The Nordic Kitchen: One year of family cooking

This is a dream cookbook for anyone interested in the Slow Food movement, in Nordic cooking, in the use of herbs, in seasonal foods, in backyard foraging, in artful presentation e.g. for most cooks or self-styled foodies. Why? because the recipes exhibit the best of all those movements/threads within the culinary scene without being simply trendy.Some of the recipes are very simple - something that children can do or help do. For example "Strawberries with tarragon sugar and milk" which is as simple as its title is expanded by a simple note that sweet cicely, mint and lemon balm are alternatives to tarragon. What a great opportunity to teach a child to identify the herbs and distinguish their flavors. In addition, all are easily grown so the child can grow the herb and use it.Other recipes remain simple but use ingredients in ways that are unfamiliar. For example "Baked apples with beer ice cream" adds star-anise, porter, lemon and vanilla to a simple baked apple then top it with eggy beer ice cream. For myself baked apple implies cinnamon and walnuts perhaps with a bit of home churned ice cream; I've never seriously considered changing up the flavors - and certainly not with beer. While those who cook with beer regularly may not see this as innovative, there are similar breaks with tradition using ramps, lovage, gastriques, rowan ... that will provide any cook with a surprise.Some recipes are more complex such as "Sweet and sour lamb fricassee" which uses potato stock, parsley root and jaggery illustrates the "waste not" philosophy by the use of water used in cooking potatoes. Many recipes are very specific such as "Fynbo with pear mostarda and homemade crisp bread" which uses yellow cheese "Danish Fynbo, Vesterhavsost or aged Gouda', pears "such as Clara Frijs, or Grise Bonne, or Williams" which sometimes requires research to discover your best local substitution.Throughout the book there are various hints - most of which are actually helpful which is not true in all cookbooks. In the front material is a full page on seasoning - not just salt and pepper but acidity (vinegar. lemon juice), bitterness (beer, shallots, bitter lettuce leaves, gastrique ...), heat (horseradish, ginger juice. chile, mustard ...) which is especially helpful.In addition the book is well-laid out, has excellent pictures, has instructions that are easy to follow ... truly a must have cookbook.

I came across the 'new nordic diet' while searching for recipes using foods my own actual northern european ancestors ate. I chose this book because it appeared to use those foods AND be aimed at families. Unfortunately, it's a good showcase of Claus Meyer's cooking ethos, but there is no mention of any facet of family realities apart from an introductory photo of the chef walking in the woods with his kids. I don't know what the idea was behind using the word 'family'. The meals are generally neither quick nor simple, are not low-resistance dishes children might embrace, and there are no tips for how to involve kids in the preparation and acceptance of these foods. This guy is a chef with four kids and a very busy life; he surely knows a thing or two about building efficient meals and adventurous eaters. Or well, actually, perhaps his wife is the one dealing with children and dinner on rushed weekday evenings. Articles breaking down the new nordic philosophy were more helpful than this book as it has very little text, and the River Cottage family cookbook ended up doing a stellar job of bringing kids into many of the foodstuffs also found in this cookbook. I missed the return window so I'll keep it for a while to try a few dishes and steep myself in the ingredients of my ancestors, but this book certainly didn't give me a bridge to get my kids from California to Nordic meals. Wheat flour and sugar appear regularly, largely in sweet dishes, which frustrated me - for example, he strongly recommends a good daily bread with all meals. Theoretically these things are supposed to be rare in this philosophy, as they are neither scandinavian nor health-building. (For example, in another nordic book the desserts use nut, oat, and barley flours with honey.) So, remove the word family and give this book to retired foodies interested in Claus Meyer's renaissance.

-very visually and aestethically pleasing book-the real deal in Scandinavian cooking-some ingredients like lingonberries impossible to find in the USA-foraging for ingredients not super realistic-fantastic recipes in an amazingly interesting cuisine

Easy to read great Recipies Arrived great condition

I loved this book on Kindle that I had to buy it physically. I have tried several recipes and they were delicious and fun to prepare and make. I am excited to make more meals and to try them. I highly recommend this book. I like the break down and how to simplify some of the things to make with some cheats and notes. A very well organized book.

I live in Oregon and I'm always picking chantrelles and first page I opened to was a chapter on recipies for them. Plus everything else in here is great. Coastal oregon has somewhat similar climate to nordic regions so I have a lot of these ingredients growing where I forage.

It is a wonderful book, most recipes are a breeze. What is very nice is that the recipes are mostly single serving but can be doubled or tripled as needed. It is my go to book.

beautiful book with great photos, interesting writing and inviting recipes

What a lovely book, well laid out, pictures, hints, tips and links. Tried only one one and all liked it so it will beonei will dip into. And I will look for more scandi.

Gorgeous book! And brilliant service from World of Books as usual.

j'ai aimé parce que les recettes ont l'air délicieuses et plus adaptées que le régime méditéranéin

Interesting chef. Interesting food.

The three words that sum up this bookFascinatingChallengingEnjoyable.This is not a book to solve the - what shall we have for tea tonight dilema.This is more a book, written for foodies that explores a fresh new take on food.SimpleLocalForagedThe book itself is well designed and is printed on a lovely mat paper.However, while it is well laid out, not all of the recipes feature in photographs. This is a shame as I always like to see the photo to see if my version is similar or totally different!The recipes are split into seasons, and at the start of each season is a list of the cultivated (easy to get in the shops ingredients) and a list of "In the wild" ingredients that will need either specialist shops or foraging.As this is more of an inspirational cookbook, I am happy to read recipes with foraged blue stalk mushrooms, but would never be brave enough to forage and eat these myself!There are occasional pages on an ingredient such as rhubarb or wild garlic, which are highly informative.The first recipe that I used from this cookbook is wild garlic salt, just blitz salt and wild garlic and then use it as a homemade garlic salt - brilliant and something I would never have thought of.There are a wide variety of recipes, but for me it is the twists and new ideas I like, for example boiled leeks, with a vinaigrette of parsley anchovies and cider vinegar. A new twist to an old favourite.And that is what this recipe book is, new flavoursome twists on old favourites.I am enjoying dipping into it and trying new things.It would make a great gift for a foodie, if you are a foodie - don't hesitateI am loving it...