Description: Luckily for foodaholics everywhere, ethnic cuisine has become a part of everyday life. It's now possible to find spring rolls in Arkansas, burritos in Minneapolis, and bagels in Montana. We can all attest to the wide variety of foods each culture has to offer. But what's not so readily apparent is what these foods have in common -- and The Universal Kitchen offers a gastronomic world tour to discover not only the differences but the surprising similarities in a variety of ethnic cuisines.

In chapters devoted to such themes as Meat on a Stick, Garnished Grains, and Sweet Elaborations, Elisabeth Rozin provides historical and cultural perspectives with 250 distinctive recipes and explanatory narratives. She points out that Italian ravioli and Chinese potsticker dumplings are both variations on the same theme, as are French beef brochettes and Turkish Shish Kabobs, Mexican quesadillas and Jewish knishes. Earthy, erudite, and eclectic -- and filled with easy recipes sure to satisfy your cravings for any country's cuisine -- The Universal Kitchen is a testament to the kitchen as a focus of our common humanity and to the cook as the interpreter of our shared culinary heritage.

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