A Cook's Tour of the ROM

Greg Turko is a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and
Universities.

The recipes in this Royal Ontario Museum cookbook are grouped by region
of origin (including Canada, England, France, Italy, Greece and the
Mediterranean, and the “Exotic East”) or by type (including “On
the Terrace,” “Parties,” and “Gifts for Your Hostess”). Within
each section, the recipes are further grouped into full-course meals,
beginning with appetizers and ending with dessert, or an appropriate
equivalent in the case of breakfast or brunch. As meal planning can
sometimes be a difficult and time-consuming task, this menu guide is a
thoughtful addition.

Each section of the book also contains a brief, food-rated history of
the region along with a reproduction of various items from the ROM
collections.

The recipes, in terms of ingredients and preparation skill
requirements, are generally straightforward and uncomplicated, though
also not particularly authentic. (The Indian Dinner, for example,
includes an endive and avocado salad with creamy dressing.) This
approach makes the cookbook of particular interest to those who may not
have access to the more obscure and difficult-to-obtain ingredients
often required in more challenging approaches to regional and ethnic
cuisine.