Whether in Rome, Italy or Rome, New York, there will come a day when you find a to-die-for bread, cake or pastry, one that will linger on your palate and in your memory. If you’re like me, you may pester the baker until he shares his recipe. If that doesn’t work, you may end up rifling through stacks of country/region-specific cookbooks, searching for the secrets to that magical treat. With Warm Bread and Honey Cake (Interlink Books, 2009) food historian Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra spares me from the harassment and the hours of research. Her book showcases the best baked goods from around the globe. Everything from savory Turkish simits and Colombian pan de quesos to sweet Chilean apple cake and Caribbean coconut bread appears within this comprehensive book.

As someone who owns a ridiculous number of cookbooks, I’ve had to stop buying titles indiscriminately. Yet I still picked up a copy of Warm Bread and Honey Cake. What ultimately sold me were the chapters on flatbreads and yeast bread, cakes and rolls. When in Turkey, I fell head over heels for cheese-filled boreks and veggie-topped pides or flatbread pizzas. Unfortunately, I never found one book that did justice to these savory delicacies. Likewise, I’ve not come across a Turkish-American restaurant that prepares these pastries as I remember them. Thanks to Pagrach-Chandra, I can say goodbye to soggy boreks and bland pides for I now have reliable recipes for creating them at home.

Make no mistake — you don’t have to have traversed the globe to enjoy this book. For those inclined to armchair travel Warm Bread and Honey Cake will prove a satisfying read. Likewise, those who prefer laid back baking will find this an effortless introduction to the baked goods of other countries. Along with detailed histories and easy-to-follow recipes, this book possesses countless color photographs, drawings and prints. Similar to many of the previously covered titles, it serves the dual purpose of recipe source and culinary history.

Warm Bread and Honey Cake begins with a section on ingredients and equipment. Wondering where to buy or how to make Indian ghee or North African samn, two similar cooking and baking fats? You’ll find out here. Likewise, you will learn how to replace the thick cream kaymak with creme fraiche and discover why almond paste isn’t a good substitute for marzipan.

In the subsequent five chapters Pagrach-Chandra provides anecdotes and recipes for such familiar favorites as Greek baklava, Mexican tres leches and Austrian sachertorte. She also explores less commonly known offerings such as Indian dal puri, Dutch brown sugar coils and Guyanese fat top. It’s a lovely mix of common as well as exotic dishes.