The World on a Plate

Cover image courtesy and copyright Penguin, 2015

London food writer and Guardian Cook editor Mina Holland's first book, The World on a Plate (Penguin), is a culinary travel guide with accessible recipes from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Introductory essays to each country delve into geography and history, woven into the cuisine background. The idea is for readers to be able to sample global cuisines in their homes. Her travel memories and anecdotes place recipes in context--she's visited most of the countries she writes about, exploring cultures through their foods. The recipes themselves are those most closely associated with each country or region. "It's the intersection of geography and climate and people and culture," says Mina, speaking to what these cuisines have in common. "And it's the stories behind these recipes that really interest me. A dish feels much more charged with poignancy when you know who has cooked it and where it has come from." 

A recipe for gazpacho contributed by chef José Pizarro from his book, Seasonal Spanish Food, included in the section on Andalucía. As José comments, he always has a jug of gazpacho in the fridge: it's the perfect light, cooling meal during 104-degree summers.

2 and 1/4 pounds very ripe tomatoes

2 scallions, sliced

1/4 small cucumber

1/2 garlic clove

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

3-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put all the vegetables and the vinegar into a food processor. Then, with the motor running, slowly add the oil through the top. If the soup is too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Chill for 4 hours. Just before serving, add salt and pepper and adjust the vinegar balance if necessary.