The latest edition of the “Spoonfuls of Germany” cookbook takes a different route than most cookbooks offering up popular German recipes. By splitting the book into four regions, author Nadia Hassani wanted to be able to publish some lesser known recipes that are found throughout the country, offering up a taste of Germany you may never have known existed.
Hassani immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1998 and quickly found that she missed her favorite childhood recipes. Wanting to share this culinary heritage with her new American family, she decided to release a cookbook that featured recipes she remembered fondly. The first edition was published in 2004, but over the course of nine years, a lot has changed. On the “Spoonfuls of Germany” website, Hassani comments that “because more ingredients used in German cooking have become more widely available in the United States” and “more regional recipes have been discovered in Germany”, it was time to take a fresh look at the original book.
With 200 recipes included in the expanded “Spoonfuls of Germany”, you’ll still find familiar recipes like Sauerbraten and Spätzle, but the localized recipes such as Maultaschen (German ravioli with meat or spinach filling) and Westfälische Quarkspeise (Westphalian Trifle) make it stand out from the competition. What is even more special are the personalized anecdotes that have been added to each recipe in order to provide insight into the food’s origins and popularity in the specific region. Not too many cookbooks offer this type of learning experience.
If you’re tired of the same old German recipes, “Spoonfuls of Germany” might just be the cookbook you need. If you’ve moved to the States from Germany years ago, you’ll be able to rediscover those forgotten food favorites, and for those of you that were born here and have only experienced the taste of Germany that your local restaurant has on the menu, then you’re in for some delicious surprises.
“Spoonfuls of Germany” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other local bookstores, and on Saturday, September 28, Nadia Hassani will be signing copies of the book at the Center Valley Barnes & Noble in Pennsylvania from 1-3pm.
Photos: Spoonfuls of Germany, © Ted Rosen
Article Source: GermanPulse