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Russian, German & Polish Food & Cooking
Dishes from the Baltic to the Black Sea, with babka, goulash, sauerkraut stroganovs and strudel.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 20, 2017
This is a nice collection of recipes for Middle European cuisine accompanied by color photos of the finished dishes. They are broken down by country or region and the recipes are easy to follow. Makes a nice addition to the cook's bookshelf.
November 27, 2025
Recipes are not particularly accurate especially in the Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish section. The photographs are nice, as you can see what the dishes are supposed to look like. The section on Central European and Balkan cooking was way too small, should have actually been split into two. Overall, disappointing, there are much better cookbooks out there covering this part of the world.
October 5, 2019
Very easy to read recipes with enough information to introduce the cultures from which they came. Very good cookbook!!!
August 17, 2024
It was nice to read to see the variety of recipes from Eastern Europe.
June 24, 2014
A truly wonderful cookbook, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I was given this book back when I was seventeen because my mother knew how much I love trying new things.
This book is admittedly rather big and heavy, but it is filled to the brim with beautifully executed photos of both the food, and the various steps of the recipes. The book is divided into three main parts based on shared food traditions: "Russia, Poland and the Ukraine", "Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic", and "Romania, Bulgaria and the East Adriatic". Each section is in turn divided into the introduction, soups and appetizers, meat and poultry, fish, vegetables grains and pasta, and desserts and baked goods. I especially adore the introductions, as they do go into the food traditions and their history, giving the reader a rather interesting incite as to the origins of the cuisine, and why such food was traditionally eaten.
I especially recommend such dishes as:
Glazed Pike-perch pg. 59
A truly wonderful Russian fish dish, both delicious and a beautiful presentation piece. For this recipe I follow the suggestion of substituting a fresh salmon for the pike-perch, and it turns out quite lovely.
Cucumber Salad pg. 72
Now if you were to ask anyone who knows me, the would tell you that I absolutely love cucumbers, so this Ukrainian dish was a real treat for me, though I did substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, and cut down on the dill a bit. However this was more of a personal preference.
Babka pg. 88
A delicious yeast-raised cake traditionally served around Easter in Poland. This cake is very rich, full of fruit, and sweetened with honey. I recommend using a good, unfiltered wildflower honey when making it.
Roast Goose with Apples pg 125
Nothing goes with roasted meat quite as well as fruit and fresh herbs, and this German dish really proves it. Sadly it seems many of we Americans have forgotten about this combination, or I would be able to get more of my friends and family to take me seriously when I suggest the combination. The one change I make with this recipe is stuffing the goose with fresh herbs rather than bread crumbs, and sewing it up before roasting.
Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup with Walnuts pg. 180
More cucumbers, which makes me happy. The description above this recipe couldn't be more accurate, it truly is a refreshing soup, and a real treat for those of us who enjoy chilled soups on a hot summer day.
Carp Stuffed with Walnuts pg. 218
A truly divine, and delicious dish. If you can find whole fresh carp where you live, be sure to give this a try.
Last, and best of all...
Boyer Cream pg. 242
This was the first recipe I ever tried in this book. Strawberries and wild raspberries grow in great abundance where my parents used to live, and I made certain to collect as many as I could for this dish. They weren't as large, or as sweet as what you find in the stores, but with this recipe it didn't matter. This rich, creamy mousse-like dessert is definitely not for those on a diet.
This book is admittedly rather big and heavy, but it is filled to the brim with beautifully executed photos of both the food, and the various steps of the recipes. The book is divided into three main parts based on shared food traditions: "Russia, Poland and the Ukraine", "Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic", and "Romania, Bulgaria and the East Adriatic". Each section is in turn divided into the introduction, soups and appetizers, meat and poultry, fish, vegetables grains and pasta, and desserts and baked goods. I especially adore the introductions, as they do go into the food traditions and their history, giving the reader a rather interesting incite as to the origins of the cuisine, and why such food was traditionally eaten.
I especially recommend such dishes as:
Glazed Pike-perch pg. 59
A truly wonderful Russian fish dish, both delicious and a beautiful presentation piece. For this recipe I follow the suggestion of substituting a fresh salmon for the pike-perch, and it turns out quite lovely.
Cucumber Salad pg. 72
Now if you were to ask anyone who knows me, the would tell you that I absolutely love cucumbers, so this Ukrainian dish was a real treat for me, though I did substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, and cut down on the dill a bit. However this was more of a personal preference.
Babka pg. 88
A delicious yeast-raised cake traditionally served around Easter in Poland. This cake is very rich, full of fruit, and sweetened with honey. I recommend using a good, unfiltered wildflower honey when making it.
Roast Goose with Apples pg 125
Nothing goes with roasted meat quite as well as fruit and fresh herbs, and this German dish really proves it. Sadly it seems many of we Americans have forgotten about this combination, or I would be able to get more of my friends and family to take me seriously when I suggest the combination. The one change I make with this recipe is stuffing the goose with fresh herbs rather than bread crumbs, and sewing it up before roasting.
Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup with Walnuts pg. 180
More cucumbers, which makes me happy. The description above this recipe couldn't be more accurate, it truly is a refreshing soup, and a real treat for those of us who enjoy chilled soups on a hot summer day.
Carp Stuffed with Walnuts pg. 218
A truly divine, and delicious dish. If you can find whole fresh carp where you live, be sure to give this a try.
Last, and best of all...
Boyer Cream pg. 242
This was the first recipe I ever tried in this book. Strawberries and wild raspberries grow in great abundance where my parents used to live, and I made certain to collect as many as I could for this dish. They weren't as large, or as sweet as what you find in the stores, but with this recipe it didn't matter. This rich, creamy mousse-like dessert is definitely not for those on a diet.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews