Transylvanian Cuisine Cookbook

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Description: As co-owner of the famed Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, Paul Kovi is one of the most discriminating members of America's food establishment. But he first learned to know and love food in his native Transylvania, a region rich in folklore and food-lore. As well-known gastronomer George Lang said in his own book, The Cuisine of Hungary, "Hungarian-Transylvanians are the most colorful and gastronomically interesting group. Even though they share the same ideas about cooking as the rest of Hungary, because of their special historical geographical advantages they have developed and kept a remarkable culinary entity. To my mind, it's the most interesting part of the Hungarian kitchen." 

Paul Kovi's Transylvanian Cuisine is very much the complete story of Transylvanian gastronomy. It is organized in three parts. "From Heart to Heart" and "In Reverence of Foods" are two collections of essays written by Mr. Kovi and ten other Transylvanian writers, illustrating the history of Transylvanian cuisine and extolling the more poetic aspects of its cooking. The history pieces focus on the various cultures -- Hungarian, Rumanian, Saxon-German, Armenian, and Jewish -- that have influenced Transylvanian gastronomy, while "In Reverence of Foods" evokes the charm of Transylvanian gastronomy with such delightful pieces as "My Mother's Starter Dough" and "The Mysteries of Strudel Making" by Paul Kovi, "Folk Poetry of the Wedding Feast" by Istvan Szocs, and "In Praise of the Onion" by Tibor Balint. 

At the center of the book are more than 300 recipes carefully selected by Mr. Kovi. He researched his recipes not unlike the way Bartok and Kodaly collected their marvelous folk music. He went from village to village, kitchen to kitchen, and hearth to hearth to find the nearly lost art of the original Transylvanian cooking and flavors. By the time he began to organize his final work, he had over 20,000 recipes in hand. 

Clearly, this book includes but a mere sampling, but what a delectable collection it is: from appetizers and soups such as Shepherd's Stuffed Mushrooms, Savoy Cabbage Pate from Torda, Lamb Soup with Tarragon, and Veal Ciorba, to delightful main dishes like Armenian Mushroom Patties, Layered Pike with Mint, Chicken with Kohlrabies, Saddle of Hare with Junipers, and Partridge in Crape Leaves on a Spit. Breads and sweets round out the selection and include Saxon Pie, Sour Cream Doughnuts, Walnut Scones, Sweet Matzo Doughnuts for Passover, and Honey Cake. 

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Condition: Good condition.