Around the World in 80 Dinners
Cheryl and Bill Jamison
HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-06-087895-5
Non-Fiction, Travel, Food
Reviewed by Tanya Boudreau

Cheryl and Bill Jamison, and their traveling companion Flat Stanley, left their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a three month trip around the world. It was a dream of theirs and now they had the frequent flier miles and the money to make it happen. The trip, which corresponded with their twentieth wedding anniversary, took them to ten countries including Singapore, India, Brazil and France. These were countries that had always intrigued them, and that were sure to have “great eating opportunities”.

The first chapter starts with travel preparations. Taking three months off work and organizing for a round the world vacation takes quite a bit of thought and planning. Flights need to be booked, hotels need to be reserved, bags have to be packed and itineraries need to be narrowed down. Bill and Cheryl do have some problems pre-vacation, mostly having to do with booking flights, but for the most part they find even this beginning stage of the trip exciting.

Bill and Cheryl, experienced travelers who have written three travel guides, include many travel tips in the beginning of Around the World in 80 Dinners. Bill carries an extra wallet in his pants pocket when traveling. This wallet, which contains a few bills and fake cards, acts as a decoy and keeps thieves away from his real cache of credit cards and money. Cheryl on the other hand, likes to bring clothes that come from Buzz Off. These shirts and socks keep the bugs away as they have insect repellent built right into the fabric. After packing their eating guides, micro-cassette recorder, Tide to Go sticks and their notes about each country, they are off for Bali- the first stop on their round the world vacation.

Each of the ten countries Bill and Cheryl visit is given its own chapter in this book. In every chapter, Bill and Cheryl describe the hotels they stayed in, the attractions they go to, the service they received, the locals they meet, and the meals they eat- snacks and desserts included. They give their thoughts on each meal by describing the taste and appearance of the food, often mentioning the chef and the ambiance in the restaurant as well. Bill and Cheryl seemed to thoroughly enjoy most of their meals- even one they had on an airplane. They especially appreciated the foods prepared by the street vendors in Singapore, Thailand and Brazil, and the meals prepared by the chefs in France and China who prepared dishes incorporating regional tastes. Although much of the writing does focus on restaurants and meals, all chapters include background information about the history of various locations they visit including wineries, temples and markets. There is a little humor written into the chapters as well, mostly inspired by their flat traveling companion- Stanley. Flat Stanley is a paper doll that was given to Bill and Cheryl by their grandchildren. He goes on their trips and poses in front of various attractions so the children can put together show and tell presentations for school. On this trip, Flat Stanley is kidnapped and partially eaten. Fortunately, he does come back to life, thanks to a special ceremony, to pose later on in a Ferrari just his size.

In three months time, Cheryl and Bill have some memorable experiences- some fantastic and some boarding on awful. One of their ATM cards was left behind at a bank machine in Bali and when they went back shortly after they realized what they had done, it was gone. Driving proved some getting used to in Australia, and in South Africa on a game reservation, the vehicle they were in gets stuck in a hole- not so bad except there was a family of lions within an uncomfortable proximity to the stuck vehicle! However, wherever Bill and Cheryl visited, they saw beautiful wineries, and sampled a variety of different meals. Their itineraries took them to local markets, a cooking class, and the first elephant hospital in the world. And Cheryl was very happy because she finally got to see wild kangaroos and koala bears! A cold and some monsoon season weather did put a damper on some of their plans, but overall, the trip was a success- so much so that they are planning another! I think the pleasant surprises they experienced in every country outweighed the small setbacks they encountered.

Bill and Cheryl Jamison have co-written twenty-nine books, over a dozen which are cookbooks. Entertaining to read and full of valuable insight into a number of countries, this newest book they co-authored would be of interest for those who love food, travel, or just a good story. For readers who want more information about the places mentioned in the book, the authors have included names, and contact information at the end of each chapter. Although each chapter starts with a small black and white photograph and ends with a recipe from that country, I wish this book had included more photographs. Pictures of the attractions and the meals would have been a nice addition to this story.