2008-04-01 MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?

Armed with heartiness, enthusiasm, and a ton of frequent flier miles cookbook authors Cheryl and Bill Jamison did what most of us would only dream of doing - they embarked on a 90 day long visit to ten countries. Their destinations and cuisines were diverse, from Bali to Brazil.

Of special interest is a detailed description of their trip preparation with many helpful tips whether it is clothing to take or the how-to of making room reservations in a foreign country.

Cheryl's clothes were mix and match (many from Chico's), no wrinkle and easily scrunchible. Bill, on the other hand, took slacks with expandable waists and zippered pockets plus his "blazer cum safe." Rather than tote guidebooks or language manuals for each stop they reviewed the materials, photocopied what they deemed important, and made succinct destination notes which were discarded after a visit.

Their preference is not for the most prestigious hotels but rather for "the best and priciest quarters at smaller local inns and hotels." They also found that dealing directly with hotel managers rather than a reservation service resulted in better accommodations and service.

First stop Bali where they found that ceremonies were of the utmost importance in people's lives and relished a dessert of "fresh tropical fruit cubes suspended in a yogurt and coconut milk mixture."

Australia held a host of wineries and chefs with a tendency to be adventurous in food preparation. Their hotel of choice in New Caldonia was closed because of a strike so they were transferred to the Nouvata Park which proved overly busy but their room had a magnificent view of the ocean.

So it went with ups and downs, chest colds and delighted taste buds to India, China, South Africa and Brazil.

Each chapter closes with recommended accommodations and restaurants.

Penned with humor and attention to detail Around the World in 80 Dinners is frosting on the cake for armchair travelers.

- Gail Cooke