Inspired by cravings for ethnic foods—and frustration with being unable to find decent versions (or any version at all) in nonurban parts of the country—Deeds and Snyder (The Big Book of Appetizers
) deliver 200 recipes for popular take-out dishes, from Mu Shu Pork to Chicken Tikka Masala and Fish Tacos. They organize the recipes by cuisine: Chinese, Eastern European, Greek, Middle Eastern, Thai and so on. And they cover the dishes most often ordered, such as Vegetable Biryani, Pizza Margherita, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Paella and Pad Thai. Fun head notes often describe the derivation of dishes—General Tso’s Chicken, for example, “was born back in the seventies in a Chinese restaurant in New York” and named after “a successful Chinese statesman back in the mid-1800s.” Recipes are approachable, if not strictly authentic, and include indications of total time and hands-on time, which is generally less than an hour. Home cooks without viable take-out options now have a reasonable alternative—though city-dwellers probably won’t be getting rid of their take-out menus anytime soon. (Nov.)
