European Books - Page 6

The Hungarian Cookbook

Susan Derecskey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent Presentation of Distinctive National Cuisine 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

`The Hungarian Cookbook' by Susan Derecskey may be one of the easiest cookbooks I have yet reviewed, as this is quite literally exactly the food I grew up on. My comfort food, as a kid, was goulash, dumplings, Hungarian crepes, strudel, cabbage and noodles, and chocolate walnut cake, each and every one of these dishes made in exactly the same way as described in this book. All of these dishes came to by from my paternal grandmother who emigrated to the United States just before World War I, from a small town in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, forty miles east of Vienna, which is now in Hungary. From this background, I can say with certainty that this is an exceptionally good evocation of Hungarian cuisine.

This is also an exceptionally good evocation of a national cuisine in general, even when compared to some of the leading treatments I have seen recently of the cuisines of Turkey, Lebanon, Germany, and Armenia. It is also as good as many treatments of French and Italian regional cuisines, although it may not be quite as good as the best of these, and it is certainly not as good as Paula Wolfert's classic work on Moroccan cuisine. It is also just a bit less than the classics on national cuisines such as Diana Kochilas on Greece or Penelope Casas on Spain. But, it is exactly all you need to recreate the great Hungarian dishes I remember from my childhood.

Aside from finding recipes for my long lost chocolate nut birthday cake, the first thing which impressed me about the book was the care in which the author pointed out that some recipes were simply difficult to get right the first time. This fact is probably obvious for strudel dough, but it is less obvious with recipes for potato dumplings.

For those of you who may be totally ignorant of Hungarian cooking, its most distinctive characteristics are noodles, dumplings, and soup. Egg noodles and dumplings essentially serve for Hungarians the role of pasta and risotto has for Italians. This is really carb central in that in addition to the white flour, potatoes are also an important ingredient for many dumpling recipes. And, these dumplings are real gut grenades. They are guaranteed to spike your blood sugar in record time.

Since soup is such an important part of the Hungarian cuisine, I paid special attention to the recipes for stock in Ms. Derecskey's book and found them entirely to my liking. They are not long cooking, the vegetables are put into the simmering stock for just an hour, and the author is more careful than most in advising the cook to be very careful not to boil the stock and to skim off scum as quickly as it appears. I usually don't see as much care given to stock making in books on `minor' national cuisines.

Vegetable dishes are always a special interest of mine and this book has several especially good ones. Like most of central Europe, the king of the vegetables was the cabbage. There are several good asparagus and beet and cucumber recipes, but no sign of artichokes or rapini. This is cabbage country, partner. I was also more than modestly pleased with the recipes for salads. I never associated salads with Mitteleuropa, but there they are. Very nice vinaigrette recipes to be sure.

The only thing that puzzled me about the book and its recipes was the author's stating that Hungarians were not especially fond of mature beef. They preferred to cook veal, including braises and stews, which almost seems like a waste when you can let the cow mature a bit and get much more meat for stewing.

While Hungary does not have the great pastry tradition of its neighbor much did rub off while the two countries were joined at the hip up to 1918 under the Hapsburgs in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In fact, Budapest was the empire's second city ahead of even Prague in esteem. The star of the Hungarian pastry is strudel, which has a lot of similarities with Greek filo, but it is not exactly the same. I have tried to make strudel with filo and the results are less than perfect.

If you have any Hungarian in your blood, you really need this book. If you are simply interested in reading of world cuisines, this one is a winner. The instructions on making strudel and dumplings alone are worth the price of admission.

Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

"Our appetite for this interesting cuisine, a melding of Germanic, Slavic, Tartar, and Turkish influences, has been whetted by [this] excellent new work."--New York Times

All Along the Danube: Recipes from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (Expanded) (Hippocrene International Cookbooks)

Marina Polvay

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not very useful 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This book fell apart as soon as I opened it. The glue wasn't strong enough to keep the pages together, and they fell right out of the book. And that was just a foretaste of the fact that the recipes were not going to be very useful at all. The problem is that it is very poorly organized...there is a heavy concentration on the countries involved instead of the dishes I was interested in trying. The author couldn't decide whether it was a cookbook or a historic and geographic tour guide. She needed to make up her mind, but didn't.

