Take an evocative journey into the heart of the real Sri Lanka with intrepid photographer and writer, Bree Hutchins. With a voracious appetite for all things culinary and an undaunting spirit of adventure, Bree ventures into areas where most foreigners don't go, seeking out the hidden kitchens of Sri Lanka. On the reawakening Jaffna Peninsula, war widows cook crab curry and fry spicy snacks, while in a remote eastern village, Sumith stirs vats of smoky milk toffee over an open fire in a factory behind his home. Bamini cooks thosai for the Hindu temple feast, and old William boils up his Ceylon tea at Colombo's dawn wholesale market, just as he's done every day for sixty years. And at Monaragala Prison, in one of the poorest districts in Sri Lanka, the inmates prepare a fragrant fish curry with pol roti. Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka is far more than a collection of traditional recipes; stunningly vivid photographs, Bree interweaves recipes with heartfelt stories about the people who opened not only their kitchens but their homes and hearts to her, to create a moving yet hopeful picture of Sri Lanka today.

A volume based on the popular NPR radio series explores how communities come together through food, combining popular stories from the show with new interviews, photographs, and recipes from a wide array of atypical kitchens.

Sri Lanka Style showcases 30 of the finest traditional and modern dwellings in Sri Lanka. Reflecting its location and status as a hub of Indian Ocean trade from time immemorial, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has always been open to the movements and patterns of world culture. Indigenous architects and cultural traditions, colonial incursions and the vagaries of living in a tropical environment have combined to produce a distinctive Sri Lankan architectural style: thick lime-washed walls, tall windows and doors, terracotta or granite tile floors, open pavilions and verandas, courtyard gardens, elaborately carved furniture and vibrant hand-looms. The Sri Lankan homes vary from private homes to retreats and resorts, all designed by the island's most creative architects and interior designers including some by the world-renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa that have never been seen before. These works demonstrate the essentials of the Sri Lankan spaces open to the elements and the natural use of space and decor, contributing to a palpable sense of peace and discipline. In addition, there are practical design ideas that can be applied to any tropical locale. Photographed entirely on location, Sri Lanka Style is an inspirational sourcebook of contemporary tropical style.

Discover the delicious, aromatic and vibrant food of Sri Lanka in this beautifully illustrated cookbook with 100 sumptuous recipes. Feather-light hoppers, fiery sambols, subtly spiced curries and unique ‘vada’ (fried snacks) come together in this definitive collection of Sri Lanka’s most authentic and exciting recipes. As Sri Lanka is being rediscovered a travel destination, its varied cuisine is also under the spotlight. As well as absorbing influences from India, the Middle East, Far East Asia and myriad European invaders, the small island also has strong Singhalese and Tamil cooking traditions and this cookbook brings these styles together to showcase the best of the country’s culinary heritage. These healthy and wholseome recipes draw on the strong traditions of the island, with quick recipes for light lunches, larger meals to share with family and friends, as well as mouth-watering desserts for those with a sweet tooth.​ Dig into 100 recipes that celebrate the island’s wonderful ingredients, from okra and jackfruit to coconut and chillies, and explore its culture through stunning original travel photography of the country, its kitchens and its people.

In his new history of food, acclaimed historian Massimo Montanari traces the development of medieval tastes—both culinary and cultural—from raw materials to market and captures their reflections in today's food trends. Tying the ingredients of our diet evolution to the growth of human civilization, he immerses readers in the passionate debates and bold inventions that transformed food from a simple staple to a potent factor in health and a symbol of social and ideological standing. Montanari returns to the prestigious Salerno school of medicine, the "mother of all medical schools," to plot the theory of food that took shape in the twelfth century. He reviews the influence of the Near Eastern spice routes, which introduced new flavors and cooking techniques to European kitchens, and reads Europe's earliest cookbooks, which took cues from old Roman practices that valued artifice and mixed flavors. Dishes were largely low-fat, and meats and fish were seasoned with vinegar, citrus juices, and wine. He highlights other dishes, habits, and battles that mirror contemporary culinary identity, including the refinement of pasta, polenta, bread, and other flour-based foods; the transition to more advanced cooking tools and formal dining implements; the controversy over cooking with oil, lard, or butter; dietary regimens; and the consumption and cultural meaning of water and wine. As people became more cognizant of their physicality, individuality, and place in the cosmos, Montanari shows, they adopted a new attitude toward food, investing as much in its pleasure and possibilities as in its acquisition.

Since its release in 1976, Charmaine Solomon’s The Complete Asian Cookbook has become a culinary classic, introducing Asian cooking to more than a million readers worldwide and garnering a dedicated following around the globe. The recipes from China are now available in this single volume. Join Charmaine Solomon on a journey through the familiar flavours of Cantonese cuisine to the mouth-numbing spice of Sichuan food. From wontons and chow mein to Peking duck and heavenly braised vegetables, these diverse dishes will delight and inspire a new generation of cooks. Also in the series: The Complete Asian Cookbook: India & Pakistan The Complete Asian Cookbook: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Burma The Complete Asian Cookbook: Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore The Complete Asian Cookbook: Japan & Korea The Complete Asian Cookbook: Sri Lanka & The Philippines

This exhilarating story is the transporting tale of how the sensual, romantic elements of haute Chinese cuisine become the perfect ingredients to lift the troubled soul of a grieving American woman.