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Culinaria
Culinaria: European Specialties 2 Volume Box Set
This feast-for-the-eyes culinary journey through Europe provides an astounding country-by-country coverage of the cuisines and cooking traditions of England, Scotland, and Ireland; Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland; Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary; Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands; Belgium; France; Spain; Portugal, Italy; Greece; and Turkey.
Describes the indigenous ingredients used in each country's cooking, including meats, fish, and poultry; cheeses; wines, liqueurs, and beers; oils and vinegars; condiments and spices; produce; grains; and breads. Meet master chefs and neighborhood bakers; winegrowers, farmers, fisherman, and home cooks; and others who make each country's cooking traditions and dishes. Outstanding photography (over 2,500 photos in all) and carefully researched commentary describing over 1,700 specialties (with 600 recipes provided) brings to life the foods, customs, and typical character of each country's cuisine. Where else could you learn about the specialties of the Viennese coffeehouse, get the perfect recipe for German's Sauerbraten, visit a French Patisserie or wine country, or learn about the pasta and cheeses of Italy -- all in one place? Truly a culinary tour come true. Fully indexed. Glossary. 11" x 12 1/2".
Describes the indigenous ingredients used in each country's cooking, including meats, fish, and poultry; cheeses; wines, liqueurs, and beers; oils and vinegars; condiments and spices; produce; grains; and breads. Meet master chefs and neighborhood bakers; winegrowers, farmers, fisherman, and home cooks; and others who make each country's cooking traditions and dishes. Outstanding photography (over 2,500 photos in all) and carefully researched commentary describing over 1,700 specialties (with 600 recipes provided) brings to life the foods, customs, and typical character of each country's cuisine. Where else could you learn about the specialties of the Viennese coffeehouse, get the perfect recipe for German's Sauerbraten, visit a French Patisserie or wine country, or learn about the pasta and cheeses of Italy -- all in one place? Truly a culinary tour come true. Fully indexed. Glossary. 11" x 12 1/2".
640 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 2, 2024
The thing that I especially like about the CULINARIA series is that these aren’t just cookbooks. Each includes (in addition to recipes), local foodways, both current and historical, information about regional food production, and popular commercial foods.
Each chapter (country) of this (massive) book features sidebars about national foods and dishes. English breakfast, tea, beef, cheddar and Stilton, ales and stouts, cider (England), whisky, haggis, oats (Scotland), potatoes, Guiness, whiskey, milk and butter (Ireland), herring, eel, pork, smørrebrød, beer (Denmark), salmon, cod, reindeer, aquavit (Norway), smorgasbord, crispbread (Sweden), the sauna, salmon, roes, mushrooms and berries (Finland), zakuski, pirogi, sturgeon, caviar, cabbage and root vegetables. Kvas, tea, vodka (Russia), mushrooms, kasha, cabbage, Cracow sausages, mead (Poland), Prague ham, carp, pilsner beer (Czech Repulic), pike-perch, goose livers, pörkölt. Paprika, palacsint, Tokaji Aszu (Hungary), the Viennese coffeehouse, wiener schnitzel, Heuriger, dumplings. Krapfen, schnapps (Austria), cheese fondue, rosti, Bunder Fleisch, cigars (Switzerland), bread and rolls, the pig, kiel sprats, potatoes, the “krauts”, spatzle, ebbelwoi, German beer (Germany)_, stews, poffert, pancakes, maatjes (herring), mussels, limburger vlaai, licorice and ginger, genever and liqueurs (Netherlands), waterzooi, mussels, chicory, Ardennes ham, trappist beers, herve, chocolates, (Belgium), the baguette, pastis, crème de cassis, snails, lobsters, oysters, bouillabaisse, soups, truffles, pataes and terrines, fois gras, volaille de bresse, the traiteur, vinegar, herbs of Provence, moutarde de Dijon, Champagne, cognac and Armagnac, Calvados, crepes (France), tapas, sherry, Iberian ham, gazpacho, paella, olive oil, rioja, cava, sidra (Spain), petiscos and salgados, caldo verde, sardines, bacalhau, olive oil, vinho verde, port, Madeira (Portugal), pizza, prosciutto, antipasti, pasta secca, pasta fresca, gnocci, polenta, rice, salumi, porcini mushrooms, truffles, gelati, aceto balsamico, grappa, espresso (Italy), mezedes, pita and phylo, Easter, Ouzo, Retsina (Greece), meze, yufka, bulgur and rice, raki, tea and tea houses (Turkey). Pretty much every section discusses local wines, cheeses, game meats, and fish.
I’m only giving this a 3.5 (instead of the 4 stars that I usually give the CULINARIA books) because what I love about them is the deep dive that they take into regional and local food cultures. Even with the massive size of this edition, there are just too much to do more than cover the basics for each nation. Warning: his series presupposes a certain amount of cooking knowledge in the reader so the recipes often may be a bit short on instructional details.
