviewers.
Finishing this book took me longer than usual, owing to the fact that I felt weird reading it at home or on the ground. If you pick this book up while traveling, I think you'll especially enjoy it. Sure, some of the dialogue did read contrived, and I asked myself if the authors were serious. Then I read a few restaurant reviews, in the Times, (which use the same sort of phraseology) and noted the authors mentioned having tape recorders with them, and I was able to suspend disbelief.
I recently read another travelogue, one that has a higher average rating, for which I did not care. The masses seem to want to hear from pretentious "I have to travel on a shoe-string budget" types, who themselves are anything but average, or thoughtful. If you have a beef with this book, based off your view of the authors and their experiences, I'd suggest the following:
1st. Take a deep breath.
2nd. Note that these people prepared for this vacation explicitly for over 4 years.
3rd. Note that this was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
4th. Consider how much even one week at DisneyWorld costs, to include buying hamburgers and apple slices at the park.
5th. Realize maybe you overreacted about the inaccessibility of these experiences and give them a break.
Part travelogue, part memoir, with contact info and recipes, this book is a jack of all trades and master of none. It is enjoyable, and worth taking one chapter at a time. It highlights interesting places you might be surprised to hear about (South Africa for example) and it gives you a roadmap to turn the book into a choose your own adventure. And I for one fell in love after the first chapter, because Bill's experience with the airline is like deja vu to me. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves to travel, and food.
In absolute terms, probably a 3.5, I rounded up because this book is unnecessarily taking a beating by reviewers.
May 11, 2009
I had such high hopes for this book. "Around the World"..."Culinary Adventure"...the lovely cover. Hopes can be crushed.
First, where they went: Bali, Australia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, South Africa, France, Brazil. Seven of ten in the South Pacfic/greater Southeast Asia? A better title would have been "Around Southeast Asia in 65 Dinners: Eating Fish and Seafood with Foodies".
I found the best chapters to be those dealing with street food and restaurants the locals eat at. And I don't mean rich locals. Singapore, China, the Salvador part of Brazil--these chapters were interesting. Australia, New Caledonia (a whine fest), France, even South Africa--not. And there is entirely too much discussion of nice hotels, wine, clothing. For a culinary adventure, they sure ate a whole lot of fish. And crab. And more fish. I expected this to be more of an adventure--not so many nice hotels, expensive restaurants, etc etc.
And the writing is just weird. The subject is "we". But then it switches to "Bill" and then "Cheryl". Just weird and awkward.
First, where they went: Bali, Australia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, South Africa, France, Brazil. Seven of ten in the South Pacfic/greater Southeast Asia? A better title would have been "Around Southeast Asia in 65 Dinners: Eating Fish and Seafood with Foodies".
I found the best chapters to be those dealing with street food and restaurants the locals eat at. And I don't mean rich locals. Singapore, China, the Salvador part of Brazil--these chapters were interesting. Australia, New Caledonia (a whine fest), France, even South Africa--not. And there is entirely too much discussion of nice hotels, wine, clothing. For a culinary adventure, they sure ate a whole lot of fish. And crab. And more fish. I expected this to be more of an adventure--not so many nice hotels, expensive restaurants, etc etc.
And the writing is just weird. The subject is "we". But then it switches to "Bill" and then "Cheryl". Just weird and awkward.
March 10, 2011
I'm sucker for culinary travel narratives, so I was really looking forward to this novel. The food did not disappoint, but I found the narrative part to be extremely irritating. A bad mix of 3rd person narrative and lame jokes. I probably wouldn't recommend this book, but if your car breaks down and you have to spend 2 hours waiting for AAA and this just happens to be your only reading material then go ahead and pick it up. Just skip the dialogue.
December 10, 2011
i was somewhat disappointed in this book. i read a lot of food/travel guides, and this one was not one of the best i've read. it wasn't awful, just not as good as i was hoping.
i think the worst thing was the shifting narration. in one paragraph, it says "we" then the next it's "they"... and still describing the same people and situation!
i think the worst thing was the shifting narration. in one paragraph, it says "we" then the next it's "they"... and still describing the same people and situation!
May 3, 2014
If you like travel books about food, you will like this, no doubt.
