I love food. I love flavor. While there are individual ingredients and dishes I don’t care for, I have yet to meet a cuisine I disliked. I love people and learning their stories. I especially love when people are sharing something about which they are passionate. The Kitchen Without Borders ticks a lot of my boxes. I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Eat Offbeat is a catering company in New York City started by and employing immigrants and refugees. The cookbook features recipes the from the catering repertoire and profiles of 14 of the chefs. Because of time constraints, I only tested a couple of recipes, but they worked well. I am a big fan of appetizers and small plates, so that’s what I made. I made momos (Nepali dumplings) with cabbage filling and with carrot and ginger filling. They were so good. I particularly liked the carrot and ginger filling. I don’t think I do enough with carrots. They were not pretty because I am not adept at making dumplings, but they tasted really good. I also made samosa. I’m not really set up for deep frying (also I hate the way the house smells after deep frying) so I used empanada wrappers and baked them. I loved the filling, but when I make them again I will either try it in an air fryer, or use phyllo dough. Or make them at someone else’s house. The point is, the baked empanada wrappers lack the crispness of fried. Which I expected.
I really have enjoyed exploring this book. I also like the idea of supporting organizations that support refugees and immigrants. I didn’t have to publish this review today, but I chose to because the governor of my state is now refusing to accept refugees for resettlement. We should be welcoming refugees and immigrants for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is because people have inherent worth.
For the first year of publication, a percentage of the purchase price will be donated to the International Rescue Committee.
More than a celebration of delicious foods from around the world, this recipe collection—with its intimate chef profiles and photographic portraits—allows people who have been displaced to share their cherished cuisines, in their own words. And it makes a thoughtful, inspiring gift for any home cook, for anyone concerned about or affected by the world’s refugee crisis, or for anyone who understands the profound link between food, home, and keeping traditions vibrantly alive.
From May 15, 2020, to May 15, 2021, (including any preordered copies that ship during this period), Workman Publishing will donate 2% of the cover price for every copy of The Kitchen without Borders cookbook sold in the United States and its territories, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and European Union member states, to the IRC, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid, relief and resettlement to refugees and other victims of oppression or violent conflict, with a minimum contribution of $25,000 USD.