Cooking Without Borders

“In every mouthful of food lie hints of history—personal and global. This book is a collection of those stories and recipes. It provides a window onto world cuisine from a contemporary American perspective; it’s also a portrait of my life as a working chef. I have always been and remain a chef who cooks. Most nights of the week I can still be found behind the line at annisa, expediting, cooking, and plating: It is where I am most at home.”

—ANITA LO, FROM THE INTRODUCTION

To Anita Lo, all cooking is fusion cooking. Whether it’s her slow-poached salmon, smoked paprika, spaetzle, and savoy cabbage from annisa, or the smoked chanterelles with sweet-corn flan that trumped Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, her food can always be distinguished by its innovative qualities and strong multicultural influences. Inspired by the flavors and textures she’s tasted throughout the world, Anita Lo creates food that breaks down preconceived notions of what American food is and should be.