But why the authors talk about themselves in the 3d person, and then sometimes switch to 1st person, I don't know.
There are also a lot of intimate personal details in the book that
have nothing to do with food. Anything to pad out a book, I suppose.
I gave it three stars only because the descriptions of the food and ambiance.
But why the authors talk about themselves in the 3d person, and then sometimes switch to 1st person, I don't know.
There are also a lot of intimate personal details in the book that
have nothing to do with food. Anything to pad out a book, I suppose.
I gave it three stars only because the descriptions of the food and ambiance.
November 30, 2008
I'll use the book for some of the recipes which are in there, but the text is about 2 fuddy-duddies in my opinion who tell about their experiences of eating and dining in a not-so-interesting way. I really lost interest after reading they spent $500 on 1 meal for 2 people.
March 2, 2009
Like being stuck in the back seat on a long car trip with someone's babbling grandma, on and on about people you don't know, food you can't visualize, book with no pictures.
April 26, 2009
Two aging and pretentious hippies blather on about themslves and 2food. I was disappointed that they didn't spend more time actually discussing the places they visited.
January 12, 2017
I wish I could say I liked this book because I loved the premise (food + travel is a winning combo!) but sadly the authors succumbed to some of the classic travelogue blunders and I found myself rushing through just to get it over with. There were a few bright points but overall I'm not sure I'd recommend it. Maybe it's just not a good fit for me.
No - I'm not expecting all travel stories to be budget trips of self-discovery (which can be equally annoying), I'm just wishing for some good honest writing.
PROS
- introduced me to some new foods and restaurants, including a few in cities I frequently visit which I'll probably try out.
- had some interesting info on the countries they visited
- they are professionals in this field so I did learn a few cool 'food' things and I certainly got exposure to new dishes and useful terms
- in many cases it seemed like they really enjoyed where they were and seemed to appreciate the people
- a few moments where I could relate as a fellow traveler (like the unexpected joys of hospitality in China or getting bored of my clothes)
CONS
- kind of snobbish for most of the book, though they did seem to lighten up a little in the final section
- super weird 'voice'! They refer to each other by name but also say 'we' in descriptions. I wish they'd just written from one person's perspective or swapped in each section.
- it's 'rich people travel', and since I'm not a rich person I quickly got bored of their descriptions of lavish hotels and restaurants which I couldn't afford in my wildest dreams
- dull first chapter on packing & purchases
- lots of judgment on how other people travel (I found this particularly annoying but I suppose to be fair it seems to be the primary flaw in most travel writing) including broad statements about what people do and will/won't eat which I just don't think are true
- personally, I don't think it's fair to Canada to have Americans impersonating citizenship, although at the time they traveled I understand how they saw it as a safety precaution
- I feel like they made snap judgements of some places which weren't very educated or fair - particularly in their description of Singapore
- they criticized people from following travel guides too closely or booking tours but then hypocritically proceeded to follow travel guides and pay their fancy hotels to organize things for them. Of course sometimes it's good to have help, why be so judgmental about it?
- I know it's a food book, but as a non-professional cook I got bogged down in the names and descriptions
OK, now I need to go on a little rant to vindicate a few beloved places of mine which I think they misrepresented:
- Bali - they mostly stayed in Ubud and spoke positively of it which I totally agree with. However, their flippant remarks about the Bali beaches is just about 100% wrong. Personally, I don't much like the Kuta area (I'm a country girl and it's too crowded) though some love it, but it does have some pretty (and crowded) beaches. However, if you go a few hours afield there are dozens of incredible beaches, some of which with barely any human presence.
- Singapore -
- they shrugged off Lau Pa Sat hawker station as 'faux Victorian' but it was built in 1894 while under British rule so it certainly is. They seemed to think it wasn't authentic or something. I don't know if it's the best or not, but its certainly not fake and it is a lovely and delicious places to eat.
- I will agree with their glowing reports on the order and cleanliness of the country though. It's great!
- They made a sweeping remark that their isn't much for tourists to see in Singapore which I totally disagree with! Yes, if you only stay in Orchard you'll get bored but there is a LOT more! The old area isn't super big but has been beautifully restored and holds wonderful museums, the harbor is gorgeous at night, there are several incredible gardens including one from the colonial area which is over 100 years old and free, the zoos are some of the best on the planet and there are acres and acres of forest with hiking trails. They are correct that Little India and Chinatown are fun though.
- please try the rendang!!! If you are in Malaysia, Singapore or esp Indonesia (where I think it's best) you must eat it. I was sad for them that they got a bad dish because it's seriously one of the most wonderful things I've ever eaten.
- Why did they spend much time focused on the political control? They made it sound like a dictatorship but didn't explain that the reason for the rules is that Singapore has almost completely turned itself around since gaining independence only a few decades ago. Yes, there are lots of rules and certainly some problems to be fixed, but there is a lot more to the story.
- just a note - some of the foods they found in Singapore are also in Malaysia and Indonesia, though the names might be a little different.
No - I'm not expecting all travel stories to be budget trips of self-discovery (which can be equally annoying), I'm just wishing for some good honest writing.
PROS
- introduced me to some new foods and restaurants, including a few in cities I frequently visit which I'll probably try out.
- had some interesting info on the countries they visited
- they are professionals in this field so I did learn a few cool 'food' things and I certainly got exposure to new dishes and useful terms
- in many cases it seemed like they really enjoyed where they were and seemed to appreciate the people
- a few moments where I could relate as a fellow traveler (like the unexpected joys of hospitality in China or getting bored of my clothes)
CONS
- kind of snobbish for most of the book, though they did seem to lighten up a little in the final section
- super weird 'voice'! They refer to each other by name but also say 'we' in descriptions. I wish they'd just written from one person's perspective or swapped in each section.
- it's 'rich people travel', and since I'm not a rich person I quickly got bored of their descriptions of lavish hotels and restaurants which I couldn't afford in my wildest dreams
- dull first chapter on packing & purchases
- lots of judgment on how other people travel (I found this particularly annoying but I suppose to be fair it seems to be the primary flaw in most travel writing) including broad statements about what people do and will/won't eat which I just don't think are true
- personally, I don't think it's fair to Canada to have Americans impersonating citizenship, although at the time they traveled I understand how they saw it as a safety precaution
- I feel like they made snap judgements of some places which weren't very educated or fair - particularly in their description of Singapore
- they criticized people from following travel guides too closely or booking tours but then hypocritically proceeded to follow travel guides and pay their fancy hotels to organize things for them. Of course sometimes it's good to have help, why be so judgmental about it?
- I know it's a food book, but as a non-professional cook I got bogged down in the names and descriptions
OK, now I need to go on a little rant to vindicate a few beloved places of mine which I think they misrepresented:
- Bali - they mostly stayed in Ubud and spoke positively of it which I totally agree with. However, their flippant remarks about the Bali beaches is just about 100% wrong. Personally, I don't much like the Kuta area (I'm a country girl and it's too crowded) though some love it, but it does have some pretty (and crowded) beaches. However, if you go a few hours afield there are dozens of incredible beaches, some of which with barely any human presence.
- Singapore -
- they shrugged off Lau Pa Sat hawker station as 'faux Victorian' but it was built in 1894 while under British rule so it certainly is. They seemed to think it wasn't authentic or something. I don't know if it's the best or not, but its certainly not fake and it is a lovely and delicious places to eat.
- I will agree with their glowing reports on the order and cleanliness of the country though. It's great!
- They made a sweeping remark that their isn't much for tourists to see in Singapore which I totally disagree with! Yes, if you only stay in Orchard you'll get bored but there is a LOT more! The old area isn't super big but has been beautifully restored and holds wonderful museums, the harbor is gorgeous at night, there are several incredible gardens including one from the colonial area which is over 100 years old and free, the zoos are some of the best on the planet and there are acres and acres of forest with hiking trails. They are correct that Little India and Chinatown are fun though.
- please try the rendang!!! If you are in Malaysia, Singapore or esp Indonesia (where I think it's best) you must eat it. I was sad for them that they got a bad dish because it's seriously one of the most wonderful things I've ever eaten.
- Why did they spend much time focused on the political control? They made it sound like a dictatorship but didn't explain that the reason for the rules is that Singapore has almost completely turned itself around since gaining independence only a few decades ago. Yes, there are lots of rules and certainly some problems to be fixed, but there is a lot more to the story.
- just a note - some of the foods they found in Singapore are also in Malaysia and Indonesia, though the names might be a little different.
October 30, 2019
I would actually give this 2 and a half stars.
From the title, this seemed like the kind of book I would adore. And it was...all except for an annoying habit the authors have of mixing first person and third person in the same paragraph and sometimes even in the same sentence. At first I stumbled over the phrases, trying to figure out what was jarring my eye. Then I realized it and couldn't unsee it. Oye. It annoyed me every single time they did it, which was often, unfortunately.
An example: "In India, the whole enormous country enticed us. Cheryl made a strong pitch for Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal - 'How can we miss, on a twentieth anniversary trip, the world's most famous monument to love? - and Bill pushed Khajuraho, where Hindo art reached its apex in the erotic sculpture of the numerous temples - 'Talk about love, this place is like a three-dimensional version of the Kama Sutra.' Both of us wanted to visit Rajasthan..." (pg. 10).
If they want to talk about themselves in the third person, it really should be "...the whole enormous country enticed them. ...Both of them wanted to visit...." Does that irritate anyone else's grammatical sensibilities?!
In any case, this book follows the Jamisons as they travel around the world on a three-month adventure to celebrate their 20th anniversary. I was completely unaware of the Jamisons before I read this. But it's clear that they are prolific writers and even have a few cookbooks to their names. Additionally, they are seasoned travelers who have favorite haunts all over the world.
On the whole, Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure was a worthwhile read for those who love food and love travel, but it's not for the easily bored.
From the title, this seemed like the kind of book I would adore. And it was...all except for an annoying habit the authors have of mixing first person and third person in the same paragraph and sometimes even in the same sentence. At first I stumbled over the phrases, trying to figure out what was jarring my eye. Then I realized it and couldn't unsee it. Oye. It annoyed me every single time they did it, which was often, unfortunately.
An example: "In India, the whole enormous country enticed us. Cheryl made a strong pitch for Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal - 'How can we miss, on a twentieth anniversary trip, the world's most famous monument to love? - and Bill pushed Khajuraho, where Hindo art reached its apex in the erotic sculpture of the numerous temples - 'Talk about love, this place is like a three-dimensional version of the Kama Sutra.' Both of us wanted to visit Rajasthan..." (pg. 10).
If they want to talk about themselves in the third person, it really should be "...the whole enormous country enticed them. ...Both of them wanted to visit...." Does that irritate anyone else's grammatical sensibilities?!
In any case, this book follows the Jamisons as they travel around the world on a three-month adventure to celebrate their 20th anniversary. I was completely unaware of the Jamisons before I read this. But it's clear that they are prolific writers and even have a few cookbooks to their names. Additionally, they are seasoned travelers who have favorite haunts all over the world.
On the whole, Around the World in 80 Dinners: The Ultimate Culinary Adventure was a worthwhile read for those who love food and love travel, but it's not for the easily bored.
February 24, 2026
I'd never heard of this couple, but since they'd published many previous books on travel and cooking, I decided to give their newest book a try.
A very disappointing effort.
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, they decided to take an extended trip, to Australia, South and East Asia, Brazil, South Africa, and France. Having a good store of mileage they could employ, they figured out an itinerary and made bookings with a travel agent they knew.
The chapters on their preparation, clothing choices and packing plans seemed so dated. Just one cell phone for the two? And why would they need a separate digital camera? iPhones have superb photo capabilities, and I hear the same about several other phones. And mini audio cassettes? Just record your observations and make notes on the phone. Finally... why, if she was going to a warm climate, would a woman choose black as the color she would base her wardrobe on? And as for Bill, the husband, why so many pairs of gray pants? So odd.
Their shared dialogue and the descriptions of the places they visited seemed stiff and artificial. While I found many of their food choices interesting, the few recipes they included were not particularly inspiring.
Looking at other reviews, I can see that I am not alone in my assessment. It feels as though they might have had a contract to meet and didn't allow enough time for edits or rewrites. Perhaps that was the problem...
A very disappointing effort.
