Amber & Rye
A Baltic Food Journey Estonia Latvia Lithuania
-
- $19.99
-
- $19.99
Publisher Description
"It is such a joy to finally see a cookbook on beautiful Baltic cuisine, done with so much sensitivity and respect by Zuza Zak, one of my favourite authors. It is making me pine to travel to the region more than ever. Before I can do that, I will enjoy reading and cooking from this wonderful book." Olia Hercules
In the Baltics, two worlds meet: the Baltic Sea joins Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, bringing with it culinary influences and cultural exchange. All three Baltic capitals, Vilnius, Tallinn and Riga, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, steeped in history and culture. Amber & Rye explores this exciting part of Eastern Europe, guiding you around the capitals, sharing stories and discovering a dynamic, new style of cooking. Contextualized within the Baltics' rich history and culture, the food is a doorway to a deeper understanding of the region and what makes it tick.
The recipes explore new culinary horizons, are grounded in Baltic tradition, yet inspired by contemporary trends, making them modern, unique and easy to recreate at home. And in addition to the recipes and travel stories, there are snippets of poetry, literature, songs and proverbs, adding a rich layer that makes Amber & Rye a cultural reference point for travellers as well as a showcase for the vibrant new cuisine of the Baltic States.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Zak, whose debut, Polska, focused on new Polish cooking, brings the same light touch and modern sensibility to the cuisines of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in this heartfelt collection. Fruit helps balance a section of hearty breakfast options like fragrant elderflower and peach breakfast buns. A chapter of appetizers and snacks runs the gamut from frozen fish with quick-pickled radishes to wild mushroom and pumpkin terrine, while fermented gooseberries star in a roundup of ferments and pickles. Seeds of all sorts dot the food landscape; there are bean and flax burgers, poppy seed pastries, caraway seeds in a surprising rye bread and chocolate mousse, and a fiery red cabbage slaw that calls for a handful of unhulled hemp seeds. A standout selection of soups, meanwhile, features salmon or halibut in a creamy fish soup with parsley dumplings. Some dishes are temptingly exotic, such as a turnip gratin with Latvian green cheese (instructions are provided for an "approximation" of the dried curd cheese that one can make at home) and the tangy vegan sauerkraut soup. In brief travelogues that separate chapters, Zak combines memoir with history in exploring such locales as Latvia's capital city of Riga, and the bohemian town of Kaunas in Lithuania, with its "street-art murals... etched like tattoos into the very fabric of the city." This culinary jaunt across Eastern Europe is full of inventive twists and adventurous turns.
