Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Cookbook watch - greek and cookies

Min stora feta grekiska kokbok

Alexandra Pascalidou
Min Stora Feta Grekiska kokbok


I like cookbooks written by journalists. After all, my first cookbook love was Nigella Lawson's How to be a domestic goddess, and my infatuation with her writings - and her food - continues. I also really like cookbooks by food bloggers, who are also experienced food writers - and I'll certainly much rather read these than cookbooks by chefs. (As for what I'll actually cook, or eat - well, that's not quite as simple.) Alexandra Pascalidou is Swedish-Greek (well, she's really Greek, but grew up in Sweden) and has written a lovely book about Greek food called "My big fat greek cookbook". It holds recipes - tons of them - and stories. I usually don't really like stories in my cookbooks (where's the food?!) but Pascalidou's writing is so good I don't mind. In fact, I found myself flipping pages, going past the food, to get to the next story. They're that good. The one about her grandmother made me cry. And after I dried my tears, I knew I wanted to cook a LOT from this book. It has that genuine feel about it, and you can just tell that the recipes are without a doubt going to work.

kladdiga kakor

Claes Karlsson
Kladdiga kakor


"Oooh, what's that?" My husband immediately reached for the book I was unpacking from the mail, and demanded it for himself. It's pastry chef Claes Karlsson's latests - Kladdiga kakor, which translates to Sticky Cakes. A Swedish "kladdkaka" is something like a brownie, but this book expands greatly on the subject, and includes every sort of sticky cake you could imagine. And some that you probably couldn't. I love the retro look of the cover, and am drooling over recipes like meringue cake with milk chocolate truffle and strawberries - I mean, seriously?? I have to make that. And a lot of other things. This is a great book for the yum-lovers out there!

...and sorry, both are available in Swedish only.

5 comments:

Jessica said...

Claes Karlsson writes good cook books (or baking books really). One with chocolate and nut-recipes and another with apples are magnificent!
I was looking at this one yesterday and wondering if I was to get it or not.

Pia K said...

brr, myself i can't stand pascalidou's writing or her style. and i hate that un-original rip-off name of the cookbook. sigh. guess i will not invest in it, huh;)

the sticky cake book - well that's another and promising looking one i have to say...:)

Lo said...

This post reminds me how personal one's taste in cookbooks really is.

I haven't had the chance to check out either of these... but I'm thinking a trip to the library might be in order.

sofie said...

s- kommer nog när tänderna kommer, Theo dreglade som bara den. Mats syster har önskat dreggellappar till sin lilla tjej som de är och hämtar i Kina nu. Hon har ju mun och gomspalt så behövs verkligen dreggellappar tills hon har opererats

yasemin said...

I met Alexandra last monday on a talking form "womans day" and she was so amazing in the reality too. :) So warm and lovely and with good humor. I also byed the book.