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, they decided to take an extended trip, to Australia, South and East Asia, Brazil, South Africa, and France. Having a good store of mileage they could employ, they figured out an itinerary and made bookings with a travel agent they knew.
The chapters on their preparation, clothing choices and packing plans seemed so dated. Just one cell phone for the two? And why would they need a separate digital camera? iPhones have superb photo capabilities, and I hear the same about several other phones. And mini audio cassettes? Just record your observations and make notes on the phone. Finally... why, if she was going to a warm climate, would a woman choose black as the color she would base her wardrobe on? And as for Bill, the husband, why so many pairs of gray pants? So odd.
Their shared dialogue and the descriptions of the places they visited seemed stiff and artificial. While I found many of their food choices interesting, the few recipes they included were not particularly inspiring.
Looking at other reviews, I can see that I am not alone in my assessment. It feels as though they might have had a contract to meet and didn't allow enough time for edits or rewrites. Perhaps that was the problem...
February 17, 2018
It was hard for me to decide on a rating because I got the sense that the Jamisons are nice people and I enjoyed hearing about their amazing travels and all the food they got to eat, but actually reading it took slogging through some seriously dense writing. It felt like I kept reading and reading, but getting no where. The writing was dry and could have really given the reader a better, more descriptive sense of the places and food. It read more like a overly-detailed list than a true account of being there and everything they experienced.
July 10, 2019
The authors apparently couldn’t decide what voice they wanted to use, so they split the difference and combined first and third person. I found it utterly annoying. I should have stopped after reading the first chapter- a boring slog through the negotiation of frequent flier miles and the like. Don’t bother.
January 27, 2024
This book didn’t age very well at all! I’d compare this to a recap someone might post to their Facebook page, even though this was written well before then. Lastly, I’d like to point out that most travel books like this include interesting cultural stuff, or how the trip changed the author, and this was essentially just 250 pages of what they ate for dinner (I.e. like a menu description)
April 29, 2021
Endless list of what they ate with not enough story to break it up
Read
April 30, 202250,000 miles
10 countries
800 dishes
A true culinary adventure
Great details of markets, shopping, ingredients, culture, and having fun!
A few recipes included!
10 countries
800 dishes
A true culinary adventure
Great details of markets, shopping, ingredients, culture, and having fun!
A few recipes included!
September 9, 2025
Privileged American foodies eat their way around various countries….the end
October 12, 2010
Having just finished reading Julie & Julia, I had this sudden crave for good foodie book. Since in my country such book is usually quite hard to find, I was ecstatic when seeing this “80 Dinners” book is being displayed at a local book store. I don’t really have high hopes for this book because it was being published by some relatively new publisher. Why so wary you say? Well it’s because I had no idea about the translation quality of the book. Bad translation just turn me off. But anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when finding out that the translation was quite okay (yeah well there were some typos here and there, but nothing too much to make me annoyed).
The book itself captured the journey of Cheryl and Bill -- a pair of American, as they embarked their foodie adventure around the globe. They traveled to South East Asia, China, Australia, India, South America, French, and South Africa. Whilst traveling they enjoyed the many cultural fest as also the rich culinary tradition of each country. The book is refreshing because you get to see their perspective (as tourist) about each culture’s approach toward their cuisines. Amazing how one simple cuisine can convey a nation’s depth of tradition.
I like the content of the book, however I think the book would be more enjoyable if Bill and Cheryl didn’t alter the POV every chapter. And it’s not oven organized! There were two consecutive chapters with one POV before it suddenly changed into the other’s POV. It’s confusing and ruined the mood. Also as Indonesian, I kinda dissappointed on how they pictured our culinary heritage. Bali is a great and wonderful place, but visiting only Bali will not give anyone a complete picture of the vast and richness that is Indonesian food culture. There are like thousands of islands in Indonesia, surely you cannot draw a general conclusion of Indonesia’s heritage from an island only. Bill and Cheryl, next time you visit Indonesia try to hop around java, sumatra and other islands OK?