Editorial Review:

For novices and gourmets, this unique cookbook offers a tempting variety of Central European dishes from the shores of the Danube River, bringing Old World flavour to today's dishes. Including such favourites as: Black Forest Pork Roast; Housekove Knedliky (Bread Dumplings); Hungarian Goulash; Spinach Zagora Style (from Bulgaria); and Mititei (Romanian Sausages) this cookbook spans the range of home cooking. Along with a special chapter, Christmas Along the Danube, which covers holiday specialities of all the countries, the book also includes black and white photographs of menus, shots of regional interest, and maps and illustrations throughout. A new appendix includes information about classic wines from central European countries like Germany, Austria and Hungary.

The Old World Kitchen (Common Reader Editions)

Elisabeth Luard

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Looking for Old World Recipes ? Check this one out 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I love this book. It has recipes from all over Europe. This book is very large containing about 300+ recipes. Broken down into 14 different sections this book is likely to have just what you are looking for. Each section has several different areas of recipes. For example the vegetable section is broken down into hot soups, cold soups, stews, fried and roast vegetables, boiled, stuffed, salads, mushrooms, olive snd olive oil dishes, seaweed. She takes her time with each recipe stating where it comes from, the approximate year, and sometimes additional hints and tips on the recipes.
This book is wonderful because you get to learn a bit about each culture, sometimes what they ate with a particular recipes, or when it was served. It is also nice because many of the dishes are inexpensive to prepare and make great quanities. Perfect if you are cooking for a good deal of people. While this book is currently not in print, I would urge anyone looking for recipes from the Old World to take a chance on this book.

Editorial Review:

Within the ken of the kitchen, the most basic elements of history, economy, and geography are carried by hand through time; recipes are records of that transmission, keeping culture in seasoned anecdotes. Such tales, told through many generations, provide the contents of Elisabeth Luard’s compendium of European peasant cooking. The more than 500 recipes Luard has collected are emblems of parochial lore and family tradition, of common wisdom and cunning necessity, and they treat every imaginable aspect of taste and appetite. The preparations described here are, as Luard writes, “the ‘mother-recipes’ from which all European cookery springs. . . . For most of us . . . they are as integral a part of our past, and of what shapes and nourishes us today, as our literature and songs, our paintings and technology.” We couldn’t agree more.

Oktoberfest, Vienna, Marzen (Classic Beer Style Series)

George Fix

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Not nearly what I expected 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book could have been so much better. This is one of the most popular German lager styles to brew, yet the authors suggest the use of Belgian and crystal malts in place of the standard Munich malt which is used by all Bavarian breweries. Definitely the most disappointing book in the series.

Filled with ill-advised shortcuts, yeilding mediocre results 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

My chief complaint about this book is that it was written by George Fix, rather than Darryl Richman. Unlike this book, Richman's book on Bock is a gem. This book however (written about a closely related style), is a disappointment by comparison.

The author built his recipes around Belgian pale and pilsner malts (wrong country, wrong lovibond, wrong flavor), and achieved the requisite color in his recipes with the addition of varying amounts of crystal malt. In other words, he cheated in his recipes by using color malts in order to take advantage of simple infusion mashing. That is *NOT*, the way to make authentic tasting Oktoberfest !

The CORRECT way is brewing with real German vienna & munich malts (correct country, lovibond and flavor), and the correct technique (labor, energy, and time intensive triple decoction mashing, and subsequent long wort boils that generate the distinctive melanoid and caramelization flavors).

Fix also recommends using the wrong yeast strains.

This book is basically a bunch of ill-advised shortcuts and poor recipe decisions, rather than a serious treatise on how to make real authentic Oktoberfest, Marzen, and Vienna style Lagers. This book is a glaring example of why authentic German brewmasters look down their nose and laugh at Americanized versions of their native beer styles.

