The Nepal Cookbook

by Palden Choedak Oshoe

Unless in 1986 you discovered Nepali Delights, the first edition of this book, it's unlikely that you have a Nepali cookbook in your collection. This compendium of family recipes from more than 50 contributors provides a sampling of the favorite dishes that make up this cuisine influenced by both Tibetan and, more familiar to American readers, East Indian cooking.

Grains are the base of the diet, mustard oil and ghee are used for cooking, and chiles, garlic, ginger, and cumin are favorite flavorings. It's too bad that there are very few recipe notes to give more background to the dishes, but this is a unique resource in any case. For larger and special collections.