Three cookbooks that reached bookstore shelves recently have in common the word “feast” in their titles. But the resemblance ends there.
“A Book of Feasts: Recipes and Stories from American Celebrations” by Kay Goldstein and Liza Nelson, photography by Al Clayton (Longstreet Press, $29.95) is a book of richly photographed stories about people, interspersed with recipes.
“Feasts of Provence” by Robert Carrier (Rizzoli, $37.50), also lavishly photographed, is about the foods of this region of France as experienced in the travels of the author.
“The Georgia Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia” by Darra Goldstein (HarperCollins, $27.50) is a look at the culture, history and food of this country that declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
`A Book of Feasts’
The first, “A Book of Feasts,” can be read almost as a book of short stories. Each story, told as a narrative in the present tense, is about a diverse group of people who have come together for a special meal for various reasons. Like short stories, each has its own, sometimes bittersweet, twist.
There’s a mother who prepares a feast for her adult children: She has done this once a year for 11 years because, she says, “celebration was left out when the kids were growing up . . . we did not have an outgoing, warm family. I began to think of ways to get the family together so we could be happy instead of having all these terrible memories.”
Another of the book’s feasts occurs with the celebration of a birth. Friends and relatives gather at the home of the new parents, bringing foods that reflect their individual heritages. The story ends with guests singing the baby lullabies remembered from their own childhoods.
Recipes range from the potluck dishes brought to the baby celebration to such traditional dishes as roasted turkey and giblet gravy for a “Thanksgiving Among Friends” chapter to spicy peanut soup and African chicken stew in a chapter on “Kwanza: A New Tradition Honoring African Roots.”
There are as many evocative pictures of people in this book as of the food. A full-page picture shows the new baby cradled in her father’s arms; a food picture in the same section is of potatoes and goat cheese in pastry, one of the dishes brought to that celebration.
`Feasts of Provence’
“Feasts of Provence” guides the reader on a leisurely culinary tour through this increasingly popular section of France. Author Robert Carrier chats about people he has known in the region, the foods common in the different areas, some of the history, and, above all, his food-related memories.
This is a wordy book, and most of the 160 recipes are also wordy, most of them calling for many ingredients and requiring many steps. This is not a book for a hurried cook-if it’s not on the coffee table (where it will attract attention with its lush photographs), it needs to be studied carefully before the cooking begins.
For vegetable lovers now ready to enjoy summer’s produce, the chapter called “Markets of Provence” will be of special interest. Eggplants, tomatoes, new potatoes, peppers and zucchini cooked in the style of Provence-grilled with olive oil, stuffed or baked-can be full courses in themselves.
`The Georgian Feast’
The first third of “The Georgian Feast” is all text, background of the country and its food. A Georgian myth, says author Darra Goldstein, is that the first Georgians were “so engrossed . . . in feasting on grilled lamb with plum sauce and garlicky roasted eggplant that they missed God’s deadline for choosing a country and the world is divided up without them . . . but the toastmaster is not worried that the Georgians have no place to live, (and thanks) God for having created such a magnificent world. Pleased, God rewards them with the very last spot on Earth, the one he had been saving for himself. So the Georgians came to live in paradise.”
For those whose only knowledge of Georgia is as Josef Stalin’s birthplace, this is a very readable, engaging primer.
Filled breads, yogurt dishes and grilled dishes of all kinds are some of the Georgian hallmarks. Some of the recipes sound familiar, up to a point-such as Georgian-style hamburgers, which then go on to include raisins and walnuts. Goldstein warns that “the reader should not be alarmed that many foods contain the same ingredients . . . all dishes made with walnuts and cilantro do not taste alike.”
The book includes a glossary of Georgian culinary terms, plus descriptions of many of the herbs, spices and wines of the area.
All three books are absorbing in ways other than their recipes and food. The one most usable as a cookbook is “A Book of Feasts”-if you can get past the intriguing stories.
Following are recipes as they appear in the books:
VEAL CHOPS NICOISE
Serves 4
This recipe is from “Feasts of Provence.”
4 veal chops
Seasoned all-purpose flour
Olive oil
For the sauce nicoise:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
4 cups canned chopped tomatoes with juice
16 black olives, pitted
4 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
Lightly dust the veal chops with seasoned flour and saute them in olive oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until they are lightly browned on both sides.
To make the sauce nicoise:
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan and cook the finely chopped onion and garlic 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and transparent.
Add the canned tomatoes and juice, tomato paste, finely chopped basil and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, about 1 hour, or until the sauce is reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Pour the sauce nicoise over the chops in the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer about 15 minutes, until the chops are tender. Transfer to a heated serving dish and sprinkle with the pitted black olives and shredded fresh basil. Serve immediately.
EGGPLANT WITH CHEESE AND YOGURT
Serves 4
This recipe is from “The Georgian Feast.”
3/4 pound eggplant
Olive oil
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 hard-boiled egg, mashed
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup yogurt, beaten
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Trim the ends from the eggplant, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the eggplant in a greased cooking dish and brush the cut surfaces with olive oil. Bake until half done, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the cheese and the hard-boiled egg into the softened butter, mixing well.
Remove the eggplant from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Stuff the cavities of the eggplant with the cheese mixture and return to the oven. Bake 45 minutes more.
Serve with a pitcher of beaten yogurt to pour over the eggplant.
FRESH PEA SOUP WITH MINT
Serves 6
This recipe is from “A Book of Feasts.”
3 cups chicken or ham stock
3/4 pound fresh, shelled peas (about 3 pounds, unshelled)
1/2 cup peeled and minced carrots
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup peeled and minced parsnips
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup minced ham (optional)
Sprigs of fresh mint for garnish
Bring stock to a boil in a pot and drop in peas, carrots, onions and parsnips. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth. Return vegetables to the sauce pan with the reserved cooking stock. Reheat soup and stir in cream and fresh mint. Garnish with optional ham and sprig of fresh mint.
