“The Bizarre Truth: Culinary Misadventures Around the Globe” ($14.99, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press)
Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern,” wants everyone “to take a deep breath, head out the door and see the world.” Specifically, he wants us to see the world with our own eyes, to experience it for ourselves. The best way to experience a culture, he believes, is through its food. From China to Samoa, Zimmern is curious and adventurousperfect qualities for a travel writer. It also helps that he seems to have a cast-iron stomach. On his adventures, he often seeks the most unusual dishes, the stranger the better. But his culinary experiences are not always exotic — in Paris, he has what he calls the best almond tart, pain chocolat and baguette in his life, and he marvels at how much the Parisians not only love but respect food. Chicago Tribune
