Top international cookbooks

More for the bookshelf

The great cuisines of China and the Middle East need to be in our canon, and the chefs provided solid choices.

Chinese: Our culinary team came up with The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes by Barbara Tropp, Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine by Susanna Foo and Yankit's Yan Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook by Yan-kit So. My own favorite would be my battered and splattered copy of Yan-kit's book. Her Chicken Glazed With Hoisin Sauce can be served over and over (especially to barbecue fiends). To impress guests, a good choice would be with the Steamed Trout With Garlic and Black Beans.

Middle Eastern: The Petersons of the "Eat Smart" travel guides nominate The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos, while Wright suggests The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean by Paula Wolfert.

Rick Spencer of the School of Culinary Arts' Piendak Library, as well as many delighted readers at Amazon.com, enthusiastically recommends Persian The New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies" by Najmieh Khalili Batmanglij.

Additional titles

And, finally, here are seven books to round out the canon.

African: Africa A Taste of Africa: An African Cookbook by Tebereh Inquai and Tastes The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent by Jessica B. Harris.

Egyptian: Egyptian Cooking: A Practical Guide by Samia Abdennour.

Latin American: Latin The Book of Latin American Cooking by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz.

Russian: Russian Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzan and John Welchman.

Spanish: Spain Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain by Penelope Casas.

Turkish: Turkish Classical Turkish Cooking: Traditional Turkish Food for the American by Ayla Algar.

Adapted from an article that originally ran in the Baltimore Sun.