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Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes
Falling Cloudberries is filled with the recipes that have woven their way through the life of Tessa Kiros and her family, from the sweets handed out at Scottish fetes on days off from a Greek school in South Africa to the rice puddings with rosewater and cinnamon made in a shed by her Cypriot grandfather (who also had a fondness for pickling baby birds) and the gravlax with dill prepared by her Finnish mother. In this dream-like journey across the globe, recipes and narrative merge with images of food. The book features over 150 recipes, all of which have been lovingly collected and adapted by Tessa since early adulthood, or remembered and recreated from childhood. They are as diverse in style and flavour as the extended family and households through which they’ve travelled. Some are redolent of roses, cinnamon, cassia and cardamom, mint and citrus, from the Greek side of the family, others are Scandinavian in origin, sprinkled with berries or dill and spread with mustard. Chilli, garlic, oregano, cumin and red onions appear, and there are chocolate,vanilla, cream and pistachio confections from childhoods the world over. A Peruvian housekeeper makes a contribution, and a Thai soup appears, simply because Tessa couldn’t imagine her life without it. Key points: like Tessa’s other bestsellers, Twelve and Apples for Jam, this also mixes a traditional recipe style with a rich and personal narrative on Tessa’s own passion for food; featuring mouth watering food photography and traditional recipes; Falling Cloudberries won the Gold Ladle at the 2005 World Food Media Awards for Best Hardcover Recipe Book
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
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1272 people want to read
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November 4, 2009Gerald says:
Foodies (and booklovers):
Here is one of the most gorgeous, fun cookbook to come along in several years. The care taken in the production of this book is phenomenal from the book cover to the illustrations to the text.
I find that there are two sorts of cookbooks that most interest shoppers: those that people cook out of regularly and those that inspire and even comfort with their celebration of the pleasures of food. The former category really only involves a small number in anyone's library and is usually shaped by personal taste; the second category is one that makes the more alluring gifts and pleases whether one cooks much or not. I think Falling Cloudberries is one of the best of this second category.
Of course, the recipes are fun and well written as well. They are a strange mixture of recipes from the author's heritage, including Cypriot, Finnish and Greek; however, it not only seems to work, it awakens the desire to try everything.
A Gourmet magazine pick.
Check it out.
Foodies (and booklovers):
Here is one of the most gorgeous, fun cookbook to come along in several years. The care taken in the production of this book is phenomenal from the book cover to the illustrations to the text.
I find that there are two sorts of cookbooks that most interest shoppers: those that people cook out of regularly and those that inspire and even comfort with their celebration of the pleasures of food. The former category really only involves a small number in anyone's library and is usually shaped by personal taste; the second category is one that makes the more alluring gifts and pleases whether one cooks much or not. I think Falling Cloudberries is one of the best of this second category.
Of course, the recipes are fun and well written as well. They are a strange mixture of recipes from the author's heritage, including Cypriot, Finnish and Greek; however, it not only seems to work, it awakens the desire to try everything.
A Gourmet magazine pick.
Check it out.
August 30, 2011
This book is so lovely and artistically done. I don’t know how many cookbooks have actually “left me wanting more”, but this one did. The title gave me the expectation that it would be all Scandinavian recipes, but in fact the author has a mixed heritage including relatives from Finland, Cyprus, and Russia, and has lived and traveled to Italy, South Africa, and many other places.
She compiles wonderful simply recipes from these places and laces them with dreamy memories of food, smells, and loved ones, and this book is the result.
Each dish looks delicious, and the preparation is generally simple enough: Meat, vegetables, herbs, unthinkable amounts of olive oil, and plenty of time.
I am now dreaming of slow roasted legs of lamb, rose-scented creamy puddings, and my brother is begging me to make the Milk Tart in the South Africa section (where he also has lived). This is one to own I think.
She compiles wonderful simply recipes from these places and laces them with dreamy memories of food, smells, and loved ones, and this book is the result.
Each dish looks delicious, and the preparation is generally simple enough: Meat, vegetables, herbs, unthinkable amounts of olive oil, and plenty of time.
I am now dreaming of slow roasted legs of lamb, rose-scented creamy puddings, and my brother is begging me to make the Milk Tart in the South Africa section (where he also has lived). This is one to own I think.
June 1, 2024
“There are some things that don’t change much. I find the smell of a dish, or the way a certain spice is crushed, or just a quick look at the way something has been put on a plate, can pull me back to another place and time. I love those memories that seem so far away, yet you can hold them and carry them with you, even forget them, and then, with a single taste or hint of a smell, be chaperoned back to a beautiful moment.”
Tessa Kiros writes cookbooks that people read from cover to cover. The memories and quotes and stories are among the best you’ll see in cookbooks. Falling Cloudberries is not only written beautifully, but also photographed beautifully. I also love the way the chapters are organized. Each of her cookbooks are organized differently than typical cookbooks.
The chapters in Falling Cloudberries are organized by cuisines that represent her family’s background:
Falling Cloudberries represents Finland
Oregano, Oranges, and Olive Groves represents Greece
Cinnamon and Roses represents Cyprus
Monkeys’ Weddings represents South Africa
Washing Lines and Wishing Wells represents Italy
Suitcase of Recipes represents the World
I love Mediterranean recipes, but for some reason the Finnish recipes in Falling Cloudberries are what grabbed my attention in this book. From the Falling Cloudberries chapter I have made and enjoyed Baked Ham and Finnish Mustard, Pork Schnitzel, Hassleback Potatoes, Sipi’s Strawberry Cake, and Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns. From the Cinnamon and Roses/Cyprus chapter I made the Fried Halloumi Cheese and from the Washing Lines and Wishing Wells/Italy chapter I’ve made the Risotto with Artichokes and Italian Sausage. All the recipes have been great!
Tessa Kiros writes cookbooks that people read from cover to cover. The memories and quotes and stories are among the best you’ll see in cookbooks. Falling Cloudberries is not only written beautifully, but also photographed beautifully. I also love the way the chapters are organized. Each of her cookbooks are organized differently than typical cookbooks.
The chapters in Falling Cloudberries are organized by cuisines that represent her family’s background:
Falling Cloudberries represents Finland
Oregano, Oranges, and Olive Groves represents Greece
Cinnamon and Roses represents Cyprus
Monkeys’ Weddings represents South Africa
Washing Lines and Wishing Wells represents Italy
Suitcase of Recipes represents the World
I love Mediterranean recipes, but for some reason the Finnish recipes in Falling Cloudberries are what grabbed my attention in this book. From the Falling Cloudberries chapter I have made and enjoyed Baked Ham and Finnish Mustard, Pork Schnitzel, Hassleback Potatoes, Sipi’s Strawberry Cake, and Cinnamon and Cardamom Buns. From the Cinnamon and Roses/Cyprus chapter I made the Fried Halloumi Cheese and from the Washing Lines and Wishing Wells/Italy chapter I’ve made the Risotto with Artichokes and Italian Sausage. All the recipes have been great!
January 14, 2023
An eclectic mix of cuisines that reflects the author's diverse family heritage and migration experience. Beautifully written and produced, but I'll be passing this one along as it doesn't contain many recipes that I would actually cook.
March 1, 2018
I apologize if you saw this review and clicked on it because you thought, Look at that beautiful cover, and “falling cloudberries?” Poetry? Literary fiction? That sounds super intriguing. Because this is not a novel, and since no one can read the cute-yet-obnoxious font that was chosen for the subtitle, you didn’t know that the full title is: Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes, by Tessa Kiros.
(Incidentally, the font choice may be the only thing I don’t like about this book. I’m with everyone who thinks the font looks great, but when you try to read the chapter headings to get your bearings (since you are moving around the world,) fuggehtaboutit. It’s illegible.)
I was predisposed to like this book. A friend brought it up in conversation months ago, telling me it was the cool cookbook in the Ireland of a certain time, and that many Irish families had a copy on their shelves. She thought I would like it. And perhaps she wanted to inspire me with more dessert recipes, as she cozied up on my couch week after week with fresh-out-of-the-oven cupcakes, tarts, and cookies. A couple months later, and she texts me to say she has a gift for me, so make sure I connect with her. I was intrigued. The next day, there she was, sashaying down the hall with a heavy parcel, wrapped aptly in an antiqued map of the world. I opened it and was delighted to find a copy of Falling Cloudberries, which is a beautiful book, decorated with vintage prints and colorful, laser-sharp photography, enjoying it before I had even cracked it open by feelings of both nostalgia and adventure.
In some ways, this book is less a cookbook and more a travelogue. It took me almost until the end of the book to realize that the writing was probably pulled directly from the diaries that Kiros kept while growing up in several different cultures and countries (sometimes permanently, sometimes on regular trips). Without her life story, the collection of recipes makes no real sense, so we go along with her, drinking in the larger-than-life photography and the poetic strands of words. The book is divided into sections:
Finland
Greece
Cyprus
South Africa
Italy
World
I have to admit that I found her actual writing to be bordering on affectation, at times. I think, now, that this can be explained by having pulled the writing straight from journals. But I lamented those paragraphs, knowing that in time, Kiros could become a much better writer, and I wouldn’t feel like she was trying too hard and ending up with a slightly immature voice. If you can just let that go–the trying too hard–you can really get lost in the atmosphere of this cookbook and possibly even come to treasure it.
I loved flying with Kiros across seas, across time, to share her vivid, almost tangible memories. She paints all of them in bright and pleasant colors, and there’s no way to escape without marking nearly all her recipes with a star. I haven’t actually tried a recipe yet (I am making the berry cheesecake on Tuesday), although there is nothing super-fancy about them. The recipes are simple and straightforward and–as she points out–without wonderful ingredients, your attempt will fail. I also think it likely she cooks with that brimming scoop of love in every recipe, which you will need as well.
Not to downplay the recipes, for they are very well-chosen. You could own this one cookbook and be okay. You would have, all in one place, simple foods, impressive foods, foods with varying taste profiles, and sturdy recipes which can make up the bedrock of a gustatory life, which is exactly what these recipes have been for Kiros. Some of the ingredients may prove hard to get in the U.S., but I believe the majority of the recipes are accessible to the same sort of person who would pick up this book and take it along to the market, and could create the basis of a young person’s kitchen repertoire, especially for entertaining. It would make a fine wedding gift.
A Random Assortment of the Recipes:
pizza
red pepper soup
lemon vanilla jam
millefeuille with oranges
chicken soup with egg and lemon
hassleback potatoes
pork schnitzel
pastitsio
charlotta
chicken wings
biscotti
caramel ice cream
My affection for this book is not usual. What I mean is that I love-to-pieces my quantity-heavy books, and I also tend to eschew cookbooks with too many pictures. This book, though, is meant to be the most useful coffee table book that you own. It is both presentable and pragmatic, and the marriage is a bit magical. Love it. And I think you will too.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
(Incidentally, the font choice may be the only thing I don’t like about this book. I’m with everyone who thinks the font looks great, but when you try to read the chapter headings to get your bearings (since you are moving around the world,) fuggehtaboutit. It’s illegible.)
I was predisposed to like this book. A friend brought it up in conversation months ago, telling me it was the cool cookbook in the Ireland of a certain time, and that many Irish families had a copy on their shelves. She thought I would like it. And perhaps she wanted to inspire me with more dessert recipes, as she cozied up on my couch week after week with fresh-out-of-the-oven cupcakes, tarts, and cookies. A couple months later, and she texts me to say she has a gift for me, so make sure I connect with her. I was intrigued. The next day, there she was, sashaying down the hall with a heavy parcel, wrapped aptly in an antiqued map of the world. I opened it and was delighted to find a copy of Falling Cloudberries, which is a beautiful book, decorated with vintage prints and colorful, laser-sharp photography, enjoying it before I had even cracked it open by feelings of both nostalgia and adventure.
In some ways, this book is less a cookbook and more a travelogue. It took me almost until the end of the book to realize that the writing was probably pulled directly from the diaries that Kiros kept while growing up in several different cultures and countries (sometimes permanently, sometimes on regular trips). Without her life story, the collection of recipes makes no real sense, so we go along with her, drinking in the larger-than-life photography and the poetic strands of words. The book is divided into sections:
Finland
Greece
Cyprus
South Africa
Italy
World
I have to admit that I found her actual writing to be bordering on affectation, at times. I think, now, that this can be explained by having pulled the writing straight from journals. But I lamented those paragraphs, knowing that in time, Kiros could become a much better writer, and I wouldn’t feel like she was trying too hard and ending up with a slightly immature voice. If you can just let that go–the trying too hard–you can really get lost in the atmosphere of this cookbook and possibly even come to treasure it.
I loved flying with Kiros across seas, across time, to share her vivid, almost tangible memories. She paints all of them in bright and pleasant colors, and there’s no way to escape without marking nearly all her recipes with a star. I haven’t actually tried a recipe yet (I am making the berry cheesecake on Tuesday), although there is nothing super-fancy about them. The recipes are simple and straightforward and–as she points out–without wonderful ingredients, your attempt will fail. I also think it likely she cooks with that brimming scoop of love in every recipe, which you will need as well.
Not to downplay the recipes, for they are very well-chosen. You could own this one cookbook and be okay. You would have, all in one place, simple foods, impressive foods, foods with varying taste profiles, and sturdy recipes which can make up the bedrock of a gustatory life, which is exactly what these recipes have been for Kiros. Some of the ingredients may prove hard to get in the U.S., but I believe the majority of the recipes are accessible to the same sort of person who would pick up this book and take it along to the market, and could create the basis of a young person’s kitchen repertoire, especially for entertaining. It would make a fine wedding gift.
A Random Assortment of the Recipes:
pizza
red pepper soup
lemon vanilla jam
millefeuille with oranges
chicken soup with egg and lemon
hassleback potatoes
pork schnitzel
pastitsio
charlotta
chicken wings
biscotti
caramel ice cream
My affection for this book is not usual. What I mean is that I love-to-pieces my quantity-heavy books, and I also tend to eschew cookbooks with too many pictures. This book, though, is meant to be the most useful coffee table book that you own. It is both presentable and pragmatic, and the marriage is a bit magical. Love it. And I think you will too.
***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***
August 14, 2011
An interesting collection of recipes organised according to country of origin reflecting the places the author has lived in her life and her cultural heritage.
The author provides backstory to the recipes, recounting memories from her life lived in different countries. I usually hate backstory but the author writes with authenticity and sincerity and the different countries/cultures are interesting so I don't mind it so much in this book.
I like this book. The book itself is delightful in design and features beautiful colour photographs on thick glossy paper. The recipes are clear and accessible to the home cook.
Stand out recipes include the Finnish meatballs and Tava (Cypriot lamb) which is always a crowd pleaser. I have found the sweet recipes to be hit and miss.
The author provides backstory to the recipes, recounting memories from her life lived in different countries. I usually hate backstory but the author writes with authenticity and sincerity and the different countries/cultures are interesting so I don't mind it so much in this book.
I like this book. The book itself is delightful in design and features beautiful colour photographs on thick glossy paper. The recipes are clear and accessible to the home cook.
Stand out recipes include the Finnish meatballs and Tava (Cypriot lamb) which is always a crowd pleaser. I have found the sweet recipes to be hit and miss.
January 15, 2015
What a joy to find a cookbook that is so beautifully presented that it is a book in itself that you want to pull from the shelf and look through. When the recipes are delicious on top of that...you have perfection! I can only say that if you are thinking about getting a cookbook by Tessa Kiros, think no longer and get one. I have three and love them all!
July 17, 2019
A gorgeous collection of recipes. We have really enjoyed several meals from these pages and look forward to more. It is a bit of a culinary adventure as several nations foods are represented in a personal from-the-heart manner.
March 16, 2023
Sadly, this book didn't make it with me on my last move. So, I was happy to find it again. The dishes, like loved ones, are sumptuously photographed. The recipes like the author come from a Finnish mother and Greek Cypriot father. Both are beautiful as film stars once were, natural as the foods are fresh and bound to the earth and sea and their seasons.
As a collection of recipes, these may not become new weekly favorites. But as a reminder of life's best and simplest moments around a table, you will want to open it time and again. In a way, it is a memoir of another world, two in fact, which you enter as you turn the pages.
I've spent time in Finland but apart from finding, to my delight, that bags of potato chips were huge and cheap as were boxes of American style donuts, the food is only vaguely in my memory. Light persisting into evening and later in summer is something though I can't forget. I had to blindfold myself with a silk scarf in bed to sleep at all. Even then, I woke and found a neighbor at midnight outside in her yard pruning roses.
As a collection of recipes, these may not become new weekly favorites. But as a reminder of life's best and simplest moments around a table, you will want to open it time and again. In a way, it is a memoir of another world, two in fact, which you enter as you turn the pages.
I've spent time in Finland but apart from finding, to my delight, that bags of potato chips were huge and cheap as were boxes of American style donuts, the food is only vaguely in my memory. Light persisting into evening and later in summer is something though I can't forget. I had to blindfold myself with a silk scarf in bed to sleep at all. Even then, I woke and found a neighbor at midnight outside in her yard pruning roses.
April 20, 2019
Again, I don't know how many of these recipes I will make (one? maybe?), but I don't read cookbooks as a practical exercise. I read them for the sensual pleasure of their stories and the accompanying illustrations -- and this one has lovely stories from multiple locations and exquisite photographs of food and locales. I don't know if I liked it as much as the Jamie Oliver book. Also, some of the ingredients here would be more difficult to locate in my little neck of the woods. It's a luscious read.
July 29, 2020
I don't have many cookbooks, but this one is just amazing. I could read this on and on!
I have tried a few recipes and they were all great. Plus, I love all the little stories about the recipes, friends and family that Tessa has included in this book.
Whenever I pick it up to check a recipe, I always get lost reading a bit here and there, until I remember what my initial intention was (cook, not read :D)
I have tried a few recipes and they were all great. Plus, I love all the little stories about the recipes, friends and family that Tessa has included in this book.
Whenever I pick it up to check a recipe, I always get lost reading a bit here and there, until I remember what my initial intention was (cook, not read :D)
September 5, 2021
Quel livre réjouissant et inspirant !
Pour moi qui voyage par l'assiette (faute de pouvoir sauter dans un avion), quel plaisir de visiter les gastronomies finlandaises, chypriotes, italiennes en faisant un petit détour par l'Afrique du Sud.
Et pour ne rien gâcher, le livre est beau.
Et généreux.
De ses souvenirs familiaux, amicaux, et de ses recettes modestes mais savoureuses.
Un délicieux moment de partage.
Pour moi qui voyage par l'assiette (faute de pouvoir sauter dans un avion), quel plaisir de visiter les gastronomies finlandaises, chypriotes, italiennes en faisant un petit détour par l'Afrique du Sud.
Et pour ne rien gâcher, le livre est beau.
Et généreux.
De ses souvenirs familiaux, amicaux, et de ses recettes modestes mais savoureuses.
Un délicieux moment de partage.
March 16, 2025
I was gifted this book when I left my first employment 2007; employment which had been extremely important to me, and has shaped my career ever since.
I now re-read the book, and loved it ever more. It's such a work of art! And includes plenty of "food story writing", which is the key for me enjoying books about food.
Oh how good if life as time passes.
I now re-read the book, and loved it ever more. It's such a work of art! And includes plenty of "food story writing", which is the key for me enjoying books about food.
Oh how good if life as time passes.
April 21, 2021
The authoress offers a widely traveled and family connected series of recipes. i found them mostly accessible and "doable". Well photographed and mostly unique and family oriented. Worth reading.
August 3, 2022
Finland, Cypress, South Africa, Italy, Peru - all mingled together. Bright Marimekko bedcovers and the smell of jasmine bushes in the summer heat.
March 29, 2024
So many things to try from this book - a wonderful mix of cuisines!
January 30, 2021
Best cheesecake recipe ever !
June 23, 2016
This is an absolutely stunning cookbook. The recipes are clearly written and the photography is superb - whether of the food presented, the locales described, or hauntingly beautiful scenery. The premise of the book is certainly one that I can relate to - it's a highly personal welcome into the authors life and an exciting presentation of her cultural mix which includes Finland, Cyprus, Italy, South Africa and a smattering of things she makes from contact with friends.
However, this is also the main drawback for me. The recipes are SO different and quite eclectic in their varying flavors and ingredients. There essentially is a smattering of personal favorites and in no way would this be considered a fair representation of the various cuisines that are included.
And to be fair - the title indicates that it's "a world of family recipes"
.
As an armchair book - Falling Cloudberries gets top marks. As a book to really use in the kitchen I must say that the recipes are fairly standard and there are no special surprises here.
However, this is also the main drawback for me. The recipes are SO different and quite eclectic in their varying flavors and ingredients. There essentially is a smattering of personal favorites and in no way would this be considered a fair representation of the various cuisines that are included.
And to be fair - the title indicates that it's "a world of family recipes"
.
As an armchair book - Falling Cloudberries gets top marks. As a book to really use in the kitchen I must say that the recipes are fairly standard and there are no special surprises here.
June 27, 2008
I've marked this as 'read' even though I don't own it. I mean, it's very expensive! So, I just look at it in the bookshop over and over and plan to get it from the library soon.
