Spies, Black Ties, & Mango Pies: Stories and Recipes from CIA Families All over the World

Cozy picnics in a CIA safe house; an official dinner party with the head of SAVAK, the dreaded Iranian secret police; a romantic dinner interrupted by mortar fire on the Mekong Delta--even meals can be cloak-and-dagger if the cooks happen to be connected to the Central Intelligence Agency. In Spies, Black Ties and Mango Pies CIA employees and their spouses share the recipes that got them through the hard times, and the good. Along with a delectable recipe for West Indies Paella, you get a hilarious account of a linguistic misunderstanding that resulted in this dish being served with tin molds for tart shells instead of mussels; the recipe for Chicken with Tofu comes garnished with an anecdote about life in Laos during the Vietnam War.

The recipes range from homey to exotic, but it's the stories accompanying them that make this book special. Read about serving the Soviet Ambassador's wife cui (a South American rodent) as you prepare the recipe for Soft Fried Chicken; contemplate a hasty exit from Libya as you nibble Sweet Onion Rings in Beer Batter; imagine eating Langouste a la Maison as shells fall all around in Vietnam. And if you're wondering whether spies can really cook, just remember--Julia Child got her start with the Office of Strategic Services--the forerunner of the CIA.