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Rating: 
Summary: I thought it was but it wasn't
Review: Being Married to a Husband from Bangladesh I was very excited to find this book. Its very hard to find good Bangali recipes online. When I got this book in the mail I couldn't wait to try it out. I am sorry to say ITS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. First, Most of the names of the Recipes are in Bengali or an ingredient with no translation which forces you to go back in the glossery to find out what the heck that word means which makes you loose focus and gets really boring after a while. Second, I didn't like the format of the book. Its more like a book about festivals and history of the food than a cookbook I guess that was the whole purpose of the book. But that was not what I was looking for Third, I know Asian women take hours and hours to prepare a meal. But , living in the states ,working full time and being a part time student ,this book simply wont work for me . I need fast and simple recipes that will turn out just as great.Also, recipes are very complicated and I feel you need to watch someone cooking the meals to really get it . I also didn't like the way writer has the measurements for the ingrediants. Most of the recipes are serve 8-10 people which is not realistic for me ... Fourth, I think this book will be great for people who come from the culture and are familiar with the recipes ,I am sure it will be easy for them. For those of you who don't know anything about the food like me or hardly know the language I advise you go to www.desicookbook.com ( its a pakistani website with great and simple recipes , very simlar to bengali cooking) Thank you for taking the time to read my review.... Peace may be upon you ! ....
Rating: 
Summary: My favorite
Review: For starters, you need to know that I am from Bengal, and good cook books for Bengali food are truly hard to find. And bengali food restaurants are even more rare. This Bengali cookbook does more than provide recipes. It provides the context for them, which is essential in understanding both the culture and the food. As one of the reviewers has correctly pointed out, the recipes have not been "Americanized" for the busy woman (or man). However, being one who also lives in North America, and has a busy schedule, I have not found the recipes onerous. In fact, they deliver genuine tasting Bengali dishes, just like you would find at home. If you are looking for quick 5-minute recipes, to satisfy a spouse craving Bengali food, this is not the book for you. I doubt if there is any book like that with Bengali food recipes. This book's true value is in understanding how and why certain foods are eaten in Bengal at different times of the year (based on seasonal events and availability of ingredients). The finer subleties of food differences between Bengalis from West Bengal (now in India) and East Bengal (now Bangladesh) also shows up in this book, but will be lost to most people who are themselves not from Bengal. One of my parents is from East Bengal/ Bangaldesh, while the other is from West Bengal. So I had the added pleasure of reading about her adventures in dealing with these differences. In summary, the recipes here are authentic (I have tried many), and some are unique - not found elsewhere but by word of mouth. An absolute must for a Bengali food lover, maybe not for most others with no or little connection to Bengal.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: I've been away from my homeland of Bengal for years and this book brings back so many memories of forgotten foods, the seasons, the festivals, the general Bengali lifestyle. It's the best "spur-of-the-moment" purchase I've made in a long time!
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