Flatbreads & Flavors

`Flatbreads & flavors, A Baker's Atlas' is Canadian culinary photographer / writers' pair Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's second book, which is easily more useful to the average foodie and reader than their last two expensive culinary travelogues, `Mangoes & Curry Leaves' and `Hot Sour Salty Sweet'. While this book covers a broad geographical range, like the `big' books, it maintains its high level of quality and focus by concentrating exclusively on the subject of flatbreads and dishes that are most commonly served with these flatbreads in their `natural habitat'. While Alford and Duguid seem to have inherited the style of the great culinary travelogue, `Honey from a Weed' by Patience Gray, they have their own twists on this style which makes it all their own. One difference is that while Gray does a fair amount of reflection on the whys of local techniques, her observations are not systematic. They are more in the line of archeological observations. Since Alford and Duguid in this book, are dealing with the single technique of baking flatbreads, this focus give them the opportunity to give us an excellent tutorial on bread baking technique, including the use of modern appliances in the making of traditional flatbread recipes. The authors take their `Atlas' approach seriously, as each chapter addresses a particular geographical region and opens with a map locating the center of traditional production for each type of bread. The eight regions are: Central Asia, primarily Iran, the `...stans', and Tibet with lots of yoghurt and kebabs. China, Vietnam, and Malaysia with dipping sauces, pancakes, and roll-ups. India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka with chutneys, curries, and lentils galore. Eastern Mediterranean, or `flatbread central' with pitas, matzos, Bulgar wheat, and dips and wraps. Morocco, Tunisia, and Ethiopia, with mostly accompanying dishes. Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, the home of Lavosh Europe, from Italian pizza to Scottish oatcakes North America with tortillas, crackers, and salsas. While this would seem to be a rich subject, the authors don't spend much time reflecting on why flatbreads are so important in some parts of the world and less important in others. In Asia, it seems that it is the only kind of bread they make, while in Europe, it's definitely a sidelight. I hypothesize that flatbreads are important where there fuel for ovens is scarce and the native peoples are or were at one time primarily nomadic. It is just a bit surprising to see how many different bread recipes use yeast. One would think yeast requires a nearby brewing industry, but natural sourdough type yeast is free for the asking and a lot easier to manage on the road than chemical leaveners, when the nearest 7 - 11 is 7000 miles away. But, all the recipes have been modernized and none actually use natural sourdough yeasts. All yeast doughs are made with `active dry yeast', the kind you have to bloom in warm water, but which will keep for years in their litt

This is one of those cookbooks that is as good to read as it is to cook from, though it is true that availability of ingredients can be a problem. But that shouldn't be a criticism of the book itself. ?Both the recipes for breads, and the recipes that aren't for breads are excellent, and I really like the way that they are interspersed. All have the stamp of veracity to them, though their ingredients lists can sometimes seem too trendy to be what people eat at home anywhere. It is good to read here of the adaptations that have been made so that these mostly peasant foods can be made in a western kitchen. The mix of travel lore and excellent pictures works wonderfully too, even to this jaded well-travelled reader (and I usually dislike photos in a cookbook). I think that part of the success of this element is that the authors aren't fixated on themselves. Indeed, there's a lovely sense of personal modesty in this book that is refreshing in this age of cookbook-writer stardom. I like this book so much that I have bought it for friends.

I love this book. I have had it for nearly a year and I use it several times a week. I made Afghan Homestyle Naan and the Uigher bread with cumin and onions yesterday, and have the recipe for injera souring now to try for the first time. I was first introduced to flatbreads while studying Arabic in the Middle East 5 years ago, and I was delighted to find this book that has so many of my favorites, plus many new ones to try. There are a wide variety of breads in this book, along with plenty of delicious accompaniments. I personally use a baking stone to replicate the tannur breads and have found it to work pretty well, although nothing can compare with a flatbread hot off a saj or out of a tannur. I agree with the authors that bread are a fast food- I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, and I find flatbreads are one of the most convenient things to make. My boys love the breads. I highly recommend this book!

These recipes are so clearly written and easy to follow that I have not had a failure yet and I've tried nearly two thirds of the recipes in the book to date. This book opened a whole new world of baking and cooking for me. Peasant breads I had never heard of are now part of my family's daily diet and are met with rave reviews from even the pickiest eater. The food in this book is not only simple it is certaily healthy eating as well. I've had many cookbooks, this is the one I've had to get a second copy of, because I wore the first one out. It sits on my counter for daily use and hasn't seen a bookshelf yet. Please, Jeffrey and Naomi, more cookbooks like this one. Love their travel tales almost as much as recipes. Bon appetit!

Traveling around the world with the authors is only a small part of the joy this book brings. The detailed recipes are described step by step, enabling even novice bread makers to create a marvelous array of flat breads that are both delicious and appealing to the eye. It is the bible of flatbreads and should be part of every bakers library.