THE FOOD OF ARGENTINA – ASADO, EMPANADAS, DULCE DE LECHE & MORE

ROSS DOBSON & RACHEL TOLOSA PAZ, SMITH STREET BOOKS, H/B, $59.99

Structured around the different ways Argentinians come together to eat, the book is divided into afuera (outside), en casa (at home) and la merienda (afternoon tea). The authors openly state that the book is not meant as an exhaustive overview of the cuisine of the entire country and that it leans more towards a focus on Buenos Aires and the Rio de la Plata area, but there are also recipes that reflect various regional specialties too. It’s a country built on immigration and the book does well to describe some of the diverse roots of the recipes (a Welsh-influenced Patagonian shepherd’s pie, for example). Argentine cooking is for the most part unfussy, and this book is chock-full of simple recipes that let the ingredients speak loud and clear: choripan, chorizo in a bun with salsa criolla and chimichurri, could easily become a summer staple, and a pizza with just onions and cheese looks utterly comforting. Delicious sweet treats include a lush peach cake and a more grandiose piece, the torta rogel – layers of pastry sandwiching dulce de leche, all topped with torched Italian meringue, best enjoyed between sips of bitter mate tea. AKS