Library Journal Review

A young Swedish woman who loves to travel, Elmlid decided to minimize her expenses as she journeyed the globe by bartering her sourdough bread as she went. Her first book is both a travelog of that trip and a cookbook. The introduction discusses the concept of bartering and the development of the perfect sourdough starter, which may take significant time and effort. Elmlid explains that once the starter is ready, the baker can use it to make such varieties as simple sourdough, toasted walnut, or Finnish comfort bread. Elmid traveled with the sourdough starter in her suitcase and traded for lodging, food, and even for an oven for baking. The 11 chapters feature the cities and areas she visited, including Bavaria, New York, Kabul, and Antwerp. The stories of the people she met are enhanced by artful photographs. Recipes clearly reflect the locations-cheese phyllo squares from the Sinai Desert, sour cucumber soup from Warsaw, ashak (Afghan leek dumplings) from Kabul, and crustless breakfast quiche from San Francisco. Verdict The subtitle "Tales and Recipes" is a perfect description of a beautiful and fascinating book. Foodies, bakers, tourists, and armchair travelers alike will enjoy Elmlid's peripatetic life.-Christine E. Bulson, emeritus, SUNY Oneonta Lib. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.