So many people loved the book selection this month! As you’ll see in the graph below most folks wanted to read most books, but there was a clear winner.
Before we get to that winning book we’ll be reading in June, here’s a cookbook about Indonesia cookery which came up on my radar. While the author isn’t Indonesian, she spent a lot of time in the country as her father was an architect who designed buildings in Bali & Java so her family spent a great deal of time there year after year.
Winner of two Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the Kerb Food & Drink Travel Book of the Year, & the Guild of Food Writers Award among others
Steep verdant rice terraces, ancient rainforest and fire-breathing volcanoes create the landscape of the world's largest archipelago. Indonesia is a travellers' paradise, with cuisine as vibrant and thrilling as its scenery. For these are the original spice islands, whose fertile volcanic soil grows ingredients that once changed the flavour of food across the world. On today's noisy streets, chilli-spiked sambals are served with rich noodle broths, and salty peanut sauce sweetens chargrilled sate sticks. In homes, shared feasts of creamy coconut curries, stir-fries and spiced rice are fragrant with ginger, tamarind, lemongrass and lime. The air hangs with the tang of chilli and burnt sugar, citrus and spice.
Through delightful, easy-to-follow text and instructions, Fire Islands reveals how to create 100 authentic Indonesian recipes—everything from crunchy snacks and street food to sweet and sticky rice dishes, spicy noodles, fragrant sauces, tangy broths, rich drinks, and much more. This bright, beautifully designed book has mouthwatering photographs of the dishes coupled with original images from the lush, food paradise with Eleanor Ford giving a personal, intimate portrait of a country and its cooking.
But what book are we reading for the club?
Speaking of food & cookery, the winning book we’ll be reading in June is…
Food is a window to the soul, and award-winning Indonesian author Laksmi Pamuntjak’s prose is as delicious as the dishes she describes. As Aruna, our frank and funny protagonist, discovers new flavors that awaken unknown truths within her, this lush and nourishing novel invites readers into Indonesia’s diverse mosaic of cuisines and cultures.
Aruna is an epidemiologist dedicated to food and avian politics. One is heaven, the other earth. The two passions blend in unexpected ways when Aruna is asked to research a handful of isolated bird flu cases reported across Indonesia. While it’s put a crimp in her aunt’s West Java farm, and made her own slow-roasted duck dish highly questionable, the investigation does provide an irresistible opportunity. It’s the perfect excuse to get away from corrupt and corrosive Jakarta and explore the spices of the far-flung regions of the islands with her three friends: a celebrity chef, a globe-trotting “foodist,” and her coworker, Farish.
From Medan to Surabaya, Palembang to Pontianak, the four have their fill of local cuisine. With every delicious dish, Aruna discovers a liberating new perspective on her country—and on her life—that will push her to pursue the things she’s only dreamed of doing.
“Pamuntjak’s second novel, The Birdwoman’s Palate, is her delicious love letter to the culinary world. The author, who made her name writing the bible of Jakarta’s food scene, takes us on a journey through the far-flung spots of the Indonesian archipelago, diving not just into the wealth of local cuisines but also the complexity of regional politics with her signature wit and wisdom.” —Yenni Kwok, Time Magazine
“Like Eat, Pray, Love and Without Reservations, The Birdwoman’s Palate offers generous portions of armchair travel and self-reflection, inspiring journeys both inward and outward.” —Gabriella Page-Fort"
Note: Currently free with Kindle Unlimited!
(Group read suggestion from Beth McCrea, book club co-founder.)
Happy reading!