A Place At The Table Cookbook Review

I received the A Place At The Table cookbook for free.  All opinions are my own.

A Place At The Table: New American Recipes From The Nation’s Top Foreign-Born Chefs edited by Rick Kinsel & Gabrielle Laangholtz features recipes from forty rising stars in the culinary world.

I did an initial flip through of the cookbook right before our move and thought the pictures were enticing and many of the recipes very accessible despite.  It got packed away in my suitcase and then relegated to a shelf once we arrived here in the Netherlands.

When I finally got the chance to sit down and truly peruse the cookbook it was a completely different experience.  My first experience of the book was as a native citizen- in my home state and amongst all things familiar.  

Being now an immigrant myself, in a new country far away from family and friends and feeling utterly lost in so many ways I was deeply touched by the chef’s stories. 

Many of their stories mirrored my own- love of food and interest in culture, warring desires to assimilate and cling to the familiar, and being unsure of where I really fit in to this new environment.

I also greatly appreciated the fusion nature of the recipes.  They are traditionally inspired but definitely NOT traditional.  The style is distinctly American- a meshing of cultures into something incredibly delicious.

There are plenty of recipes that are a mix of easy recipes like Easy Bibimap for Home from Chef Corey Lee or Coconut Beef Curry from Chef Shuai Wang.

You can also find some flavorful recipes that are highly artistic with long ingredient lists and multi-page instructions. I’ve found that many of those recipes that look intimidating are not as complicated as they seemed and are still doable, even if they aren’t suitable for a busy weeknight dinner.

Overall, I am thrilled with the cookbook- both it’s style and it’s substance. For those who are interested in global cuisines or want to try their skills at finer culinary arts this is a fantastic blend of the two.

*You can find the book on Amazon