Speaking as an experienced homebrewer, I was VERY disappointed with this book. Interested readers would do much better to buy Richman's book on Bock instead, and simply adjust the recipes slightly to lower the desired gravity, color, and caramel/melanoid profile.

Not recommended.

Editorial Review:

George and Laurie Fix have written this well-researched profile of an enjoyable beer style to both drink and brew.

Czech and Slovak Touches: Recipes, History, Travel, Folk Arts

Pat Martin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Czech and Slovak Touches 5 out of 5 stars.
38 of 40 people found this review helpful.

The past, present and future of the Czech and Slovak people is reflected in Czech and Slovak Touches: Recipes, History, Travel, Folk Arts, a revision of the original Czech Book by Pat Martin.

In this book, an outgrowth of a trip to the two Republics, Pat Martin touches on the magnificent history of the Czech and Slovak Republics, which lie side-by-side in the heart of Europe. Significant events, sites, culture and traditions demonstrate the rich heritage shared and preserved by the Czechs and Slovaks.

Events leading to the immigration of the strong populace of Czech and Slovak people in North America are cited, along with the successful establishment of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a showcase of their rich heritage. Excerpts from statements at the Museum dedication made by Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, Slovak Republic President Michal Kovac, and U.S. President William J. Clinton are included.

Personal essays tell of life in the New World and ties to the Old. How and where to begin a search for family and cultural ties is noted by Mark Vasko-Bigaouette, director of Heritage Tours, which emphasizes defining Czech and Slovak roots.

Travel in the two Republics includes the author's personal observations of Prague and Bratislava, as well as areas that reveal the charm and distinction of these two nations as a natural entity: from the views and skyline of the Golden City of Prague, to the pastoral and peaceful scenes of Moravian wine country, to the hiking, mountain climbing, and skiing delights of the High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia.

Further definition of national character is observed in folk crafts and enterprise, traditional celebrations, and foods. Over 100 recipes of traditional foods are reprinted from the original book.

Stunning color photographs by Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret and others depict the beauty and magnificence of the two Republics. Additional photos show Czechs and Slovaks in America.

Editorial Review:

Recipes, History, and Folk Arts revised and expanded by Pat Martin. 16 pages of color of the Czech and Slovak Republics. Coverage of the new National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa with the three presidents present at the dedication. Includes recipes from The Czech Book which will be out-of-print soon.

The Art of Romanian Cooking

Galia Sperber

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For thousands of years, Romania, the easternmost outpost of the Roman Empire, was traversed by a number of tribes in search of riches or land to claim. In much the same way that these people's language became absorbed, they left behind many traces of their own ways of preparing food for a lasting influence on Romanian cooking. This cookbook provides a solid introduction to a fascinating cuisine that blends Turkish, Hungarian, Greek, Slavic, and French influences into a cooking style that is at once earthy, complex, and satisfying, but is also easy to prepare. This book features recipes for appetisers for a wonderful light meal, such as papanasi prajiti (savoury fried cheese patties) or croquette din salam (salami croquettes). There is a tremendous array of soups, ranging from a mouth-watering creamy potato soup to the six variations of borscht. Fish lovers will enjoy such delights as Russian-style trout, and the meat recipes include chicken (try fried chicken with garlic sauce), duck, veal, and the ubiquitous beef. And don't forget dessert! The Othello torte is not to be missed, and the fragrance of rose jam alone makes it worth preparing. Altogether, the over 200 recipes in this book represent traditional and family recipes for home and special-occasion dining collected by Romanian native Galia Sperber, with reflections on her family and her native land.

Dutch Cooking: Traditions, Ingredients, Tastes & Techniques In Over 75 Classic Recipes

Janny de Moor

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Editorial Review:

Explore the unique and delicious cuisine of the Netherlands with over 75 easy-to-follow recipes.

From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant

Michael S. Sanders

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From Here, You Can't See Paris is a sweet, leisurely exploration of the life of Les Arques (population 159), a hilltop village in a remote corner of France, untouched by the modern era. It is a story of a dying village's struggle to survive, of a dead artist whose legacy began its rebirth, and of chef Jacques Ratier and his wife, Noëlle, whose bustling restaurant -- the village's sole business -- has helped ensure its future.

The author set out to explore the inner workings of a French restaurant kitchen but ended up stumbling onto a wider, much richer world. Whether uncovering the darker secrets of making foie gras, hearing a chef confess his doubts about the Michelin star system, or absorbing the lore of the land around a farmhouse kitchen table after a boar hunt, Michael Sanders learned that life in Les Arques was anything but sleepy. Through the eyes of the author and his family, the reader enters this world, discovers its still-vibrant traditions of food, cooking, and rural living, and comes to know the village's history, sharing along the way an American family's adventures as they find their way in a place that is sometimes lonely, often wondrous, and always fascinating.

The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean: 215 Healthy, Vibrant, and Inspired Recipes

Paula Wolfert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean refers both Paula Wolfert's love of great food and the pioneering spirit that has inspired her to travel across the globe many times over in search of the world's best recipes. In all of her remarkable books, she delves with tireless enthusiasm into her research and writing, ensuring each recipe's authenticity and accessibility. In The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean, she brings readers and cooks into the kitchens that produce the healthy home cooking that is the trademark of such lands as Macedonian, Turkey, Syria, and the countries on the Black Sea.

Wolfert's food dazzles the palate. Her book begins with recipes for sauces and dips, including two walnut and pomegranate sauces; soups include Anatolian Sour Soup and Macedonian "Green Cream." Meat, poultry, and fish dishes include eleven varities of kibbeh, Duck with Quinces, and Skewered Swordfish. Her sumptuous recipes for vegetables and grains--stuffed eggplants, pilafs, and pomegranate-flavored vegetables, to name a few--reflect the bounty and healthful eating patterns of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Wolfert's Middle Eastern grain salads are healthy and rich with flavor. Paula travels into the kitchens of native cooks to ensure that her recipes are as genuine as they are delicious. She takes us into the home of a friend in the Republic of Georgia, whose mother teaches Wolfert how to prepare Chicken Tabaka; to a mountain village in northern Greece where, with a sister food writer, she searches for fine cheese to complete a savory pie; and to a farm in Turkey, where the country's best bread baker tells her secrets of baking unleavened flat griddle bread.

These delicious, authentic recipes focus on the healthy eating patterns for which the Eastern Mediterranean is increasingly being recognized. Wolfert's recipes are as delightful to read as they are to use. Armchair cooks and travelers will be moved by the descriptive geography and resonate personal stories Paula Wolfert relates along with her fabulous dishes. Wolfert's expertise is renowned among food lovers, amateur and professional, and her joy of discovering new ways to prepare food is infectious to her many devoted readers.

The Best of Czech Cooking

Peter Trnka

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

The new and expanded edition of an ethnic culinary classic 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This new and expanded edition of an ethnic culinary classic provides a solid and important introduction to a cuisine which all too rarely receives its own book outside of general European cooking. Three new chapters to this edition of Peter Trnka's Best Of Czech Cooking add focus on pork, mushrooms and drinks, while the remainder is filled with Czech basics. No photos, but the recipes are easy enough without them.

Best of Czech Cooking... Title Says It All... 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

If you want to eat Czech Food go no further than this book. Excellent,and Brings back memories of my travels to Czech.

Real Czech cooking without pork? Unimaginable! 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The major handicap of this book is the almost complete lack of pork dishes, so typical and essential in Bohemian and Moravian cooking. More or less authentic Czech sausages and hams may be hard to come by in the US, but is there a shortage of pork meat? So, the book misses a major part of the better dishes that Czech cooking has to offer. I would advise the editors of Hippocrene Books to check the subjects in their publications a little bit more carefully.

Editorial Review:

While similar to the cuisines of Russia, Hungary, and Poland, Czech cooking is uniquely appealing, practical and elegant. This expanded edition includes 240 easy-to-prepare recipes and a guide to Czech aperitifs, wine, and beer.