Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook
- Book Review,
by Maria Robbins
From Publishers Weekly
In this charming introduction to a cuisine that fuses "French finesse" with German and Dutch country-cooking influences, Van Waerebeek, a Ghent native who teaches Belgian cooking in New York City, expands widely upon family recipes. In the anecdotal introduction, she describes Flemish food as "still deeply rooted in medieval cookery," with centuries-old reliance on such ingredients as nutmeg, saffron, almonds and dried fruits. Appetizers include vegetable dishes that, like Gratin of Belgian Endives, are rich in cheese; more than 20 hearty soup recipes are offered. Recipes featuring mussels, leeks and herring abound. Poultry and meat chapters focus on traditional favorites such as Waterzooi of Chicken ("a confusion of a soup with a stew," chock-full of herbs and vegetables) and meat loaf made with veal. Beer, used even in desserts, earns its own chapter, as does the much-loved potato ("traditionally Belgian fries were fried in the rendered fat of beef kidneys"). The chapter "Waffles and Pancakes" supplies the secret of real Belgian waffles (they are yeast-raised). With numerous sidebars throughout, on subjects from cafe life to quiche, Van Waerebeek evokes this homey, bourgeois cuisine with care and enthusiasm. Illustrations not seen by PW. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When was the last time you saw a Belgian cookbook? Van Waerebeek, who grew up in Ghent and now teaches cooking in New York City, points out that much of the country's culinary tradition remains an oral one, passed down from generation to generation, and here she presents both her own recipes and those of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother. Belgian food is strongly linked to French cuisine, with German and Dutch influences, featuring fish and seafood, leeks, asparagus, cheese, and beer as the favorite ingredients?and don't forget the chocolate. Recipes include both homey, hearty dishes and more sophisticated fare, from Cod with Mustard and Gingered Carrots to Chocolate Chestnut Truffle Mousse. An essential purchase.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Midwest Book Review
Over two hundred recipes from Belgium provide simple yet appealing dishes; from Belgian Meatballs Braised in Beer with Endives to an unusual Celery Root and Potato Puree. Some of the dishes, such as Cream of Spinach with Sorrel, may contain ingredients - such as sorrel - which are not easily obtained; but most can be produced with access to any regular supermarket, and all are relatively easy to prepare.
Book Description
It's a country that boasts more three-star restaurants per capita than any other nation--including France. It's a country where home cooks--and everyone, it seems, is a great home cook--spend copious amounts of time thinking about, shopping for, preparing, discussing, and celebrating food. With its French foundation, hearty influences from Germany and Holland, herbs straight out of a Medieval garden, and condiments and spices from the height of Flemish culture, Belgian cuisine is elegant comfort food at its best--slow-cooked, honest, bourgeois, nostalgic. It's the Sunday meal and a continental dinner party, family picnics and that antidote to a winter's day.
In 250 delicious recipes, here is the best of Belgian cuisine. Veal Stew with Dumplings, Mushrooms, and Carrots. Potato and Leek Stoemp. Smoked Trout Mousse with Watercress Sauce. Braised Partridge with Cabbage and Abbey Beer. Gratin of Belgian Endives. Flemish Carrot Soup. Steak-Frites. Belgian Steamed Mussels. Belgian Steamed Mussels. Cognac Scented Flemish Waffles. And desserts, some using the best chocolate on earth: Belgian Chocolate Ganache Tart, Lace Cookies from Brugge, Almond Cake with Fresh Fruit Topping, Little Chocolate Nut Cakes.
As Belgians explain it, since one has to eat three times a day, why not make a feast of every meal? 57,000 copies in print.
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