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Eastern and Central European Kitchen: Contemporary and Classic Recipes
The fresh ingredients and unfamiliar flavor combinations of Central and Eastern Europe are capturing the imaginations of gourmet stores and restaurants in the West, as borders open up and Europe is extended. We’re enjoying dishes such as goulash, stroganoff, pierogi and borscht as we feast on a wealth of culinary traditions that stretches back for generations. Silvena Rowe turns to countries such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Georgia, Russia, and the Ukraine for her inspiration. She cooks game with sweet-and-sour stuffing, sauces and marinades; smoked fish; wild mushrooms; fruits such as quince, figs and pomegranates; and seeds and grains such as lentils, pearl barley and poppy seeds. She plunders the traditions of the poor and wealthy alike in her quest to bring us a taste of what is put upon the tables in these countries. The food is untamed and the flavors are strong. Alongside Silvena’s recipes are photographs of the food markets, farms, homes, grand cafés and restaurants of Eastern and Central Europe by renowned photographer Jonathan Lovekin. As the author describes is her book: “The soups vary from the hearty winter warmers of Hungary to light, delicate, chilled summer soups; the stews encompass goulash and the aromatic braised lamb recipes of Georgia; and there are legions of dumplings, including the classic pierogi, the delicate uszka, the savory leniwe and the hearty pyzy. Subtle, yet forceful, marinades; pickles and preserves; smoked fish, sausages, and meats—they all play a role in this rich and almost unknown treasure trove that can rival the culinary cultures of France and Italy in its depth and breadth.”
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
32 people want to read
About the author
Silvena Rowe
17 books10 followersSilvena Rowe (born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria) is a British chef, food writer, television personality and restaurateur.
Rowe was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria to a Bulgarian mother and a Turkish father. Rowe's father, who was a newspaper editor, Bulgarianised his name due to Bulgaria's communist government. He instilled in Rowe a love of cooking, and he passed down the traditions of the Ottoman cuisine. In 1986, at the age of 19, she moved to London where she married Malcolm Rowe. She cooked in the kitchen of the Notting Hill bookshop Books for Cooks, which led her to cook for Princess Michael of Kent, Ruby Wax and Tina Turner. She also met Malcolm Gluck and the two began to write a regular food column for The Guardian newspaper. In 2007, she was the food consultant on David Cronenberg’s 2007 film Eastern Promises. She has become a regular guest on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and ITV's This Morning. In 2007, her book Feasts won the Glenfiddich Food and Drink Award. After her fathers death she wanted to rediscover her heritage so she travelled through Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan tracing her Ottoman roots; this resulted in her cookbook Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume.
On 1st June 2011, her restaurant Quince opened at The May Fair Hotel in Mayfair, London. Her restaurant is influenced by her Turkish heritage- homage to her grandfather Mehmed, who used to cook the dishes for her father.
Rowe was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria to a Bulgarian mother and a Turkish father. Rowe's father, who was a newspaper editor, Bulgarianised his name due to Bulgaria's communist government. He instilled in Rowe a love of cooking, and he passed down the traditions of the Ottoman cuisine. In 1986, at the age of 19, she moved to London where she married Malcolm Rowe. She cooked in the kitchen of the Notting Hill bookshop Books for Cooks, which led her to cook for Princess Michael of Kent, Ruby Wax and Tina Turner. She also met Malcolm Gluck and the two began to write a regular food column for The Guardian newspaper. In 2007, she was the food consultant on David Cronenberg’s 2007 film Eastern Promises. She has become a regular guest on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen and ITV's This Morning. In 2007, her book Feasts won the Glenfiddich Food and Drink Award. After her fathers death she wanted to rediscover her heritage so she travelled through Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan tracing her Ottoman roots; this resulted in her cookbook Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume.
On 1st June 2011, her restaurant Quince opened at The May Fair Hotel in Mayfair, London. Her restaurant is influenced by her Turkish heritage- homage to her grandfather Mehmed, who used to cook the dishes for her father.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 24, 2014
The cuisines of Central and Eastern Europe are often over looked. Most of the dishes are hearty and basic designed for the working class. This book contains recipes from different ethnic groups of the region and the photographs are helpful. There are some surprising recipes here.
November 4, 2015
An excellent go-to book for Eastern and Central European cuisine--one of my favorites. The dishes are updated, less labor-intensive versions of their traditional counterparts and incorporate ingredients that are easy to source. I've made some of these recipes time and again for myself or for others: the instructions are easy to follow and the results are always delicious.
The photos and the way Rowe personalizes the recipes are to the book's advantage. Images of recipes and ingredients are appetizing, and the stories behind why Rowe included each dish into the book brings the reader closer to their origins. Both show consideration for making the book as welcoming as the dishes it contains.
People often underestimate the potential of cooking from countries that were formerly behind the Iron Curtain, but Rowe proves that dishes from this part of the world can easily be incorporated into a daily (Western) repertoire without relying, stereotypically, on cabbage and potatoes.
Some recipes in this book are, undoubtedly, comfort food, such as bigos. Others, like the marinated lamb, would make the perfect entree at a dinner party. Still others are a combination of both, such as the meatballs-in-yogurt recipe from Bulgaria. Cooking from this book, as well as serving (and eating) the dishes made from its recipes, is a joy.
The photos and the way Rowe personalizes the recipes are to the book's advantage. Images of recipes and ingredients are appetizing, and the stories behind why Rowe included each dish into the book brings the reader closer to their origins. Both show consideration for making the book as welcoming as the dishes it contains.
People often underestimate the potential of cooking from countries that were formerly behind the Iron Curtain, but Rowe proves that dishes from this part of the world can easily be incorporated into a daily (Western) repertoire without relying, stereotypically, on cabbage and potatoes.
Some recipes in this book are, undoubtedly, comfort food, such as bigos. Others, like the marinated lamb, would make the perfect entree at a dinner party. Still others are a combination of both, such as the meatballs-in-yogurt recipe from Bulgaria. Cooking from this book, as well as serving (and eating) the dishes made from its recipes, is a joy.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews