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Flatbreads & Flavors: A Baker's Atlas – A James Beard Award-Winning Cookbook of 60+ Recipes from Cultures Around the World
As they have pursued their passions for travel and exploring culture through food, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid have found an internationally shared and nourishing element of culture and flatbreads, humankind's simplest, oldest, and most remarkably varied form of bread. In their James Beard Award-winning cookbook Flatbreads and Flavors Alford and Duguid share more than sixty recipes for flatbreads of every origin and tortillas from Mexico, pita from the Middle East, naan from Afghanistan, chapatti from India, pizza from Italy, and French fougasse. In addition, they provide 150 recipes for traditional accompaniments to the flatbreads, from chutneys and curries, salsas and stews, to such delectable pairings as Chinese Spicy Cumin Kebabs wrapped in Uighur nan or Lentils with Garlic, Onion, and Tomato spooned onto chapatti. Redolent with the tastes and aromas of the world's hearths, Flatbreads and Flavors maps a course through cultures old and intriguing, and, with clear and patient recipes, makes accessible to the novice and experienced baker alike the simple and satisfying bread baker's art.
464 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 10, 2017
What a fabulous book - both for the colourful and/or touching narratives before each recipe and the recipes themselves. My only argument with the book is that the recipes call for substitutions of ingredients that were not easily available in the 1990s in Toronto, where the authors lived at the time. So, for Asian recipes, they call for jalapenos instead of green chilies. And often, it seems that the spiciness is dumbed down a little for palates that are unused to hot food.
It's not that I mind the suggestions for what to substitute if the ingredients aren't available - it's that I'd like to know what ingredients (and how much) are traditionally used in each area of the world. That way, it would be a true baker's atlas.
But how times have changed! Here in Toronto, we have relatively easy access to so many different ingredients for so many different kinds of cuisine.
We've already made a number of the recipes in this book. And we have been thrilled. We can't wait to try several of the flatbreads on the barbecue this summer.
It's not that I mind the suggestions for what to substitute if the ingredients aren't available - it's that I'd like to know what ingredients (and how much) are traditionally used in each area of the world. That way, it would be a true baker's atlas.
But how times have changed! Here in Toronto, we have relatively easy access to so many different ingredients for so many different kinds of cuisine.
We've already made a number of the recipes in this book. And we have been thrilled. We can't wait to try several of the flatbreads on the barbecue this summer.
March 15, 2012
The ho-hum title and cover photo of this book do not nearly do it justice. A James Beard award-winner, this book is a travelogue, an anthropological study, a bread baking guide and recipe collection, and a collection of authentic international cuisines.
The authors inspect flatbreads as a defining symbol of a culture's eating habits and traditions, often from firsthand experience. They have crafted their recipes so that home cooks in the developed Western world can reproduce flatbreads as authentically as possible, recommending creative adjustments to Western baking techniques and ways to combine common ingredients to mimic the different kinds of flours and flavorings in use in other regions. In addition to flatbread recipes, they include dozens of meal and condiment recipes, and suggestions on how to incorporate flatbreads in traditional or non-traditional meal planning. Sprinkled throughout the book are vignettes about their travels, both together and separate, giving a humorous, enlightening, or heartwarming view into rural and urban lives in some less-traveled regions of the world.
The authors inspect flatbreads as a defining symbol of a culture's eating habits and traditions, often from firsthand experience. They have crafted their recipes so that home cooks in the developed Western world can reproduce flatbreads as authentically as possible, recommending creative adjustments to Western baking techniques and ways to combine common ingredients to mimic the different kinds of flours and flavorings in use in other regions. In addition to flatbread recipes, they include dozens of meal and condiment recipes, and suggestions on how to incorporate flatbreads in traditional or non-traditional meal planning. Sprinkled throughout the book are vignettes about their travels, both together and separate, giving a humorous, enlightening, or heartwarming view into rural and urban lives in some less-traveled regions of the world.
September 6, 2007
I met Alford and Duguid in 1996 when I was 18 and traveling in SW China. They were there with their two little boys, researching the next book (which was later published under the name "Seductions of Rice"). The two of them were full of life and great stories and love of food and had the blessing (ok, i'm not religious, but still... we're talking about a fabulous life) to be traveling the world collecting recipes and stories for their cookbooks. Wow. I wanted to be them.
When I got home, I found their book and also found that they had been guests on Julia Child. My parents received their book that year from me for Christmas and we tried out a few recipes. From what I remember, recipes of the flatbreads and dishes to go with them are grouped by geographic location and are interspersed with accounts of the people and region. Some ingredients may be hard to find if, say, you live in Southeastern Ohio, but we still really enjoyed the book and didn't have trouble trying out a few recipes.
When I got home, I found their book and also found that they had been guests on Julia Child. My parents received their book that year from me for Christmas and we tried out a few recipes. From what I remember, recipes of the flatbreads and dishes to go with them are grouped by geographic location and are interspersed with accounts of the people and region. Some ingredients may be hard to find if, say, you live in Southeastern Ohio, but we still really enjoyed the book and didn't have trouble trying out a few recipes.
February 24, 2023
Bread seems like the most simplistic of foods, and you might think it would be pretty dull to read about. A bet a lot of people had their fill of baking bread in the sourdough days of COVID. But bread is so different all over the world and with such great stories attached to it. And how better to experience all the different types of bread than to go on a world trip? That’s exactly what Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid did! In Flatbreads and Flavors, the authors travel through Africa, Asia, Europe, Australasia, and North and South America, exploring the history and traditions of every type of bread you’ve ever heard of and many you haven’t. There are some really great stories of the people they met and the experiences they had while researching.
The book includes excellent recipes to recreate these breads at home, as well as mouth-watering recipes for the foods that accompany the breads. How about curry with Apricot and Almond Bread from Pakistan? Or Spicy Pork and Tofu from Sichuan served with Pepper Bread? Maybe you’d prefer Chicken Tagine from Morocco with Tunisian Oasis Bread? The dishes are interesting and flavourful and there’s a good mix of vegan and vegetarian options too. Perfect for the travelling foodie in your life!
The book includes excellent recipes to recreate these breads at home, as well as mouth-watering recipes for the foods that accompany the breads. How about curry with Apricot and Almond Bread from Pakistan? Or Spicy Pork and Tofu from Sichuan served with Pepper Bread? Maybe you’d prefer Chicken Tagine from Morocco with Tunisian Oasis Bread? The dishes are interesting and flavourful and there’s a good mix of vegan and vegetarian options too. Perfect for the travelling foodie in your life!
June 18, 2019
A great book that lets readers peek into the ancient and well established world of flatbreads. The chapters are geographic and the authors do a great job of finding authentic recipes. I learned a lot from reading this book.
July 28, 2014
I have been paging through this book for a few months now, trying recipes as I get to them. The book is laid out as a selection of flat breads from different regions of the world, and a few dishes that can go with them. The paperback edition is mostly black and white text with a few photos inside, but there is a wonderful full color glossy section in the center.
The introduction has a great section on the development of the book as well as techniques for creating flat breads. There are different tips for tools, mixing, kneading, proofing, rising, baking, storing, freezing, and drying. The authors are extremely detail oriented, which leads to great results, and each recipe contains an introduction to how the recipe was discovered and adapted. This makes each recipe into a great narrative that leads to the feeling of a travel around the world through baking.
This is quite a large book and I have not been able to make all of the recipes- but each that I have tried turned out wonderfully. Even with some adaptation, the details that authors provide lead to great results. The first recommended recipe is for a simple pita bread which should hook anyone on homemade flat breads. Their recipes have such great details that give you instructions for exact amounts, order of addition, how the dough should feel, and cooking time down to the second. This pita recipe gave me amazing results with almost all of them puffing up. Each recipe also has great ideas for food to pair with with your flat bread which makes for exotic and interesting meals.
I found the high-tech crackers recipe to be particularly interesting. Such an easy recipe with such a personal relationship to the author that is so adaptable. You will make this recipe at the beginning (even though it is the very last in the book) and continue to make them to snack on. What is interesting is that as your skill increases, you will start to make your own methods and flavors for almost all of them.
If you are a fan of pita, naan, pizza, tortilla, or anything else in the world of flat breads- this book is highly recommended.
The introduction has a great section on the development of the book as well as techniques for creating flat breads. There are different tips for tools, mixing, kneading, proofing, rising, baking, storing, freezing, and drying. The authors are extremely detail oriented, which leads to great results, and each recipe contains an introduction to how the recipe was discovered and adapted. This makes each recipe into a great narrative that leads to the feeling of a travel around the world through baking.
This is quite a large book and I have not been able to make all of the recipes- but each that I have tried turned out wonderfully. Even with some adaptation, the details that authors provide lead to great results. The first recommended recipe is for a simple pita bread which should hook anyone on homemade flat breads. Their recipes have such great details that give you instructions for exact amounts, order of addition, how the dough should feel, and cooking time down to the second. This pita recipe gave me amazing results with almost all of them puffing up. Each recipe also has great ideas for food to pair with with your flat bread which makes for exotic and interesting meals.
I found the high-tech crackers recipe to be particularly interesting. Such an easy recipe with such a personal relationship to the author that is so adaptable. You will make this recipe at the beginning (even though it is the very last in the book) and continue to make them to snack on. What is interesting is that as your skill increases, you will start to make your own methods and flavors for almost all of them.
If you are a fan of pita, naan, pizza, tortilla, or anything else in the world of flat breads- this book is highly recommended.
July 17, 2009
This revised edition of Flatbreads and Flavors offers up an incredibly diverse and authentic collection of recipes for flatbreads and accompanying dishes. Researched, collected, and perfected over a number of years, Alford and Duguid know their flavors and have gone to great lengths to keep the recipes authentic while still accessible to Western kitchens. Recipes are organized by geographic region and the scope encompasses the world. There is a large and helpful section on techniques and ingredients and each recipe is accompanied by recommended dishes. Additionally, the authors provide contextual and historical information for each recipe that prove to be just as interesting as the fabulous breads. Highly recommended for those interested in world flavors.--Brita
Click here to find the book in our library.
Click here to find the book in our library.
March 19, 2009
This is an interesting cookbook--commentary on almost every recipe (which I like), divided into different regions of the world. As with other cookbooks, I need to get my hands on this one when I can actually spend some time in the kitchen with it.
March 8, 2009
Wonderful collection of recipes from around the world. Yes, the emphasis is on bread, but that is just a springboard to a variety of meals and accompaniments. I will be adding this one to my at home collection, as it is a go to, for sure.
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June 3, 2010"...part travel diary, a record of events and memories expressed in recipes" -- so many different types of flat breads, where they are cooked & eaten (note: flat bread I make by accident, being a non-exacting baker....)
July 23, 2012
An excellent book on Flatbreads from around the world. The stories that accompany each culture, are just as interesting as the breads themselves. I have enjoyed making several of the recipes in here, and look forward to making more in the future.
November 4, 2012
The book that first got me excited about cooking and travelling - both lifelong passions that haven't dimmed. A truly great cookbook and worth reading cover to cover even if you don't cook a thing out of it.
April 7, 2013
Some oak book authors are to be avoided; some, I buy every book they write! This couple share their experiences & recipes with a respect and curiosity that make reading the recipes as enjoyable as cooking them!
December 12, 2016
This is simply a great book for anyone who is into breads. Aside from some great recipes, it is also a wonderful history book on both the regions the breads come from and the breads themselves. In my home kitchen, this book has gotten a lot of use as I am an absolute bread lover.
February 26, 2008
Another book I asked for for Christmas. A friend had it and I fell in love. Great info. Not a hugely colour pictorial, but lots of photos anyway with black and whites throughout.
February 24, 2008
My buddy Barb gave me this...and I will never eat store bought pita again! This is a wonderful book--well written and full of terrific recipes.
June 11, 2008
Excellent recipes for authentic breads, main dishes, soups and sauces from all over the world. It's fun to read too. A great cookbook.
January 3, 2009
I was stunned by this book when I first bought it. I had never come across a travelogue type cookbook before and was fascinated to read of their travels as well as cook the recipes.
July 20, 2012
Joined group to cook and bake my way through this book.
Love the stories with each recipe.
Love the stories with each recipe.
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October 24, 2012I own this book. Like all their other books it is excellent. Gorgeous photos, good recipes, great stories.
June 11, 2013
This was an interesting concept - I enjoyed reading about the couple's travels. Somewhere though the recipes didn't do what I needed them to.
September 9, 2013
I've had this book for 18 years and still enjoy reading it. The recipes could use updating and revision, but the essays on the bakers the authors encountered on their journeys are timeless.
January 22, 2014
More travelogue with recipes than actual cookbook, but I love to just leaf through it from time to time. Very interesting book.
October 24, 2014
This one is a keeper. It's a bread cookbook, combined with writings about travel and cultures around the world.
February 22, 2010
Fantastic recipes, and it's actually a good book to read.
October 31, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews