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Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes

by Tessa Kiros

Description
The New York Times calls Tessa Kiros's work "exuberant and colorful." And that is just what her gem, Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes, is. The book is full of personal touches and stories. It is a beautiful collection of family anecdotes, history, and traditions all documented with stunning photography, unique illustrations, and a warm dialogue that will simply pull you in.
Kiros's Apples for Jam, was called "a lovely quilt snuggled softly against your cheek" by the Times Herald-Record of Hudson Valley, New York.

You'll find Falling Cloudberries in the Cookbook section, but it could also easily be found in the World Cultures or Travel sections because the recipe collections give a unique taste of Finland, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, and Italy all in one.

This is possible because of Kiros's life. She takes us on a global journey of taste and experience with her eclectic compilation of 170 simple and delicious recipes that reflect her world travels, multicultural heritage, family traditions, and amazing cooking combinations.

Taste the world without leaving your kitchen.
• Destination: delicious. Kiros inspires home cooks with a broad offering of dishes from Finland, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, and Italy.
• Recipes are organized by country and are complemented with 185 four-color photographs and gorgeous illustrations. A handy index makes it easy to find specific foods and recipes.
• The book even has a lovely illustration of the author's family tree, which gives home cooks an inside look at the author's diverse and world-spanning family and their food traditions.
• The bold packaging and robust photography are just as inviting as Tessa's tasty dishes.

About the Author
Tessa Kiros was born in London to a Finnish mother and Greek-Cypriot father. She grew up in South Africa and has since traveled the world learning about diverse cultures, traditions, and tastes. She has worked in restaurants in Australia, Greece, Mexico, and at the famous Groucho Club in London. She and her husband call Italy home.

Review
How do you read a cookbook? My mother, retired and an avid reader, always has a cookbook next to her chair or bedside. She thoroughly "devours" each collection of recipes much as she does her literary works, page by page. My best friend always hones in on the Italian sections only. I, on the other hand, as a full-time professional, have been known to skip reading the cookbook entirely and resort to "index reading." This translates into searching an ingredient I have on hand in the index to come up with a recipe from the book. "Falling Cloudberries" by Tessa Kiros is a success in large part because it works with all of us! Organized into sections from all corners of the globe and related to Ms. Kiros' family, the cover invites the reader to travel through each region with splendiferous photography and artistic layouts. The pencil drawings and portraits of her family are endearing and touching. The introduction to each new country is poetic.

"Falling Cloudberries" is not only a work of art, but also a really, really, REALLY good cookbook! Recipes are clearly written for the home cook and are very reproducible. The international flavors make the preparation entertaining and fresh. My family traveled from an Italian salad of baby spinach, bresaola, apples and nuts to Finnish Hasselback potatoes (named after the Restaurant Hasselbacken in Stockholm) accompanied by a grilled steak and ended with a South African pineapple, cinnamon and allspice cake. The potatoes were gorgeous and I realized as we lifted our glasses in a toast to Ms. Kiros that my family had experienced the taste and beauty of this cookbook without ever cracking the cover themselves. "Falling Cloudberries", because of this broad appeal, would make a wonderful gift to any cook. My family is begging for more and I can't wait to work up our next culinary "itinerary!"
Hawkeyes, Lawrence, Kansas (amazon.com)