Foods of the World (series)

by Time-Life Books

Original publisher: Time-Life

Date of publication: 1968

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Recommended by

Tom Parker Bowles

Restaurant Critic, Food Writer and Broadcaster

From African to Russia, with everywhere in between, this lavishly illustrated set of books on national foods had contributions from MFK Fisher, James Beard, Julia Child and Craig Claiborne. They started in the late 60s and ran through to the 70s and give an elegant, if occasionally dated, overview of each major world cusine. Sumptous, techicoloured photograpahs as well as seperate ring bound recipe booklets. A great work of publishing and culinary scholarship

Elizabeth Schneider

Food Journalist and Cookbook Author

As a beginning cook in the late sixties, I awaited the appearance of each book in this series as a child might await the next installment of a beloved fairytale collection. The text (in the distinctive voices of literary and culinary experts) and photos (in situ, instructive) opened up culinary landscapes worldwide. The well-tested authentic recipes (in handy little spiral-bound books) provided ample proof of the reality of these lands of enchantment.

John Martin Taylor

Culinary historian

Not because the information today is up-to-date but because they were the first books that piqued my culinary interests (I was 18 when they started releasing them and when I would come home from college I would devour my mother's copies).

Marlena Spieler

Food writer and broadcaster

Especially the volume A Quintet of Cuisines: Romania, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Switzerland.... hmmmm i think i'm missing one. I think Polish. Photos of not only the food but the life behind the food, most of the volumes are wonderful.

Terry Durack

Restaurant critic, author, columnist

The most brilliant set of cookbooks every produced, with contributions from many of the greatest names in food writing. Especially love The Cooking of Provincial France (MFK Fisher) , and The Cooking of China (Emily Hahn).