The Readable Feast: On Around the World in 80 Dinners by Cheryl and Bill Jamison

Around the World in 80 Dinners
by Cheryl & Bill Jamison

Remember those days when the first question you asked yourself when planning a trip was "Hmm…what museums do I want to see?" How about "Where is the best shopping in the area?" Or, "What historical landmarks should I not miss?" Right. Me neither. The first and most important question when planning a trip is always "Where should I eat?" Pair this desire with the joint experience of two world-class cookbook authors and food writers, 220,000 frequent flier miles, and three months during which to travel, and you have the basis for Around the World in 80 Dinners by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Get your passport ready, I'll take you through just a few of the highlights of their trip of a lifetime.

First stop: Bali. Where to eat? How about in the kitchen of a cooking class you just finished? The Jamisons share with us a fantastic experience, and a great traveling tip: Rather than just checking out the local restaurants, they found one that offers classes and signed up. On the menu: base gede, a spice paste used in a variety of dishes consisting of "shallots, garlic, chiles, galangal, lesser galangal, turmeric, coriander seeds, candlenuts, shrimp paste, salt, pepper, and other seasonings of lesser importance." Not exactly the condiment you'd find in your average refrigerator. The paste is used in two local dishes the Jamisons are taught to make—"opor ayam (a chicken curry) and sate lilit (kebabs of ground meat, poultry or fish)."

Next up: Australia. No mere Marmite-on-toast local fare for this duo. The first stop is Yalumba, one of Australia's oldest wineries. After an eco-tour that culminates in spotting three koalas (in the wild!), the Jamisons indulge in a fantastic meal featuring "Kangaroo Island marrons (giant crayfish) with crustacean mousseling, shellfish essence, truffle cream, and a salted duck egg," followed by "a hearty rare steak dressed with meaty oxtail samosas and robust Moroccan chile jam." And this is before they dine at Tetsuya's, Australia's most acclaimed restaurant, where they ate (what else?) "the most photographed dish in the world." You have to read the story to find out what this dish is—it's such a treat.

So where to next? New Caledonia, Singapore, and Thailand. This leg of the trip was unfortunately riddled with a bit of malaise (reminding us that even the most amazing of adventures still comes with a dose of reality), but the intrepid travelers muscle on, strengthened and healed by the local poussin cru in Noumea, or "Tahitian Salad," which is the equivalent of a ceviche made with local ingredients and heightened by the lovely addition of coconut milk. In Thailand, specifically in Phuket, the Jamisons share with us the superb classic Thai food served at Mom Tri's Beachhouse; "poo cha, deep-fried crab served in the shell with a sweet plum sauce, gung cha nam pla, a rock lobster salad with a rich fish-sauce dressing laced with thin slices of chile and loaded with garlic and basil". These treats are followed by "tom yam heng, deep-fried garrupa caught just off shore, and gang phed ped yang, pan-roasted duck breasts with a spicy curry sauce and lychees." Ready to start packing yet?

What destinations could follow? India, China, and South Africa. If you've read this column before, you know I'm more than a bit partial to Indian food, so this was where I started to get really jealous. But it was actually the banquet the Jamisons enjoyed in China, prepared by the "Emeril of Chaozhou" that got me. Slipper lobster, shark's fin soup (which was started in the middle of the night before to ensure utter brothy perfection), squid steaks carved to look like ginger flowers, two-foot high vegetable dragon centerpieces, "goose braised in black vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, cinnamon, star anise and ginger..." you get the picture. And yes, after that, they move on to South Africa, where amidst enjoying amazing local fare they again visit the local wineries, this time specializing in the regional Pinotage, a hybrid grape created by crossbreeding Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (it's a great varietal that's actually more available than you might think—check it out).

And where else to go next to round out this globe-crossing culinary extravanaza? France, of course, then finish up in Brazil. Since I should really let you enjoy this book as much as I did, I'm leaving you there so you can read about their local experiences yourself. Suffice it to say that the stories include meals served in a 1610 Provençal farmhouse, and jazz bands leading drunken, firework-blasting, beach-bound processions at 7:15 in the morning. I'm sure you can figure out what happened where.

If you are at all a fan of the food narrative—regardless of whether you are a stamp-ridden passport wielder or an armchair tourist—you will have so much fun traveling along with the Jamisons. The descriptions of the foods are lovingly detailed, as is the verbal imagery of the fantastic locales. More practically speaking, the Jamisons include detailed notes at the end of each chapter for the highlighted spots from each destination, as is the recipe of the favorite dish.

You don't have to wait for your passport to be renewed, you don't have to worry about the status of the dollar. What are you waiting for? Go read!