DUTCH FEAST (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017, 263 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-687-4 $32.95 CAD hardbound) is by Emily Wight, a writer and recipe developer. This is her second cookbook for Arsenal. The publisher notes that this is the first extensive Dutch cuisine book to be published in North America in three decades. Dutch food has been characterized as local and seasonal with international flavours, lots of sugar and dairy with cheese and breads not far behind. Many foods have been brought to America, such as pancakes and waffles, apple pie, doughnuts, and coleslaw. Overall, these foods are also upfront in Dutch cuisine, with apples, potatoes, endives, onions and kale being most important. The 120 preps are arranged by course (breakfast, coffee time, dinner), with side chapters for borrels (Dutch small plates), rijsttafel, gezellig (comfort food), and Christmas. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes along with the avoirdupois, or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: beginners, those interested in Dutch food.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sauerkraut stamppot; semolina pudding with rose and honey; cranberry and persimmon pastechi; farmer's cheese soup; hutspot; prune tart; spicy prawns with green beans; marinated herring; meatball curry.
The downside to this book: I wanted more on the rijsttafel since there could be some 30 or so dishes. She lists 16 and two are ice cream desserts.
The upside to this book: a good primer on Dutch food history and resources.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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