We want to cook everything in this stunning new book. The Eastern and Central European Kitchen throws the window open on cuisines that have heretofore been hidden from us. We find flavor combinations that are so fresh and imaginative that they shake a few preconceived notions out of our heads. Covering the areas of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia, Russia and the Ukraine, the book contains recipes handed down by tradition as well as the contemporary creations of the author (and chef) Silvena Rowe. The multitalented Ms. Rowe writes with a clarity that can be achieved only when the cuisine is mastered.
In what may be termed the dark days of the American kitchen, recipes brought by our immigrant forefathers lost their authenticity and their true zest. Ingredients were not available to pioneers whittling through the wilderness. Life changed for the better, primarily with the airplane and a strong American dollar that allowed us to find food at its source. The Cold War and the often irrational fears it evoked stopped us from exploring the very countries that Rowe is now introducing, and what a discovery it is. All the recipes are delicious, from the elegant chilled soups to the endless variety of dumplings, some substantial and filling, others almost ethereal, and all with variations.
There are hearty dishes as we would expect in a cold climate, many familiar in watered-down versions, here presented in authenticity. You will find Beef Stroganoff, Pierogi, Goulash, Blini and Borsht, but will go on to discover Gyuvech, a vegetable stew. We all know about Vodka, about the ubiquitous grain called barley, but now we see them used to create such mouth-watering dishes as a Honey-Vodka Marinated Beef Filet with Mustard Sauce or Roasted Pheasant Stuffed with Barley and Golden Raisins.
As is typical with books from Interlink Books, the chapter introductions bring the culture to the reader and are as riveting as the recipes. When we learn, for example, that appetizers and small bites are part of the ritual for inviting a guest into the home, and that the guest is so highly esteemed that the host writes a thank you note, we understand the importance of the hospitable meals a little better.
These are the countries of dumplings and a well-made dumpling is light and airy. And that same dumpling only waits for human imagination to stuff it and dress it with combinations that make it irresistible. Rowe titles that chapter "Dumpling Magic" and we quickly see why she uses the term 'magic.'
The reader will be excited by the use of dried fruits, spices, seeds and herbs and will marvel at what is known as "The Boyar Table," the elegant foods created for the Tsars.
There are color photographs throughout, both of food and of and the region by Jonathan Lovekin. best known for his work for Martha Stewart and Nigella Lawson.
About the author: Silvena Rowe was born and raised in Bulgaria, and learned to cook in a home in which family life was centered on good food. A specialist in Eastern and Central European cuisine, she has worked for the past twenty years as a chef, food writer, and culinary consultant, bringing her passion for Eastern European cuisine to a hungry public through newspaper and magazine features and TV appearances throughout the UK.
©
