I wrote a full review on Amazon: This is a gorgeous work to be commended. I'm happy to have it in my kitchen. But Hercules misleads with her composition. She ignores the third nation-state in the Caucasus, Armenia, as well as other ethnic groups in the region. The "beyond" she referred to is never reached. Instead she focuses on Georgia and Azerbaijan— offering exemplary dishes rooted in the traditions of each culinary culture. But she further disappoints with an ignorant, and oddly disparaging, commentary on the Armenian brandy industry. As a celebrated chef and author— who says her Armenian family, "inspired me to write this book"— the lack of diverse Caucasian recipes and the knowledge on a significant component of Armenia's food and beverage production is all the more puzzling.
