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Around the World in 80 Dinners By Bill Jamison Our Price $ 13.19   Retail Value $ 14.99   You Save $ 1.80  (12%)   Item Number 2482812   Buy New Item Currently Out Of Stock ABOUT TRUST ONLINE

	what a yawn!!  Aug 12, 2009
Even moderately skillful writers should be able to turn this subject, the combination of travel and food, into an interesting, indeed fascinating, reading. Unfortunately these two writers (which one of them is actually writing it, I wonder?) turn it into one of the biggest yawns I've ever had the misfortune to pick up. Like other reviewers on this site, despite my best efforts it proved to be impossible to finish. Already by the second chapter I had come to dislike these two boring, pretentious and personality-challenged old hippies intensely. The tone of the prose is bizarre, almost as if they had cut and pasted soul-less descriptions from wine and food magazines with all the jargon that is so repulsive EVEN in those magazines. The dialogue is cringingly, embarrassingly flat and cliched. After dining in one restaurant Cheryl wittily pontificates to her husband, "...truly terrific. The striking thing about their food and the other fine meals we've had in Australia is the willingness of the chefs to be adventuresome with flavor combinations. They take risks and challenge expectations without falling into the trap of silly mishmash dishes." Are they kidding? Do people really say stupid things like this to each other? In addition to these stylistic faux pas, it is truly frightening to read how much food these two wolf down in the course of a day. The flat, pedestrian, vacuous "descriptions" that they offer of these all-day eating binges come across more as justification for their gluttony than for any purpose of reportage. Compare this book with Rayner's The Man Who Ate the World to see what CAN be done with this subject. Thank God I borrowed it from the library and didn't spend any money on this drek. How the heck did they ever find a publisher? And somebody please tell these hicks that if you're on antibiotics you shoudn't be drinking two bottles of wine!
	Good trip, dull book  May 11, 2009
The trip described by Cheryl and Bill Jamison- a three-month trip around the world concentrating on food to celebrate their 20th anniversary- would be any foodie's dream, and I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, the event flattens in the telling, and the result is less a travelogue than a tedious chronicle of "then we ate this, then we ate that." Real insight and depth are missing. Many reviewers have commented on the Jamisons' frequent switches between first and third person. I found it a mildly annoying but understandable literary convention. However, it has the unfortunate effect of making the dialogues bewteen the two of them even more inane. Consider the following intimate after-dinner discussion: "At the end of our second dinner, Cheryl reflects on the food. 'It's amazing that the same basic set of ingredients can yield so many different flavors and textures. Coconut in all forms, black mustard seeds, pepper, ginger, garkic, turmeric, chiles, and coriander, in one combination or another, yield incredible bounty.' 'Yeah,' Bill says, 'and each is a bit player rather than a star, part of an ensemble rather than a show-stealer, like basil can be in Thai cooking.' 'But, Bill, this is the closest relative to Thai food in the world, with similar seasoning elements, complexity, and robust flavor.'" It's possible that the Jamisons really talk to each other that way, but this passage, and much of the rest of the book, reads like two people working too hard to convince each other and their readers of their discernment.
	uugh awful writing  Apr 9, 2009
i love travel essays because they tend to give insight not often found in the average guidebook and was particularly interested in reading a book about traveling around the world in search of delicious food. this book was a disappointment. the writing is flat and boring--i actually found it a chore to read. and for a reason i couldn't ever figure out, the authors switch from first person to third person, using we to describe themselves at the beginning of a paragraph, switching to bill said or cheryl did at the end of the very same paragraph. i found it confusing. in the hands of a really good writer, words can often make me smell and taste, but the author's descriptions of food were bland and dull. throughout the book they describe dish after dish and not once did i find myself getting hungry when reading. worse, i have visited many of the places they describe and found myself thinking, "it was so so much better than that." for some reason, this site sent and billed me for two copies of this book--i wish i'd sent them both back.
	A Scrumptious Travel/Foodie Fix  Jan 8, 2009
The charm of this book lies in the sense of adventure that these married cookbook authors have for food, travel, and each other. With Cheryl over 50 and Bill over 60, you might think of them as armchair gourmets. Not so; they spent four years planning this "adventure of a lifetime" by doing their research, coveting their frequent flyer miles, and planning an itinerary that would be both romantic and gastronomic in celebration of their 20th wedding anniversary. But that now brings us to the food . . . Having been Down Under repeatedly, I was stunned to find out that I didn't know what "Mod Oz" (short for modern Aussie) tucker was. I learned that it a fusion cuisine, blending ingredients long enjoyed by the locals--yes, `roo and barramundi and yabbies and cuttlefish--with the multicultural flavors that came on the scene after Australia abandoned its whites-only immigration policy back in the 1970s. Yum! The Jamisons' description of Sydney's restaurants is among the best of the foodie writing in this book, and they helpfully provide contact details at the end of the chapter (as they do for all the places they visited), along with one recipe per country. The authors also give high marks to France, China, and South Africa. Yet not all of their experiences had that same sparkle. New Caledonia? Skip it. Bali? No big whoop. Singapore? Not unless you like street food. Thailand? Too many ups and downs. Brazil? Only for feijoada. India? Didn't even get a mention in the authors' wrap-up. There are no photos in the book except on the cover, so you have to go to their website (cookingwiththejamisons.com) to get the full "flavor" of their trip. As with all such quests, the authors had hits and misses, but they remain praiseworthy for their fearless exploration. They braved side-street stalls and $500 dinner tabs all with the same gusto, and their travel tales are always interesting. At the end of the book they said that they may just make a similar jaunt in 2010 for their silver anniversary, and I am tempted to invite myself along.
	Armchair travel for foodies. Or maybe armchair food for travelers.  Oct 12, 2008
I have at least three cookbooks by the Jamisons, and all of them are best-of-breed, from the breakfast cookbook to cooking with smoke. So when I saw that they had branched out somewhat into foodie travel, I went out of a way to pick up Around the World in 80 Dinners. After all, I've bought books that cover everything from the best gelato shops in Italy to deciphering German restaurant menus. I confess that I'm a little disappointed. This book is enjoyable... but I'm not so enthusiastic about it that I'll tell you to go out of your way for it. The premise is fine: the Jamisons save up their frequent flier miles for a round-the-world trip, and stop in several destinations that have high interest to food fans: Bali, Australia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, South Africa, Provence, and Brazil. They catalog their adventures both on the touristy side (a safari in South Africa, a winery tour in Australia) and in food-centric tourist terms (they spend as much time in farmer's markets as they do in restaurants). Each destination includes the nitty gritty details, so you can stay at the same hotel or visit the same restaurants they did, as well as one or two recipes (such as "fried black 'carrot' cake" from Singapore). Somehow, though, it's only okay. If you picked out any given part of the book, I'd tell you that it's interesting -- these people travel the way that we do. I certainly enjoy hearing about all the great they have to eat, especially the street food. I know a lot more about the food (and other) history of each of these areas, now. But somehow it's as though the authors are self-consciously talking to the audience, in an as-you-know expository manner that never quite sits well. "...Bill says, marveling, 'What a fantastic blend of flavors and textures, the seafood with the pork, crunch with silky.' 'You're right, a winner for sure. [responds Cheryl] It speaks of a culinary sophistication way beyond the bounds of this humble setting.'" Does anybody talk like that? It's obvious from the text that the Jamisons took a lot of photos. But you see only a few of them on the front and back cover. I wish there had been more pictures throughout the book; then, perhaps, the text might have come to life. The result was that, while I'm glad I read the book, I was very distractable. I took a couple of breaks, and read two or three other things, rather than gobble down this book. For me, anyway, it didn't live up to the subtitle of "the ultimate culinary adventure." So if you have the opportunity to read it... do. But don't put it at the top of your To Be Read Immediately pile.

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