In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World

by Gabriele Galimberti

Gabriele Galimberti's beautiful portraits of grandmothers from all over the world posing with their signature dishes remind us that sharing traditions through food is universal.

As Gabriele Galimberti was preparing to set off on a trip around the world, his Italian grandmother was more concerned about how well he would eat than any risks or mishaps he might face on his travels. As a send-off, she prepared his favorite dish, Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Meat Sauce. He then promised her that he would eat good food wherever he went, and while on his trip, persuaded grandmothers in 60 countries to cook a meal for him. At each grandmother's table, he became her curious and hungry grandson, tasting her dish and capturing her pride with his camera. The resulting book's stories, recipes, and loving photographs pay homage to all grandmothers and their cooking and provides a moving, anthropological glimpse into the national palates in faraway places. From a Swedish homemaker and her homemade lox and vegetables to a Zambian villager and her Roasted Spiced Chicken, this collection inspires great appreciation for our most cherished family members.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Travel, Photography, International

248 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2014

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just beautiful.

Gabriele Galimberti is a photographer and this book has some of the most beautiful photographs of each grandmother and her favorite dish presented.

For instance you have:
Shark in Coconut soup from the Philippines


Grape Leaves stuffed with Beef and Rice from Armenia


Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Meat sauce from the authors own Gramma in Italy

( I can't wait to make that one)

I just want to hug this book every time I pick it up. To me it's more than just a cookbook. It's a book done from love. Most of us love our Grandmother's and there was/is nothing like their cooking. It takes you home in an instant. It's done with a picture of the grandmother from that country in her kitchen with the ingredients spread out for the recipe coming up. Then you have a picture of the recipe itself. Then you get my favorite part, a small section telling something about each Grandmother..then the recipe itself.

These recipes are simple and most of them have easily found ingredients. There are a couple that I don't think I will either search down or attempt. (Iguana in one and caterpillars in another) Hey, don't knock it though. If possible I would love to visit each of these sweet gramma's in their kitchens and tell stories and eat up their cooking.
I gave this a four only because the layout could be confusing...there is an index in the back for easier look-ups though.

I moved in with my wonderful grandmother when I was 14 years old for awhile and every single day I want to kick my own butt for being a typical teenager and not paying her any attention. She cooked every day and half the time I would tell her I wasn't hungry. Yes...my ass needed kicked. I wish now I hadn't been such a spoiled brat and had went into that kitchen with her. Nothing ever tastes as good as I remember her food.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from blogging for books. Thank you so much.

[Heather Fineisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous book to have in any collection. Not so much as a practical cookbook, but as a storybook, a history book, an atlas. In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World, Gabriele Galimberti showcases a various grandmas and thier dishes with the recipes. The photography tells its own story and this could easily crossover as an art book. The setting for each photograph is also a treat. Kitchens in the background will make your wonder about the beach babe calendar on the wall (perhaps a model granddaughter) or a Disney cartoon salt and pepper shaker collection. And then there are the recipes. You may not have wild boar, goat legs, or dried caterpillars readily available but after studying this book, you know you would respectfully partake even if discreetly using your napkin for culinary subterfuge. I looked at the book with my ten-year-old daughter as a geography game and we had so much fun guessing where the grandma's were from. A wonderful book on so many levels. Foodies, photography fans and arm chair travellers will all be delighted.

Provided by publisher

[❀Aimee❀ Just one more page... · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book to skim. I loved the pictures of the grandmothers around the world. Even looking at their kitchens behind them proved to be a point of interest. I really wouldn't make any of these recipes, but it was eye opening and interesting.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. The first thing that I noticed was how beautiful the cover is. It shows what a great photographer the author is. I love all the things he added to the book that makes it so special. At the beginning of the book there is a world map that shows where each grandma lives. There is also a photo of the author and his grandmother when he was a toddler. The first recipe is from the authors own grandma. Each grandma has a small bio with their age and where they live, a photo of them with the ingredients they use for the recipe, and a photo of the finished recipe.

I can’t imagine how much fun it must have been for the author to not only travel the world, but to meet such a diverse group of grandma’s and recipes. It is something that I would definitely love to do.

There are so many recipes that look and sound so good that I had a hard time picking a few favorites. Then, there are a few that I can’t imagine making, much less eating, like goat and caterpillars. I haven’t had time to make any of the recipes yet, but plan on posting them when I do.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary coffee table book. It will make you hungry as you browse its pages. Wonderful photography. An exceptional tour of the world. Some of the recipes are quite simple, others very complicated and requiring exotic ingredients. (Hard to find iguana in the US!) Lovely stories of these beautiful women, though shorter than I would like. It really points out the diversity on our planet, in food and culture and living conditions. Makes me very grateful for my home and family and curious to explore the world. I'm wowed. I think I will purchase several copies as gifts. Thank you to bloggingforbooks for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all let me begin by saying that I love to peek into people’s homes! I love to walk my neighborhood right at dusk when people are turning on their lights, but haven’t yet pulled their curtains to. I don’t look at the people, I look at their things. I love to see what’s hanging on someone’s wall, what lights they have, the color of their rooms. So, I love In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World. I get to peek into each of these homes from all around the world.

The idea for this book is truly intriguing. Going all over the world, visiting grandma’s, taking a photo of them in their environment and posting one recipe from each. It is a wide range with everything from Moose Steak from a grandmother in Alaska to Tiramisu alla Toscana from Italy. But as you can imagine, what I really love are the photos and the stories behind the photos.

As an example, the grandmother from La Paz Bolivia is 71 year old Julia Enaigua. She is a vendor and every day rides a bus to the farmer’s market and buys big bags of produce to take back to her city’s market. She sets up her stall and sells until almost all of the vegetables are gone. Since her husband died a few years ago, she returns to an empty home. Her recipe is Queso Humacha (vegetables and fresh cheese stew). The photo is her in her kitchen. Gleaming pots and pans behind her on rustic shelves.

I don’t even know if I will make anything from this book. I have plenty of cookbooks to cook from, but only this one to let me get a glimpse into the lives of fellow women who cook from around the world.

[Cassandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gotta be honest: I was not impressed with this cookbook. While the photographs of grandmothers in their kitchen were interesting, the weirdly symmetrical cooking ingredients were distracting. The recipes were fun to read, but the very few of the recipe photographs looked appetizing and my only-barely adventurous palate did not extend to trying any of these dishes. I did enjoy the short, personal biographies of each cook. In the end, I felt like Mr. Galimberti’s strongest talent was charming a trip around the world into a magazine serial deal and a cookbook deal.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with wonderful photos. The author is a photographer whose work as appeared in Newsweek, Vanity Fair and Le Monde. He has traveled around the world and ended up in the kitchens of grandmothers from all over the globe. The recipes are absolutely fascinating and they tell you so much about the woman's culture and country. I am very glad I bought this book and I highly recommend it.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a touching and engaging coffee table book that I read every page of. I loved reading the stories of grandmothers around the world and noting common denominators (for one, many said something to the effect of “what makes me happiest is my grandchildren”). Reading of their struggles and sorrows, joys and journeys filled me with a sense of sisterhood and I got tears in my eyes several times through such short paragraphs of each one. You can’t read it and not be grateful for access to food, a modern kitchen, etc. It also inspired me to prioritize cooking for my family and that there are more important factors than convenience and indulgence. I wish there were more global representation, but I guess we just need to make a second book!

[Mazzou B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a touching and beautiful tribute to grandmothers! Photographer Gabriele Galimberti has traveled the world, interviewing women who have served their families in the home for decades. Each and every woman has cheerfully sacrificed hours of their lives to make their husbands, children, grandchildren and neighbours feel comfortable and loved and I think it is wonderful that this photographer embarked on this interesting project.
Read short biographies from beloved matriarchs and try making the recipes which they are known for! This book is quite varied; the author includes countries from South America, Africa, North America, Asia and Europe. Dishes go from easy to prepare and palatable to even including a recipe for roasted Iguana! This book is a delight to look through. I love the feeling one gets as one reads this book that we are all one blood! Looking at these grandmothers, I see the same expression in each one: love. commitment. joy.
This is truly a special keepsake book. I read it in one sitting!
The recipes are not impossible to re-create. (apart from the roasted iguana, that is. And the pot of caterpillars!) There are many tasty stews, dips and desserts.
I did not get the impression that the book was well organized, but there is a good index at the back which should be fine for finding recipes.
The recipes all seem very traditional. I would definitely say that this book has more value as a photographic/autobiographic work than a cookbook because although there are many great recipes, and many of the grandmothers whose recipes are featured just happen to be professional chefs, the author just speaks from experience as a eater. I was disappointed that many of the recipes were too basic for my liking. Very traditional...which is not a bad thing! Again, this book is to be treasured mainly for the photographs and short biographic sketches about each beloved grandmother!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have an obsessive need to collect cook books, the more varied they are, the better. And when the break the normal mode, go beyond the role of a normal cookbook, I love them even more. In Her Kitchen mixes food, family history, and gorgeous photography.

