Cross-Cultural Cookout (2024)

Roden, who teaches cooking in her London home and at cooking schools all over the world, wasn't all that keen when Judith Jones, her editor at Knopf, suggested an American edition. But after she began researching American food and found it "a complete great discovery," which would come as no surprise to Texans, she was won over. For the things Roden enjoys best of all are researching, cooking and eating.

Her first cookbook, "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" (Vintage, 1968), was "a labor of love," she said. "It was something out of my own past and tradition, so I thought I couldn't do another. And I couldn't think of a good subject. But like a painter who can't put down the brushes, I was desperate to start again."

Now, not only has she completed this book, but she is also well along in her research for her next two books. She is, you might say, on a roll. "Once I start working," she claims, "I get obsessed with the background, the tradition."

Roden's inspiration for the outdoor book came from a magazine article she wrote about Middle Eastern picnics. She began studying "various cuisines to learn about things that people normally cook outside."

So her book is filled with accounts of such traditional, authentic outdoor cooking events as English tea on the lawn and English picnics, Japanese lunch-box picnics that are celebrations of nature and a long reprint of a narrative by Indian food writer Madhur Jaffrey, a friend, about Jaffrey's childhood family picnics in the Himalayas.

Roden also describes graveyard banqueting in China, barbecuing in Hong Kong, grilling sate's in Southeast Asia, outdoor feasting in India during the Raj, dining on wild food in the American wilderness, cooking in primitive ways (pit cooking, cooking in clay) and, of course, Texas barbecues.

Recipes for each of these outdoor eating events are included, as are Roden-created cross-culture mixes, "like putting an Indian filling in a French pie." But above all, she says, her recipes are "easy and healthy. The whole point is that the food is simple."

At the beginning of the book Roden quotes a long passage from Milton's "Paradise Regained" that reflects her own idea of the pleasures of eating outdoors in "the first dining room of man." After an introduction to the history of picnics and her personal experiences dining alfresco, Roden moves directly to her "celebration" of picnics, clambakes, campfires and other types of open-air munching.

Whimsical line drawings introduce each of the three divisions of the book. The first section covers food that can be cooked at home and carried to the picnic site: hot and cold soups, dips, pa te's, savory tarts, cold meats, poultry, fish and seafood, salads and desserts. She "learned all about sandwiches," she relates, on trips to New York. Recipes reflect Roden's experience not only with Middle Eastern cuisine but also with an international assortment of dishes. Many times they take the form of general suggestions, rather than actual recipes with list of ingredients and directions, allowing for individual taste and creativity.

In the second section Roden discusses cooking in the open, including techniques for spit roasting, barbecuing and smoking foods, appetizers to cook over an open fire and breads such as skillet scallion cakes and frying pan bread to be prepared outside. She believes, she says, "that everyone knows how to grill the basics and wants to know what else to cook on the grill."

In the last section she turns her attention to the problems of the seafaring or camping cook, with suggestions for living off the land and sea. She includes also the buying of street food and the making of impromptu and one-pot meals. The book concludes with a barbecuing chart for every type of food from wild duck to snails in their shells.

Since Roden feels that "writing books is my way of getting pleasure," she is busy with her upcoming two. One is a new book with photographs on Middle Eastern cuisine, with each country treated separately. The other, and researching it is Roden's current obsession, is on Jewish food around the globe. Roden is, she explains, "studying Jewish life all over the world to learn how the kitchen reflects the culture."

While waiting for those books, here are some recipes from Roden's outdoor book: MOROCCAN BOILED CARROT SALAD DIP (6 servings) 1 1/8 pounds carrots, peeled Salt and pepper to taste 1/2-1 teaspoon harissa (hot sauce available in Middle Eastern groceries) or 1 teaspoon paprika Pinch cayenne pepper 1-2 teaspoons cumin 3 tablespoons wine vinegar 4tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger Green or black olives for garnish

Boil carrots in salted water until very soft. Drain and mash with a fork and stir in salt, pepper, harissa, cayenne, cumin, vinegar, oil, garlic and ginger or pure'e in a blender until smooth. Serve cold garnished with olives.

Variation: Alternative additional flavorings are 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. MEXICAN TURKEY OR CHICKEN SALAD (6 servings) 2 pounds poached chicken breasts or white turkey, sliced in thin shreds 1 small head green cabbage, finely shredded 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 3 limes 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cooked carrot, cut in 1/2-inch dice 1 bunch fresh coriander, coarsely chopped 8 cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish

Combine all ingredients except about 3 tablespoons of the coriander and the cherry tomatoes. Toss well, place in a bowl, and garnish with remaining coriander and cherry tomatoes. SKILLET SCALLION BREAD (6 servings)

For the biscuit batter: 2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon coarse salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt 4 tablespoons butter or lard, chilled 3/4 cup buttermilk

For frying: 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon sugar 5 scallions

Mix all the dry biscuit batter ingredients together thoroughly. Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with dry ingredients. Then with your fingertips lightly and quickly rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal; don't overmix. Make a well and pour in the buttermilk. Mix with a fork to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly for 5 or 6 turns. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut the dough into rounds with a floured cookie cutter.

Put half the butter and the teaspoon of sugar in a large skillet, and heat and swirl the butter around. Remove from the heat. Chop scallions quite fine, using about two-thirds of the green parts and scatter half on the bottom of the skillet.

Place the biscuit rounds on top of the butter-scallion mixture, letting them overlap slightly to fill the whole skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 5 to 6 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Put a large plate on top of the skillet and quickly flip the nest of biscuits over into it. Melt remaining butter in the skillet, sprinkle on remaining scallions and slip the biscuits into the skillet, uncooked side down. Cover and cook 5 minutes on this side. Serve immediately.