Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Indian Grocery Store Demystified [Paperback]

Linda Bladholm (Author), Neela Paniz (Foreword)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.

Book Description

Publication Date: Aug 12 2000 | Series: Take It with You Guides
A food lover's guide to all the best ingredients in the traditional foods of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Once upon a time we only had a few choices when it came to fine dining. There was American home-cooked, pretentious French cuisine, practical Italian, and Chinese takeout. These days, Indian restaurants are popping up everywhere, and for good reason. The food is amazing!

But how can you replicate the Indian dining experience at home? There are thousands of Indian grocery stores to shop in, but what should you buy? How do you prepare it? That's where this Take It With You guide comes in.

With 700 entries and over 200 illustrations, plus traditional stories and personal anecdotes about many of the ingredients unique to Indian cuisine, this guidebook identifies and tells you how to use the vast array of spices, rice, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods at over 9,000 Indian grocery stores in America. A bonus section of the author's favorite recipes will help you create delicious, authentic dishes that will satisfy anyone's hunger and sense of adventure.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Product Details

Product Description

From Amazon

So you want to make a curry. There's a small Indian grocery store on the way home from work, so you figure you'll pop in and grab a few items--but when you get there you're overwhelmed by the pouches of aromatic spices and the jars of pickles and chutneys. Where to begin?

With The Indian Grocery Store Demystified, of course. Author Linda Bladholm walks you through a typical Indian grocery store, aisle by aisle, shelf by shelf. Start with the rice aisle and learn the differences between basmati, gobindavog, red patni, and several others. Learn which rice goes best with what type of recipe, how to prepare it, and what it should taste like. Then head down the flour aisle (here's where you learn how to bake several variations of naan and the popular pappadum), to the spices and seasonings. "Without spices," says Bladholm, "one cannot even imagine Indian food." Be sure to stock up on the cardamom, cumin, coriander, black pepper, tamarind, and turmeric. Mosey down to the herbs, then on to fruits and vegetables where you'll be introduced to the sakriya, a small vine-grown yam, and the sweet-and-sour woodapple, indigenous to the Indian jungle. There's also a chapter on ayurveda, the balancing of mind, body, spirit, and environment, and which foods can help you achieve this balance.

Though a few recipes are included in the back, this is not a cookbook, but rather a preparing-to-cook book. Bladholm thoroughly covers a vast amount of information and makes you feel like you could stroll into your local Indian grocery and make smart, informed purchases. And if you're still a little timid, The Indian Grocery Store Demystified is small enough to stick in your bag to reference while you're there. --Dana Van Nest

Review

"At last there is a book that takes you by the hand and gives a clear and fascinating tour of these markets. It couldn't have a better title."--Amanda Hesser, New York Times

"[I]t's a perfectly economical vest-pocket guide that is a real gem."--Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times (also named one of the Times' Ten Best Cookbooks for 1999)
See all Product Description

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

5 star
3
4 star
0
3 star
0
2 star
1
1 star
0
4.2 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars When you're ready to go beyond the cookbook Nov 24 2003
By Karen
Format:Paperback
I've been a slavishly devoted fan of Indian food since 1990, and in the process have managed to become a reasonably accomplished cook. But while there are a host of amazing cookbooks out there that have given me my repetoire, I had not been able to go 'beyond the cookbook' until I got "The Indian Grocery Store Demystified". Beforehand, my visits to the Indian market were very rewarding in that I could identify all the ingredients I needed for my recipes, but I was left with no explanation of what all that other STUFF could be used for. This book helped me to recognize all the wonderful products available, and how they could be used to leap beyond the recipe pages, and actually construct dishes and menus of my very own. Thanks to Linda Bladholm, I am less of a book-taught hobbyist working endlessly to perfect my craft, and more of an intuitive home chef creating satisfying dishes inspired by products that formerly left me puzzled and intimidated. A great resource to anyone who wants to encompass the whole of Indian home cooking, not just a handful of recipes.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
2.0 out of 5 stars disappointed Jan 28 2003
By Mark Milo
Format:Paperback
Although this book has a lot of information, it has one really major flaw...the way in which it is organized. Many of the items are listed in the index and in the chapters under their English name, not their Indian name. Because of this, you cannot just look up an unfamiliar word, and find it's meaning. For example... if you wanted to look up the word "jeera", which means, cumin seed, you would not find it in the index as "jeera",you would have to look under the english term, "cumin seed". To me it seems that it is the Indian terms you would want to be looking up in most cases. The index should have included both the Indian and English term, so that you can look it up EITHER WAY. Although this book has lots of information, you would honestly be better of buying a cookbook that includes a glossary of ingredients that are listed as their INDIAN name, and you would save yourself a lot of time.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual ingredients are explored and shopping tips included Jan 28 2001
By Midwest Book Review
Format:Paperback
An excellent reference for cooks just venturing into the cuisines of different regions. Indian Grocery Store Demystified provides over 700 entries and 200 illustrations, anecdotes about ingredients and cultural and culinary backgrounds. Unusual ingredients are explored and shopping tips included. Unique in scope and presentation.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
Want to see more reviews on this item?

    Your Shopping Cart is empty.

    Give it purpose—fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics, and more.

    If you already have an account, sign in.

    View Cart (0 items)

      Listmania!

      Create a Listmania! list

      Look for similar items by category

      Feedback

      Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?