When I first cracked open the cover, like I do with every other cookbook I get, I read it cover to cover. I took in the small little snippets of these grandmother's lives, and I enjoyed reading the love behind the food. The pictures are stunning, simple in their construction, they are impactful and profound.

Of the food itself, I would love about half of it, be willing to try quite a bit more, and I would run away from one or two of them as fast as my feet would carry me. I'm intrigued by the Tuscan wild boar stew from Italy. I know I would love the Khinkali, a pork and beef dumpling from Georgia. The Spanako-Tiropita, a spinach and cheese pie from Greece looks down right yummy. Golabki z Ryzem i Miesem, a cabbage with rice and meat roll from Poland is a dish that I'm used to, but this one is a bit different.

I'm not sure I would love the Honduran iguana, but if I didn't know what it was, I may be willing to try it. The one dish, even I would not be willing to try, is Finkubala. It's a dish from Malawi, it's a pretty simple one actually, only 5 ingredients. The problem for me is that the main ingredient is 4 1/2 pounds of dried caterpillars. Actually they are more like maggots. They are sauteed with onion and tomatoes, and the picture is enough to have me running for the hills.

I'm really looking forward to try a few of these out, when I do, I promise that pictures will be forthcoming.

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Her Kitchen is not an ordinary cookbook, it is an extraordinary one. From the beautiful women who shared their recipes to the stunning photographs, I was in awe as I turned the pages. How incredible it must have been to sit down with each of these grandmothers from around the world and learn about their dishes as well as a brief story about themselves. The recipes included in this cookbook were rather intriguing too! While some called for rather interesting ingredients (caterpillars, iguana, and stingray fillet for example) many were simple with easy to find ingredients. I can easily see myself cooking a handful of them for my family and sharing the story behind them.

While reading through this cookbook, you cannot help but feel the warmth radiating from the beautiful smiles and gorgeously laid out food. I even found myself thinking about my own grandmothers and their signature dishes. The layout, however, can be slightly confusing but there is a pattern. Each recipe begins with two full-page beautiful photos; one of the grandmother whose recipe it is and one of the finished dish. On the next page you will find a paragraph about the grandmother, her culture, and her family. Next you will find the recipe itself! I love the intimate feel this book gives you while you explore the cultures and recipes.

I may not use In Her Kitchen as a cookbook regularly, but it will have a special place showcased on my shelves.

* I received this book via Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review *

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the blurb above tells the tell, Gabriele's grandmother gave him the idea for this book. In fact, she was the first grandma in the book. I just knew I had to check this book out from the fabulous cover! Each part of the book is a grandmother as varied as grandmothers can be. There are some that are surprisingly young and others with several great grandchildren. What they all have in common is their love of family and food. Each page has a picture of the grandmother and the ingredients (like the cover). The next picture is a full page of the dish. On the next pages there is a small paragraph or two about the woman and her meal with the recipe. The book is worth just the pictures and the small stories! Even dishes I would not want to try (caterpillar) still made me feel as if I would be happy to eat them because of the pride that went into cooking the food and why they made it. Other photographs made me wish I was there while they were cooking the food for the companionship and... well... the food! Some of the dishes were mouth watering.

I give this book 5 stars. It is a wonderful book if you just want it as a coffee table book, if you want some short stories about a grandmother's favorite dish or you want unique and interesting recipes. I know this book made me think of my grandma and her dish she made every Thanksgiving. Yes, it made me quite nostalgic. I highly recommend this book.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this. The author spent two years couch surfing around the world to write articles, and the one thing his Italian grandmother worried about was who would cook for him. So he found grandmothers from almost all the continents, and cooked with them. This book is a compilation of those recipes, along with pictures of the grandmothers and the dishes, and a few short paragraphs about the grandmother. Most of the dishes are common to the grandmother's culture and would probably not be too challenging to someone who enjoyed cooking, although some local ingredients might be hard to find or in a few cases, not appealing (caterpillars). Of the savory recipes, I think 90% at least included onions, so they're all out the question for me! I'm not a cook, anway; I mostly skipped over the recipes (except the dessert ones) because I was really interested in the stories of the women. I read this in ebook form, so saw the picture of the grandmother first and tried to guess where they were from based on the food, background, clothes, etc. I was mostly wrong! I gave this only three stars because I really wanted more about the women--such interesting stories a lot of them had, even if they were just stories of normal life in their country.

[Sandra Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a delightful book!! I love the thought and heart behind it, and it was fascinating to read. The photos are gorgeous, and it was lovely to have a look at so many lives and their passion for feeding family. The Moose Steak recipe from Alaska really took me back. We didn't eat a lot of moose steak when we were living in Alaska, but a nice moose roast, slow cooked in a cast iron dutch oven on the back of a wood stove all night? Oh, my!

There is such a nice variety of dishes from the simple and scrumptious to the interesting and I don't think I would EVER make that! (Caterpillars in Tomato Sauce any one?) The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and it's so nice to have a picture of each finished dish.

This is a truly, lovely book and I highly recommend it to anyone.

I received a copy of this book through the Blogging for Books program for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressions on Read-Through:
Fantastic & heartwarming

Intro explains that author went on a year-long couch-surfing "expedition" for a photography mag; this was a happy side-project.

Each recipe: picture of grandma in her kitchen with all her ingredients + picture of the prepared dish + very short bio/intro to the dish with grandma's town/city + recipe

Found very few recipes to try myself; still very much enjoyed reading the cookbook

Not for the faint at heart: some recipes call for moose, shark, and even caterpillars!

World map on endpapers showing the location of all the grandmas. Super helpful!

Recipe I Tried:
Inkoko Nama Spices from Grandma Joyce Muape of Zambia: delicious & pretty easy! Will make again.

Overall:
Definitely recommended! Even if you don't find many (or any) recipes to try yourself, it's so fun to see all the grandmas from around the world and see what meals they love to prepare for their families.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cool. I loved the variety of recipes, the introduction to these awesome women from around the world, and primarily the sociological lessons. From seeing the span of kitchen and food choices and accommodations to learning what women feel makes them a valuable member of their society, there's a lot to learn from these grannies. My number one meal choice? The twice cooked pork made by Pan Guang Mei from Chongqing. That looked fabulous. Maybe with the Latvian Apple pizza made by Natalija Kaze for dessert.

Watch-alike: Mo Rocca's show "My Grandmother's Ravioli". Same concept, same great people.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author/photographer decides to take a trip around the world. His grandmother worries that he will not eat well and makes him his favorite dish before he leaves, Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Meat Sauce. He tells her not to worry and he will eat well. He goes to 60+ countries and visits with and gets recipes from 60 grandmothers and includes their picture, recipe, and story in the cookbook. It was an interesting concept and I had originally wanted to read it as an ARC, but didn't have enough time to do so. There were three or four recipes in here that I would want to make again. 3 stars.

[Jeri Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very well written. I loved the premise and the format. Each Grandmother is pictured with the artfully arranged ingredients to her dish in her own kitchen next to a picture of the prepared dish. I loved this. I loved seeing the different kitchens of the world and how similar or different they are to American ones. The author explains briefly how she came to meet each Grandma. This is actually a cookbook that you want to READ, not just browse the recipes. As to the recipes, there were a large number I could see myself preparing and only a few I wouldn't dream of making at home.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more than just a cookbook. It is a collection of grandmas from all over the world. Each side of one page is a beautiful glossy picture of the grandma in her kitchen with the ingredients of what she is making. On the opposite page is the prepared dish. The grandma's age and short bio is included along with her recipe. I loved to see the kitchens and the type of food for that region. Wonder what the U.S. grandma prepared? Not surprising - a dessert after bringing in a prepared meal for dinner.

[Connie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous and charming photographs of women throughout the world, with the ingredients of their favorite/best dishes spread before them artistically. Each photo is followed by a short description of the photographer's experience with the grandmother and her cooking and her recipe. Like the photos, the stories are delightful and often poignant; it's a wonderful, loving project. The book design is beautiful too.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In Her Kitchen” by Gabriele Calimberti is not your typical cookbook. The book is half cookbook, half story and Gabriele shares the recipes he acquired from Grandmothers all over the world.

Check out my review at my blog: http://www.tapestrychronicles.com/in-...

“I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.”

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author gathered these memories while on a long couch-surfing trip around the world wherever his fancy took him. This was an interesting book to pick up and put down whenever you like as it is written in short essays about each grandmother he met and includes one recipe for each. I was interested to see that the recipes were ones I can imagine being served on ordinary days.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea behind this book, meeting up with grandmothers around the world and eating a meal they made. The photography was good and I had fun reading the recipes. I wish the writing about the women had gone into more depth. I didn't get to know them as well as I would have liked.

[Varina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to like about a book of smiling grandmas serving up their best dishes? This book is a charming nad honest look at home cooks around the world. The recipes included aren't too difficult (though finding ingredients might present a challenge), and the photos pop off the page.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos are amazing, the stories are less so.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I'll make any of the recipes in this book, but I'm really glad to have read it!

[Jean Leconte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a better picture book than it is a recipe book. Great idea not so great on the rest

[Debrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating photos. Wanted more grist to the stories.

[Jennifer Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with a peek into the diversity of the world's kitchens.