THE LAND — NOVEMBER 12/NOVEMBER 19, 2021
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Tour the world one plate at a time with ‘Gastro Obscura’ You had a sandwich for lunch again today. “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s If you had to estimate, you’ve eaten by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras thousands of those things over the last five years. Chicken sandwiches. c.2021m Workman Publishing Sandwiches with lunch meat. Sandwiches $40.00 / $50.00 Canada with a burger. Vegetarian sandwiches. 440 pages Grilled cheese sandwiches, yeah, you could be in a rut. So tomorrow, why not try something different? Read “Gastro If you’re thirsty, how about a Irn-Bru THE BOOKWORM Obscura” by Cecily Wong and Dylan from Scotland, a kind of soda with SEZ Thuras, and see what else is on the menu. “.002 percent ammonium ferric citrate.” Let’s face it: part of the fun of travel is By Terri Schlichenmeyer A Mlíko, or “fluffy beer” from the Czech eating, and lots of it. Whether it’s authenRepublic might taste good, and “Naked tic Thai food or locally-sourced fish, Mom’s secret Boy Tea” doesn’t seem so bad when you know that gravy recipe or Grandma’s pies, half the appeal of it’s not from a real boy. travel is on a table somewhere, and why not? And then there’s dessert, maybe ice cream preWorst case scenario: you don’t like it but you tried. sented as spaghetti, a dish Germans love; or blood Best case scenario: the best meal ever. candy from Russia, made of cow’s blood. Never mind; how about a stick of gum that proudly tastes So why not start with something easy. On your like soap? next journey, try Bovril, a “beloved” beef product that’s sold as a paste in England. Go to Italy and But wait – you’re traveling, remember? Yes, and stand in line for the chance to sample “what may be while you’re out, you might take in a “Cow’s Head the rarest pasta in the world.” Have a bowl of “Sumo Barbecue” in Texas, a food tour of the Jim Crow Wrestler Stew,” knowing that no wrestlers were South, lunch in Mumbai, chile school, or a harmed in its creation. These foods would taste great Hollywood studio. when accompanied by bread baked in sand or lava in Bon Appétit! Libya or the Solomon Islands, and perhaps some Crack open “Gastro Obscura” and you’ll notice a mustard pickles from Canada.
TickeTs: greensesam.org/forum21
most curious thing: much of what you’ll read about will make your mouth water. Yes, there’s plenty to make you say “Eeeeeuuuww” and curl your lip here, but give authors Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras a paragraph to change your mind. What they’ve dished up in this book are the kinds of foodstuffs that hosts in other countries would prepare for fancy company. Some of the dishes are ancient, passed down from generations of cooks; others are new versions of old meals similar to some you might already enjoy. You’ll find treats for kids here, oncein-a-lifetime bucket-listers for discerning palates, and easy-to-learn comfort foods for young adults – and if you don’t believe that, there are some recipes you can try. Reading this book is like taking your stomach on a vacation, and no foodie should be without it. If you’re looking for an unusual something for the gourmand, “Gastro Obscura” is what’s for lunch. The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. She lives in Wisconsin with three dogs and 10,000 books. v
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