In the same way that British, Scandinavian, and German food have
undergone a renaissance in recent years, writer and blogger Emily Wight
is convinced that Dutch cuisine is going to be the next big thing. Her
new cookbook reimagines traditional Dutch cooking, which has always been
known for its thriftiness and practicality, with an emphasis on the ways
that simple meals bring joy and comfort to the people who share them.
Influenced by its colonial history, with bold flavors from places like
Indonesia and the West Indies, and by its proximity to its European
neighbors, Dutch cooking is surprisingly diverse, noted for its
celebration of the ritual of the meal as much as the meal itself. From
gezellig to borrels, and gado gado to uitsmijter, Dutch Feast delivers
unconventional (but familiar) and economical (but indulgent) recipes,
and gives you a new excuse to invite everyone over for cold gin and a
heaping rijsttafel, an elaborate (yet economical) dinner party with a
little dish of something for everyone.
Touching on Dutch history and the back story of traditional ingredients
(from licorice to herring to beer), these 120 recipes add charm and
sophistication to a cuisine that is wholesome, economical, and
stubbornly delicious.
Emily Wight came to love Dutch cuisine when she married into a Dutch
family. She is the author of Well Fed, Flat Broke, based on her blog
of the same name.
