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Roast Figs, Sugar Snow
The author has spent 5 years travelling and eating in search of the tastiest dishes from the snowiest climes. This unique collection of recipes celebrates some of the world's most overlooked cuisines by using produce that can be found on our own doorsteps. There are potato and cheese dishes from Italy's skiing slopes, pastries from the coffee houses of Vienna and Budapest, and little appetizers that have been eaten at Russian celebrations since the days of the Tsar.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 12, 2010
It was sort of torture to read this at the beginning of summer, but that's when I received it. It's been nominated for design awards and no wonder. Along with lovely photos, there are charming on-topic quotes and poems sprinkled throughout (although sometimes easy to miss in their subtle grey italics). I haven't actually tested any of these recipes yet, but intend to work my way through at least half of them come fall. I also now really want to visit Northern Europe. Also in the winter.
The chapters are by ingredient rather than by country, which works well. And unlike with many books along these lines, most of the traditional mouthwatering dishes described in the chapter introductions actually show up in the recipe section, with the chapter on smoked foods as a sad exception. The author is Irish, so some terms will be foreign to American readers, but pretty easy to figure out. She's also a very fun writer, with references to "great smiling wedges" of roast pumpkin and recommending that Russian pancakes be eaten for dessert instead of breakfast "unless you're a bit of a pig."
There are realistic substitutions for the more unusual ingredients. A few pastry-based recipes could really have used a photo, so you know exactly what shape she is trying to describe, and there is a dead rabbit photo in the game chapter (this is really important to some people). No blood, however.
In keeping with the winter theme, this is not a healthy cookbook. Butter dominates rather than olive oil. There's even an entrée salad based on a traditional English fry-up breakfast. Cream, bacon, and cheese run through every chapter. Maybe I only need to wait for a cloudy day.
The chapters are by ingredient rather than by country, which works well. And unlike with many books along these lines, most of the traditional mouthwatering dishes described in the chapter introductions actually show up in the recipe section, with the chapter on smoked foods as a sad exception. The author is Irish, so some terms will be foreign to American readers, but pretty easy to figure out. She's also a very fun writer, with references to "great smiling wedges" of roast pumpkin and recommending that Russian pancakes be eaten for dessert instead of breakfast "unless you're a bit of a pig."
There are realistic substitutions for the more unusual ingredients. A few pastry-based recipes could really have used a photo, so you know exactly what shape she is trying to describe, and there is a dead rabbit photo in the game chapter (this is really important to some people). No blood, however.
In keeping with the winter theme, this is not a healthy cookbook. Butter dominates rather than olive oil. There's even an entrée salad based on a traditional English fry-up breakfast. Cream, bacon, and cheese run through every chapter. Maybe I only need to wait for a cloudy day.
February 28, 2024
This updated reissue of the original 2005 version stands the test of time. The book pays homage to the comforting and hearty fare associated with winter. The dishes are a mishmash of cuisines from all over that all share the common denominator of having a cold season. Book-loving cooks will enjoy the writing and the quotes peppered throughout. I'm guessing that since this is more of a literary cookbook, that's the reason for the paucity of photos.
While recipes tend not to be too complex, they seem more suited to cooks with some experience. I would still encourage less experienced cooks to check this book out for the essays preceding each chapter that impart useful information. The one on pigs made me quite sad as it reminds us of how incredibly cruel the modern farming of these intelligent, social creatures is. If you are going to eat pork, please try to find local farmers.
While recipes tend not to be too complex, they seem more suited to cooks with some experience. I would still encourage less experienced cooks to check this book out for the essays preceding each chapter that impart useful information. The one on pigs made me quite sad as it reminds us of how incredibly cruel the modern farming of these intelligent, social creatures is. If you are going to eat pork, please try to find local farmers.
November 21, 2018
The first chapter of recipes are all cheese-based. Diana Henry is wonderful and this comforting book is a quick favorite. What a great gift it would make!
December 7, 2023
As with previous examples, it feels weird to rate a cook book before you've cooked anything from it. Also although it's good to buy a recipe book on kindle for 99p to get a feel for it, I don't think it's a great medium for such things. This is lovely though - delicious photographs and Henry's writing is always delightful. This is a winter book and it's quite meaty - one of the reasons buying it full price is an issue for me, since 75% of the book is things I'll never make. I like reading recipes though, even if they are full of bacon.
March 5, 2011
Eh, this was a bit disappointing. Gorgeous photography and interesting-sounding recipes (even though I don't eat meat), but the one I made didn't leave me really want to make more. Sent back to the library.
August 18, 2014
Sure, the food sounds good. Sour cream apple pie muffins? Sign me up. However, Henry's overuse of cream seemed one-noted. There's other ways to make hearty winter fare without relying on cream.
March 21, 2024
This cookbook was recommended to me as a gateway cookbook to appreciating winter as a season, and to appreciating winter-influenced cuisines around the world. Think Scandinavia, Russia, Ireland, Quebec, etc. Note -- Henry doesn't include Eastern (ie. Asian) winter cuisines at all. Western winter only.
Visually, it's a stunning book. Narratively, it is a comforting escape. Realistically, this cookbook is sadly, not for me.
Too many recipes call for ingredients that are unusual or difficult to obtain, or both (and I currently live in one of Canada's largest cities). Most recipes are laborious and multi-stepped, with no options for shortcuts. Nothing here could be a weekly regular. Maybe Henry thinks that during the winter months, we work less at our day jobs so that we have more time to spend in the kitchen? Well, that just isn't true for most people. Not to mention that most of these recipes involve eye-popping ratios of fat to calories. In multiple spots, her preamble says something to the effect of, "no the amount of butter /cream isn't a typo, so best save this recipe for when you've had a heavy day of physical exertion"... Clearly Henry didn't get the memo that exercise's impact on calorie burn is minimal at best.
While a handful of recipes might be nice to keep filed away for special occasions (I flagged 6), the rest are a little bit smug, and a lot presumptuous.
Having said all of this, the chapter on cheese is delightful -- if only I could find most of those cheeses nearby! Perhaps more cheese recipes in my life would nudge me to enjoy winter more? Doubtful, but I appreciate Henry's efforts. In the meantime, I'll be grateful that I picked this up at the library, and not the bookstore.
Visually, it's a stunning book. Narratively, it is a comforting escape. Realistically, this cookbook is sadly, not for me.
Too many recipes call for ingredients that are unusual or difficult to obtain, or both (and I currently live in one of Canada's largest cities). Most recipes are laborious and multi-stepped, with no options for shortcuts. Nothing here could be a weekly regular. Maybe Henry thinks that during the winter months, we work less at our day jobs so that we have more time to spend in the kitchen? Well, that just isn't true for most people. Not to mention that most of these recipes involve eye-popping ratios of fat to calories. In multiple spots, her preamble says something to the effect of, "no the amount of butter /cream isn't a typo, so best save this recipe for when you've had a heavy day of physical exertion"... Clearly Henry didn't get the memo that exercise's impact on calorie burn is minimal at best.
While a handful of recipes might be nice to keep filed away for special occasions (I flagged 6), the rest are a little bit smug, and a lot presumptuous.
Having said all of this, the chapter on cheese is delightful -- if only I could find most of those cheeses nearby! Perhaps more cheese recipes in my life would nudge me to enjoy winter more? Doubtful, but I appreciate Henry's efforts. In the meantime, I'll be grateful that I picked this up at the library, and not the bookstore.
December 31, 2023
I wasn't aware of the previous edition of this book so it was a delight to receive a copy of this updated version. Firstly, it looks gorgeous - the cover design and photography are just lovely. And Diana Henry writes with love and fondness about discovering these recipes for the first time on her travels. The recipes are rich and warming - comfort food of the highest order, whether with just family or inviting friends. I asked my youngest to mark the recipes we should try, which resulted in the book bristling with post-it notes in a way that hasn't happened previously! The recipes I've tried so far have been received at the table with excitement then satisfaction, from a seemingly simple but rich tartiflette to roasted spare rib chops with pears, onions and melting gorgonzola. Cold nights can be something to look forward to as we make our way through chapters such as Cheese, Winter vegetables, Pork, Plums, damsons and figs. This is food that pulls you in and hugs you. Plates of joy :)
December 5, 2021
What a beautiful, cozy book full of such incredible, heart-warming food. I adored Henry's stories and histories alongside each section and recipe. I can always tell when a cookbook will become a well-used favorite: I sit down with each book when I get it and dog-ear my favorites, and while some of even my frequently used books only get one or two marked recipes, some are so overwhelmed with markings that I know I will treasure them for a long time. This is one of those extra marked books. The attention to the emotion of the text, evoking the coziness and sensations of late fall and winter experiences and foods made me feel so warm and happy. The images are gorgeous and the recipes make even challenging techniques clear and accessible. I am very excited to use this book
January 6, 2024
I was fortunate to be able to attend a reading of this book by Diana Henry hosted by Book Larder. She had me when she said she was influenced by Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie (my favorite childhood reading). My mouth watered while reading the delicious recipes in this book and my spirit delighted with the literary odes to winter and cold weather. It finally cooled off to 55 degrees here and I celebrated by going inside (myself) and cooking. I recommend the roast pork belly with pickled prunes and cucumbers. If for some reason you don't cook it, reading about how Diana Henry arrived late in Copenhagen during a snow blizzard and was served this dish in her hotel by room service will take you to your own winter wonderland.
February 3, 2024
I will admit, most of the recipes in this book are beyond me (I had to google more ingredients than I care to admit) but the writing that accompanies each chapter is glorious and made me long for the winters of my childhood in central New York when there was nothing cozier than falling snow and a stew in the crock pot. The last chapters are also doubly mouth-watering, looking into the fruits of autumn and winter (apples, cranberries, and, in a feat I would not believe, made me want a pear really badly) and then ending with a chapter on maple syrup, to make sure I need to make pancakes immediately to douse them in the sugary sweet rich syrup.
November 17, 2024
3.5
Evocative of winter, gorgeous pictures. Really liked a few of the recipes—will remake the lentil, squash, feta salad. This is how I picture cooking up in Siberia. Permafrost? We can roast a goose, friend!!! Hard day at work? Sit down and eat a fish pie!! So yeah, elegant and delicious worth swooning over, but gotta get the vibe right.
I live in Arizona, so tend to skip a lot of heavier meats (pork, duck, rabbit, goose) but can still appreciate a pretty foodie book.
Evocative of winter, gorgeous pictures. Really liked a few of the recipes—will remake the lentil, squash, feta salad. This is how I picture cooking up in Siberia. Permafrost? We can roast a goose, friend!!! Hard day at work? Sit down and eat a fish pie!! So yeah, elegant and delicious worth swooning over, but gotta get the vibe right.
I live in Arizona, so tend to skip a lot of heavier meats (pork, duck, rabbit, goose) but can still appreciate a pretty foodie book.
February 16, 2022
I am a huge Diana Henry fan and this is one of her very best. The dishes are generally hearty and cream/butter heavy so it gets most use in cooler weather. I look forward to wintry weather every year so I can revisit favourites from this book.
June 9, 2024
Wonderful cookbook, not the only one I have by this chef. The cover is just brilliant to look at. I also bought one for my daughter. I was totally overwhelmed when I read about how sick Diana Henry had been from COVID, and so happy she is finally feeling better.
January 14, 2019
Unique recipes for all engagements!
October 17, 2023
Decadent, in fact a bit rich for my taste.
December 2, 2023
not just a cookbook!
I’m a summer person but this book transported me to the cold winter - and it conjured up so many tastes, smells and visions in my mind! Can’t wait to get cooking
I’m a summer person but this book transported me to the cold winter - and it conjured up so many tastes, smells and visions in my mind! Can’t wait to get cooking
December 21, 2023
love Diana so much
Another great cookbook, I wish I ate meat as it’s meat rich but enough here that I can adapt to keep me happy. Mouthwatering to read.
Another great cookbook, I wish I ate meat as it’s meat rich but enough here that I can adapt to keep me happy. Mouthwatering to read.
January 9, 2024
Just wrote a review and goodreads crashed. Can’t be bothered to write it again so synopsis is - beautiful, wintery, spicy.
April 14, 2024
Read the revised 2023 version. A book to be savored slowly, preferably in winter.
December 20, 2024
Lots of interesting recipes to try!
July 21, 2025
Essential bok for the lovers of comfort foods for the winter months
January 2, 2026
I was very excited for this but then every single recipe was like - layer sausages and potatoes in the casserole dish and I just cannot get excited for that. returned to the library without cooking any of the recipes.
December 19, 2009
Loved the title and the idea of a winter food book so I picked it up off the re-shelving cart at the library, sitting handily next to the check out kiosks.... Wish it was way more inspiring. Not bad...some stuff I'd try but, nothing that made me say, "Oooooo!" Just kind of meh. It has a super great title and full color photographs for many of the recipes which usually makes a cookbook for me. OH well. Once upon a time I think I would excused it as winter's fault...well, hey....what can you do to really make winter ingredients alluring but, I think its more the ingredients the author chooses to highlight and the recipes she's choosing. I like a little more glamour and dazzle in my food and she's all about celeriac root, potatoes, potatoes, potatoes and pork in various forms. Where's the gleaming pomegranate, the luscious figs on the cover and the thick, bubbling cream soups?
November 11, 2016
Have to give this an extra star for the introductions to each chapter. I love reading Diana Henry's food stories (especially when I'm having dinner by myself, so comforting). You can really feel her passion for cooking and food culture.
As for the recipes: you can tell that this book is from before her "Change of appetite", all this food is quite rich (it is winter food after all). Gluten problems will keep me from using quite a few of the recipes, and the lack of pictures on some of them also hold me back a little - but I still intend on trying them out (the maple & bourbon glazed spareribs are currently at the top of my wishlist).
As for the recipes: you can tell that this book is from before her "Change of appetite", all this food is quite rich (it is winter food after all). Gluten problems will keep me from using quite a few of the recipes, and the lack of pictures on some of them also hold me back a little - but I still intend on trying them out (the maple & bourbon glazed spareribs are currently at the top of my wishlist).
December 10, 2013
The wintry companion to Pickled Lemons, Crazy Water. The disappointing opening chapter on dishes based largely on cheese aside, this makes me yearn for cold, for Northern and Eastern Europe, for Scandinavia and for Russia, and for sweet coffee and pastries in cozy cafes in Poland; for thick comforting dishes with pork and winter fruits, and for all those flavour combinations you find in those countries, that go against the grain, just for these dark few months, of everything sunny and Mediterranean.
July 22, 2015
European take on rustic winter dishes. Book is lacking in pictures of recipes which excite/inspire me to dive in & try the dishes. Some interesting dishes especially the maple syrup on snowballs. Will be trying the roast pumpkin with lentils dish this fall. Appreciate the brief narration on each recipe but not the novels located after each chapter change. Her other cookbooks are more my style with recipe/pic combos.
December 8, 2009
I might try the Celeriac & Potato Mash, Roast Winter Squash Salad with Lentils & Goat Cheese, and Danish Christmas Rice Pudding with Berry Compote.
Susan, I can send you the celeriac recipe if you're still looking!
Susan, I can send you the celeriac recipe if you're still looking!
January 24, 2015
I adore this book, I always enjoy browsing it's pages in the depth of winter when I need nourishment ! It gives me flavour and colour . Using two recipes tonight 'Austrian beef ' and vodka spiced plums for burns supper with friends
February 22, 2016
Never heard of Diana Henry until my librarian recommended this, happy she did. This is a lovely cookbook and I can't wait to try a couple recipes before I reluctantly return it. I will be searching for a copy for myself.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews