The World Eats Here

The Queens Night Market was born out of a love for night markets (which Taiwan, where John Wang grew up, is famous for!). I love his questioning of how a place can be a “foodie city” if people can’t afford to enjoy the food. As such there’s a $5-6 price cap for the food offered there, and to date, it’s  helped to launch >300 businesses!

The recipes are divided up by location and there are beautiful drawings of food scattered throughout, interspersed with stories from the chefs and, of course, gorgeous food photography. It also has the recipes divided up by type (e.g. finger foods vs meat/fish/main dishes, rice/noodles, wrapped/stuffed, pastries/sweets, and drinks).

The first section spans the Americas + the Carribean. From Jerk Chicken to Rellenos de Papa (stuffed potato croquettes), Guyanese Pine Tarts and Antiguan Ginger Beer, you’re bound to find something you love here!

Europe includes everything from the tarts pictured above to Fiskegrot (Fish Pudding, found in Norway), Kopytka (Polish Potato Gnocchi), Chicory Coffee (from Romania), to Ukranian Borscht (which vaguely reminds me of Saltibarsciai).

Next up is Africa and the Middle East, where you can  learn to make Obe Ata Din Din (Fried Stew) from Nigeria, Bunny Chow (Chicken Curry Bread Bowl – a famous South African street food sandwich, Chicken Biryani, to Persian Halva (Saffron Fudge).

I will come clean here. I actually bought this because  of the upcoming section (Asian) — most specifically, the Native Noodles Laksa!! (I love laksa.) You can also learn to make Pakistani Tandoori Chicken Kati Rolls, Dosas with Chicken Curry from India, Sinh To Bo (Avocado Smoothie — I have a version here!)

The World Eats Here brings together the stories of over 50 different vendors/chefs and there are 88 recipes in here representing 43 different countries. It’s a treasure to read about their different stories and I so look forward to trying out these recipes!