Far Afield

July 18, 2016
Combining travel photography, immersion journalism, and recipes, food and travel writer Mitchell and photographer Fisher glaze over the lives of individual marginalized people outside North America in order to discover the traditions of their communities. For taro farmers, junior pirates, and refugees, among others, food is more than sustenance: it’s a community builder, the backbone to celebration, and a way of life, and their shared recipes are cherished as “souvenirs of this journey.” Despite this and Mitchell’s exciting promise of “venturing beyond other people’s comfort zones,” the book falls short. The promised marginal communities aren’t always that marginal. The allocation of the 40 recipes is somewhat uneven, with two given to Japan—one a drink of yuzu and sake, the other for wakame butter scallops—whereas Iceland received seven. For those whose most familiar cuisines are from the Western world, Mitchell will strap you in for a ride into the backwaters of new terrains.

Starred review from October 1, 2016

Journalist Mitchell's first book chronicles journeys taken over the course of a decade to "isolated or marginal communities where keeping the food chain vital remains a daily chore." She spends extended periods of time with taro farmers in Hawaii; a shinto priest in Kyoto; members of the Rabari tribe in Rajastan, India; and refugees in the Calais, France settlement known as the Jungle. She also participates in the annual roundup of wild-grazing sheep in rural Iceland, attends an asado (barbecue) on the pampas of Uruguay, and works around the Maasai complicated taboos to witness the rituals involved in an animal's slaughter and consumption. As she travels, Mitchell collects recipes: spiced okra in India, grilled rabbit in Mexico, Sudanese lamb and yogurt stew in the Jungle. The recipes reflect the experiences she shares and the relationships she builds, and they're often--though not always--simple dishes intended to sate hungry workers or feed a family. VERDICT Armchair travelers will relish the lush photos and thoughtful text, home cooks will find the clearly written recipes tempting, and readers blessed with wanderlust will be packing their bags. Highly recommended.--Stephanie Klose, Library Journal

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