The book itself captured the journey of Cheryl and Bill -- a pair of American, as they embarked their foodie adventure around the globe. They traveled to South East Asia, China, Australia, India, South America, French, and South Africa. Whilst traveling they enjoyed the many cultural fest as also the rich culinary tradition of each country. The book is refreshing because you get to see their perspective (as tourist) about each culture’s approach toward their cuisines. Amazing how one simple cuisine can convey a nation’s depth of tradition.
I like the content of the book, however I think the book would be more enjoyable if Bill and Cheryl didn’t alter the POV every chapter. And it’s not oven organized! There were two consecutive chapters with one POV before it suddenly changed into the other’s POV. It’s confusing and ruined the mood. Also as Indonesian, I kinda dissappointed on how they pictured our culinary heritage. Bali is a great and wonderful place, but visiting only Bali will not give anyone a complete picture of the vast and richness that is Indonesian food culture. There are like thousands of islands in Indonesia, surely you cannot draw a general conclusion of Indonesia’s heritage from an island only. Bill and Cheryl, next time you visit Indonesia try to hop around java, sumatra and other islands OK?
July 24, 2009
It is their twentieth wedding anniversary and the Jamisons decide to celebrate by taking a three-month trip around the world, stopping in places known for their excellent cuisine. The Jamisons make stops in Bali, Australia, Thailand, India, China, South Africa, and Brazil and find great food in every country.
I had to read this book very slowly so that I could think about all the foods the Jamisons ate, foods I had never heard of, foods I had to look up. Surprising there are so many foods in this world that I’ve never heard of, not even in fifty years.
Other than the odd foods, the other strange thing about this book was the way it was told in first person plural. It felt peculiar to hear a story told by two people in first person with off-and-on shifts into third person as one or the other of the Jamisons did something without the other member of the team. A little disconcerting.
But, all in all, a nice little trip around the world…of food.
I had to read this book very slowly so that I could think about all the foods the Jamisons ate, foods I had never heard of, foods I had to look up. Surprising there are so many foods in this world that I’ve never heard of, not even in fifty years.
Other than the odd foods, the other strange thing about this book was the way it was told in first person plural. It felt peculiar to hear a story told by two people in first person with off-and-on shifts into third person as one or the other of the Jamisons did something without the other member of the team. A little disconcerting.
But, all in all, a nice little trip around the world…of food.
October 9, 2010
Judulnya menarik. Saat mulai membacanya berharap bisa berguru sedikit pada kedua penulis, terutama hidangan-hidangan yang mereka santap. Benar saja, ada begitu banyak makanan yang aku belum pernah dengar dan membaca bagaimana semuanya dihidangkan mampu membuatku kelaparan dan meneteskan air liur sluuruuup.
Namun kemudian aku menemukan hal yang jauh lebih menarik dari hidangan-hidangan itu. Sejarah dan budaya masyarakat lokal negara yang sedang mereka kunjungi. Salah satunya seperti saat kedua penulis tiba di Kaledonia Baru, otomatis aku mengecek peta memastikan posisi negara kepulauan ini. Rasanya juga miris ketika mengetahui dari Cheryl dan Bill, ada pemisahan jelas antara etnis Kanak (penduduk asli) dengan para pendatang (Perancis, Polynesia dan Asia) yang mengalahkan mereka dalam jumlah.
Buku ini sungguh menarik, tapi ya ampun fontnya minimalis sekali. Mungkin sudah waktunya di sampul atau halaman depan ditambahkan tulisan: Disarankan Menggunakan Kaca Pembesar.
Namun kemudian aku menemukan hal yang jauh lebih menarik dari hidangan-hidangan itu. Sejarah dan budaya masyarakat lokal negara yang sedang mereka kunjungi. Salah satunya seperti saat kedua penulis tiba di Kaledonia Baru, otomatis aku mengecek peta memastikan posisi negara kepulauan ini. Rasanya juga miris ketika mengetahui dari Cheryl dan Bill, ada pemisahan jelas antara etnis Kanak (penduduk asli) dengan para pendatang (Perancis, Polynesia dan Asia) yang mengalahkan mereka dalam jumlah.
Buku ini sungguh menarik, tapi ya ampun fontnya minimalis sekali. Mungkin sudah waktunya di sampul atau halaman depan ditambahkan tulisan: Disarankan Menggunakan Kaca Pembesar.
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