This is exactly the cookbook that I've wanted to write for some time and Tessa Kiros has beat me to it. The recipes are driven by the mish-mash of cultures that she and many people have within their own families (myself included). She gives just enough personal information so that you get a sense of what the recipes mean to her. She illustrates how the various types of food can be representative of many cultures and also of one person's personal culture. We are not all unicultural, in fact, very few of us are so I'm surprised nobody has done this earlier. Especially since food and culture are so intwined. I would recommend this to any modern multi-cultural cook or anyone who is interested in cooking and identity.
This is exactly the cookbook that I've wanted to write for some time and Tessa Kiros has beat me to it. The recipes are driven by the mish-mash of cultures that she and many people have within their own families (myself included). She gives just enough personal information so that you get a sense of what the recipes mean to her. She illustrates how the various types of food can be representative of many cultures and also of one person's personal culture. We are not all unicultural, in fact, very few of us are so I'm surprised nobody has done this earlier. Especially since food and culture are so intwined. I would recommend this to any modern multi-cultural cook or anyone who is interested in cooking and identity.
December 2, 2014
What a gorgeous book!
The sumptuous photography and personal stories make this a book that shouldn't be squirreled away in the kitchen (or maybe it should, depending on your family!). The recipes are easy to follow and have a wonderful outcome.
I love the juxtaposition of Cypriot, Finnish, Italian and South African cookery because it somewhat reflects my own culinary experience growing up!
I wish I had access to some of the ingredients for many these dishes not to mention the time to linger over the dishes lovingly- I would cook from it much more often. Until I'm out of school, I'll mostly look at the photographs and imagine making the dishes. I find it interesting that most people make the Mediterranean dishes, where I'm intrigued by the Finnish dishes. The gravlax and Finnish mustard are ones I do make- they are fast and easy.
Enjoy!!!
The sumptuous photography and personal stories make this a book that shouldn't be squirreled away in the kitchen (or maybe it should, depending on your family!). The recipes are easy to follow and have a wonderful outcome.
I love the juxtaposition of Cypriot, Finnish, Italian and South African cookery because it somewhat reflects my own culinary experience growing up!
I wish I had access to some of the ingredients for many these dishes not to mention the time to linger over the dishes lovingly- I would cook from it much more often. Until I'm out of school, I'll mostly look at the photographs and imagine making the dishes. I find it interesting that most people make the Mediterranean dishes, where I'm intrigued by the Finnish dishes. The gravlax and Finnish mustard are ones I do make- they are fast and easy.
Enjoy!!!
March 17, 2008
This is a gorgeous book.
This is the book that your sister gives you as a gift.
It contains all the family recipes from a diverse and colorful family lineage and it dotted with family photos and vignettes.
It was quite lovely and I am a fan of Tessa Kiros but I don't live in a region where it is likely I'd be able to obtain a fresh octopus much less hang it on a line to dry.
There were a few recipes that I would like to try - champagne risotto as well as pistachio ice cream. The Greek-influenced dishes look promising as the ingredients are simple and recall foods from our trip to the Mediterranean. Desserts looked delicious.
This is the book that your sister gives you as a gift.
It contains all the family recipes from a diverse and colorful family lineage and it dotted with family photos and vignettes.
It was quite lovely and I am a fan of Tessa Kiros but I don't live in a region where it is likely I'd be able to obtain a fresh octopus much less hang it on a line to dry.
There were a few recipes that I would like to try - champagne risotto as well as pistachio ice cream. The Greek-influenced dishes look promising as the ingredients are simple and recall foods from our trip to the Mediterranean. Desserts looked delicious.
cookbook-on-trial
December 7, 2025It was the only cookbook in the library with recipes from Finland, even if not only from Finland, when I decided I wanted to try some. So here it goes, another cookbook on trial.
p. 58 - 5 stars - Hassleback potatoes - I don't know how Finnish this recipe is, but this is the way to cook potatoes. And they look like trilobites.
p. 211 - 3 stars - Mahalepi - I can't say I'm a fan of this dessert, especially the syrup part, but it's inoffensive enough so it could be a good base for something else.
p. 259 - 4 stars - Carrot cake - A very easy and reliable cake, somewhere up there with the banana bread, but I didn't like the suggested frosting. (Also it's from South Africa)
p. 58 - 5 stars - Hassleback potatoes - I don't know how Finnish this recipe is, but this is the way to cook potatoes. And they look like trilobites.
p. 211 - 3 stars - Mahalepi - I can't say I'm a fan of this dessert, especially the syrup part, but it's inoffensive enough so it could be a good base for something else.
p. 259 - 4 stars - Carrot cake - A very easy and reliable cake, somewhere up there with the banana bread, but I didn't like the suggested frosting. (Also it's from South Africa)
February 3, 2009
Beautiful book. The recipes all look wonderful, but a few may be out of reach as I am living in Singapore and pickled herring is not easy to find :-)
I plan on testing out a few of the recipes later after I return back from vacation. that will be the true test of the book and the rating may improve.
Update: I have tried a number of these recipes and they are all delish. The book is heavy on the cream though, which is hard if you are lactose intolerant like me... but great book and good easy to follow recipes.
I plan on testing out a few of the recipes later after I return back from vacation. that will be the true test of the book and the rating may improve.
Update: I have tried a number of these recipes and they are all delish. The book is heavy on the cream though, which is hard if you are lactose intolerant like me... but great book and good easy to follow recipes.
June 25, 2008
Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous!
I loved everything about this tantalizing collection. The cover (even the floral design on the inside cover and don't miss the subtle script transcribed in luminescent letters OVER her photo on the back of the dust jacket,) the photos,the drawings, the recipes, the heartfelt commemoration and honor given to family members. I want to know this woman. I want to BE this woman.
I loved everything about this tantalizing collection. The cover (even the floral design on the inside cover and don't miss the subtle script transcribed in luminescent letters OVER her photo on the back of the dust jacket,) the photos,the drawings, the recipes, the heartfelt commemoration and honor given to family members. I want to know this woman. I want to BE this woman.
Read
March 1, 2009This author just has a way with...food and words. She takes you on a journey where not only can you see in your mind , but also smell and taste the experience that is her food. Everything I have made so far is delicious, though sometimes you must plan ahead. This is a thoughtful, elaborate and lavish blueprint for life's celebrations. This book was a gift in more than just receiving it for Christmas.I also enjoyed her other book Apples for Jam.
April 3, 2010
Beautiful, with big gorgeous photos and mini-essays sprinkled throughout.
Sadly, very few vegetarian options (which only makes sense, since it focuses on the traditional cuisine of Finland (herring!), Greece, Italy and Cyprus), so I didn't make any of the recipes.
But I very much enjoyed flipping through it, oohing and ahhing.
(A note about my 52 in 2010: I'm only counting cookbooks that I actually cook a recipe from, so this one doesn't make it!)
Sadly, very few vegetarian options (which only makes sense, since it focuses on the traditional cuisine of Finland (herring!), Greece, Italy and Cyprus), so I didn't make any of the recipes.
But I very much enjoyed flipping through it, oohing and ahhing.
(A note about my 52 in 2010: I'm only counting cookbooks that I actually cook a recipe from, so this one doesn't make it!)
November 4, 2010
Excellent cookbook. The recipes are well written with metric and other measurements. So far I have made the leg of lamb with oregano and lemon, afelia, tzatziki and the sauteed greens and they have all turned out wonderfully.
The photography in the book is also really good. Both the food and photos from the region the food comes from in each section (Finland, Greece, South Africa, Italy and rest of the world) Would definitely recommend.
The photography in the book is also really good. Both the food and photos from the region the food comes from in each section (Finland, Greece, South Africa, Italy and rest of the world) Would definitely recommend.
August 10, 2016
I love this book. It is a pleasure to read as every recipe tells the story of the Author and her heritage. The photos and art of it are stunning. I love, love, love her hummus recipe and it is my go to recipe.
I really should find some more recipes to try but every time I pull it off the shelf, I get sucked into reading it and looking at the photos rather than really finding a recipe to make.
Lovely book.
I really should find some more recipes to try but every time I pull it off the shelf, I get sucked into reading it and looking at the photos rather than really finding a recipe to make.
Lovely book.
December 12, 2012
This is one of those cookbooks that I would definitely own, if I weren't a vegetarian. The pictures are beautiful, the stories behind the recipes are heartfelt (and seemingly) as flavorful as the recipes themselves. There weren't very many vegetarian recipes other than sweets and the occasional salad. But that's ok! The meat recipes, particularly the lamb one look divine. Non-vegetarians: Give this book a try.
November 8, 2008
This book is so lovely to look at that if I am cooking from it I jot the recipe down rather than risk spatters in the kitchen. Some books I decide in advance that they are going to bear the marks of their use (Richard Bertinet’s “Dough” is nearly a loaf itself as it is so covered in floury fingerprints) but Tessa’s books stay out of the kitchen.
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