Silk Road Cooking.

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Silk Road Cooking--A Vegetarian Journey is an absolutely beautiful cookbook filled with vegetarian and numerous vegan-friendly recipes that originated along the ancient network of trade routes known as the Silk Road. This area stretches from China in the east to the Mediterranean in the west. The book contains incredible color photos from this region as well as some of the recipes presented.

Under the salad section you'll find dishes like Georgian Tomatoes Stuffed with Walnuts and Pomegranates, as well as Mesopotamian Rice Salad with Green Lentils, Dates, and Raisins. In the soup section you might want to prepare the Beijing Hot and Sour Noodle Soup or the Caspian Butternut Squash, Bulgur, and Wild Orange Soup. Under the vegetable category you can try Elam Kidney Bean and Lime Braise or Bombay Mushroom Curry. You'll also find recipes for Indian Samosas, Persian Lavash Bread, and, for dessert, Susa Spiced Walnut and Date Scones.

The extensive glossary for this book includes photos of unfamiliar food items. You'll also find the mail-order resources for hard-to-find ingredients useful.

Silk Road Cooking (ISBN 0-93421163-9) is published by Mage Publishers. This 336-page book retails for $50. Look for it in your local library or bookstore. Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.