By Elizabeth Esther KellySnow Lion
Ever since reading Sabriye Tenberken’s "My Path Leads to Tibet," my interest Tibetan culture has grown immensely. So, as you can imagine, I was excited to get my hands (and taste buds) on Tibetan Cooking, a book by Elizabeth Esther Kelly. Besides being a gifted painter and illustrator, she’s been a long-time practitioner of Buddhism and a chef for many a lama.
Kelly's passion for Tibetan cooking found its footing in 1978, following a visit by the Venerable Lama Norlha. It strengthened after she married Gala, a Tibetan carpet master, some years later. This, her first cook book, contains more than fifty recipes with clear instructions and generally easy-to-find ingredients. Its pages come filled with gorgeous, colorful images and copious explanations of Tibetan celebrations, customs, and traditions involving food.
Geography plays a role in the development of any region's gastronomy. In this case, the high altitude, cold weather, and nomadic nature of the Tibetans make vegetables hard to come by, so I knew I was not going to find many vegetarian recipes. But the more I read, I realized that some of the meat-based ones are easily adaptable to the vegetarian palate.
The recipes range from staple Asian favorites to esoteric exotics (I am dying to try the salt and yak butter tea!). So far, I have successfully prepared two recipes. "Noy Tuk" (or Whole Barley Soup) and the Bhutanese "Ema Dar Tsee" (basically, a jalapeno dish with blue cheese). Of the two, the soup I found more phenomenal. Its black mushrooms gave the broth a delicate flavor, while the fresh ginger provided a delicious aroma, and the filling barley made it altogether very satisfying. (My husband, in fact, referred to it as a “flavorful Buddhist mush.”) The jalapenos and blue cheese go with everything, and while it intends to be used as a condiment, it can just as well be added to meat or "Timo" (as in Tibetan steamed rolls). I spread it on a tortilla and found it perfect.
Designed for wintry days, the recipes in the book will greatly enhance your seasonal menu, and provide the perfect pathway to everyday gastronomical enlightenment.
Review by Laura Koffler
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