Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak cookbook review
Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak cookbook review
Getting to know the food of the Baltics in Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak
Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak is a cookbook that explores the food and culture of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It covers the history of the Baltic region in a few short pages, before inviting you to recreate the food of its people.
But I’ve gotta put my hand up and say I’ve never cooked Baltic food before. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about it.
Shame on me. It turns out, of course, that I’ve been missing out this whole time. And where Zak’s cookbook shines is in taking the hand of a willing home cook and showing them something new.
Read more:
One Month Anniversary & A Chicken Pie
What are the recipes like in Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak?
Amber & Rye is a very tactile cookbook, and its pages have a satisfying weight and matte finish. I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to cook from books with glossy pages, where light bounces annoyingly around. You won’t have that problem here.
I’d say just over half the recipes have pictures, and for the purposes of this review I’ve only picked the ones with them. But I would’ve liked to see more photography, especially for a cuisine that’s new to me.
Happily, though, the pictures are beautifully taken and make you want to cook the food. And now I’ve made a few recipes and gained some confidence, I’ve got the courage to take another look at the ones without pictures.
The recipes themselves are easy to follow, and you’ll find most ingredients in a big grocery store. Zak says you could get the rest from a Polish supermarket, and there’s also useful glossary that offers helpful substitutes.
Syrniki pancakes
How delicious do these look!? I thought I’d ease into Baltic food with a simpler first dish, and these Syrniki pancakes are just that gateway recipe.
They’re a tiny bit fiddlier than your basic pancake, but the payoff is worth it. I also had to sub in ricotta for the traditional twarog cheese, which my local shop didn’t have. Worked just as well, I think :)
Smoked fish and beetroot salad
Good recipes have the power to transport you to somewhere new, and this one does just that. Beetroot is made even more intense with apple cider vinegar and allspice berries, and then tossed with hot smoked mackerel.
There’s sweetness from apple, fire from horseradish, and the welcome crunch of fresh salad leaves. It’s a dish that takes me deep into a forest, to a simpler way of life.
Greta’s gran’s potatoes
This is my favourite recipe so far. I love the treatment of the new potatoes, first lightly boiled and then sautéed until golden. I also can’t think why I haven’t used kefir yoghurt and peeled, chopped cucumbers as a dressing before. This is springtime on a plate – light, fresh, and very good for you.
Overall thoughts on Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak
I’m so glad I gave the Amber & Rye cookbook a try. Zuza Zak has put together recipes that are deceptively simple and turn out gorgeous food.
I’ve only made a few things, but I’ve already learnt a bunch of new techniques and ingredient combinations that I’d never have tried before. If you want to give your cooking something new and surprise yourself in the kitchen again, I’d highly recommend this as the book to do it from.
Buy Amber & Rye by Zuza Zak here.