Each chapter (country) of this (massive) book features sidebars about national foods and dishes. English breakfast, tea, beef, cheddar and Stilton, ales and stouts, cider (England), whisky, haggis, oats (Scotland), potatoes, Guiness, whiskey, milk and butter (Ireland), herring, eel, pork, smørrebrød, beer (Denmark), salmon, cod, reindeer, aquavit (Norway), smorgasbord, crispbread (Sweden), the sauna, salmon, roes, mushrooms and berries (Finland), zakuski, pirogi, sturgeon, caviar, cabbage and root vegetables. Kvas, tea, vodka (Russia), mushrooms, kasha, cabbage, Cracow sausages, mead (Poland), Prague ham, carp, pilsner beer (Czech Repulic), pike-perch, goose livers, pörkölt. Paprika, palacsint, Tokaji Aszu (Hungary), the Viennese coffeehouse, wiener schnitzel, Heuriger, dumplings. Krapfen, schnapps (Austria), cheese fondue, rosti, Bunder Fleisch, cigars (Switzerland), bread and rolls, the pig, kiel sprats, potatoes, the “krauts”, spatzle, ebbelwoi, German beer (Germany)_, stews, poffert, pancakes, maatjes (herring), mussels, limburger vlaai, licorice and ginger, genever and liqueurs (Netherlands), waterzooi, mussels, chicory, Ardennes ham, trappist beers, herve, chocolates, (Belgium), the baguette, pastis, crème de cassis, snails, lobsters, oysters, bouillabaisse, soups, truffles, pataes and terrines, fois gras, volaille de bresse, the traiteur, vinegar, herbs of Provence, moutarde de Dijon, Champagne, cognac and Armagnac, Calvados, crepes (France), tapas, sherry, Iberian ham, gazpacho, paella, olive oil, rioja, cava, sidra (Spain), petiscos and salgados, caldo verde, sardines, bacalhau, olive oil, vinho verde, port, Madeira (Portugal), pizza, prosciutto, antipasti, pasta secca, pasta fresca, gnocci, polenta, rice, salumi, porcini mushrooms, truffles, gelati, aceto balsamico, grappa, espresso (Italy), mezedes, pita and phylo, Easter, Ouzo, Retsina (Greece), meze, yufka, bulgur and rice, raki, tea and tea houses (Turkey). Pretty much every section discusses local wines, cheeses, game meats, and fish.
I’m only giving this a 3.5 (instead of the 4 stars that I usually give the CULINARIA books) because what I love about them is the deep dive that they take into regional and local food cultures. Even with the massive size of this edition, there are just too much to do more than cover the basics for each nation. Warning: his series presupposes a certain amount of cooking knowledge in the reader so the recipes often may be a bit short on instructional details.
June 3, 2010
It's an interesting cooking book with a variety of recipes from all around Europe BUT it's huge!!! It's the biggest book in my house, not practical for cooking. It was given to me as a gift, so I can live with it.
October 9, 2017
The kind of book you can read and read and read because it goes on and on and on and it's huge. Gorgeous pictures, informative text about each European country and the food it produces or creates. Great.
June 21, 2009
More of a food book than a cookbook, I guess, this is (a) guaranteed to make you hungry and (b) almost as good as an actual trip abroad. The pictures are amazing and the information fascinating.
April 13, 2011
A book to take you away to Europe. You may not cook from it, but you'll never get tired of looking through it.
November 7, 2015
Very informative. I learnt a lot about food.
November 7, 2019
Culinaria is a two volume set that has been on my parents' kitchen counter top for years. I spent so much time referring to them and commenting on how much I loved them whenever I visited, that they recently gave them to me!
These are culinary reference books that cover traditional foods across Europe. They are broken down by country, each having their own section devoted to it. The informative and well researched sections are complemented by colorful photos that walk the reader through the history of European food. Any foodie would love to have these books as part of their collection!
These are culinary reference books that cover traditional foods across Europe. They are broken down by country, each having their own section devoted to it. The informative and well researched sections are complemented by colorful photos that walk the reader through the history of European food. Any foodie would love to have these books as part of their collection!
April 7, 2023
Every time I look it tempts to cook something new and it's usually very good. Good inspiring book full of interesting dishes well described, well photographed, with receipts that work.
March 12, 2011
This is my favorite set of cookbooks. These are like travel guides. Each region is carefully explained, and the food that region is known for is detailed. The pictures are exquisite. The books are so heavy that I have to get them down off the shelf for my mom and put her at the dining room table (as she's too little to hold these in her lap)! I have not made any of the recipes in the European Specialties book, as many just aren't practical to the American table (think: haggis). I have much better places for recipes. These are places for ideas. For looking at food and being consumed with the culture behind it.
November 4, 2015
Perusing this hefty tome, packed full with lush, full-page photographs of food, dishes, and the people behind their creation, is like taking a vacation. This book is certainly an overview with a focus on Western Europe (which is typical), but it does include cuisines from Central and Eastern Europe that are often neglected in books that try to cover "European" food. The recipe instructions are on the sparse side, though it's easy to look up more robust directions online for dishes that inspire. This book is great for those who fantasize about the food of far-off places or who are suffering from "chef's block" (akin to writer's block).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews