The Foreign Service Journal, January 2009

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 71 intersection of politics and food. On Burma: “While the generals eat well, as do the urban sophisticates of Ran- goon (or Yangon, if you want to flaunt your support for the Buddhist junta), the rest of the folks eke out their caloric intake in whatever way they can, including mountains of rice.” Occasionally Fair’s sarcasm obscures the substance. Too fast a reading of the above quotation, for example, may lead one to conclude that she grants the SLORC their political ap- propriation of Buddhism. Each chapter concludes with a din- ner party set-piece for appetizers, en- trées and dessert. Fair’s choice of recipes delivers rewards from off the beaten path. For India, she avoids fa- miliar Mughlai and South Indian dishes to explore Kashmiri cuisine, which is rarely found in restaurants. The final chapter focuses on the United States and could be particu- larly useful when planning your em- bassy’s next Fourth of July party menu. While the recipes and flavors are subtle, the book’s opinions are any- thing but. From dismissing vegetari- ans to decrying human rights viola- tions, the author delights in mocking political correctness: “The best gift for an Indian bride is a wardrobe made of asbestos! UNICEF estimates that in India, some 5,000 women die each year in various ‘kitchen fires.’” Fair’s double entendrés and roast- ings of U.S. foreign policy could be distasteful to readers with delicate constitutions. But anyone who has chafed at delivering minced words and pablum talking points will revel in this book’s cornucopia of career-com- promising cocktail fodder. Cuisines offers a taste-filled romp through the world’s political hot spots, guided by a potential culinary corre- spondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review . If you have a sense of humor about the most serious international challenges we face, you will likely enjoy reading, and cooking, from it. Kapil Gupta, an FSO since 2005, serves as an economic officer in Accra. His views and cooking habits are en- tirely his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of State or the U.S. government. B O O K S