Dutch Feast Hardcover – November 7, 2017

The recipes are pretty good, but what made me return the book is that there are not a lot of pictures of the recipes. There is only one photo per every couple pages. I expected there to be at least one photo per recipe.

I was given this book as a gift. Wasn't too sure about Dutch cuisine, but the recipes look interesting and the few I've tried have all turned out well.

Good recipes, some easy, some more difficult. But all doable for even a novice cook if you follow the directions.

Europe is known for its great food. France and Italy have long been celebrated for their food. Germany's food is quite distinct. And the past several years have brought a rejuvenation of British and Irish cuisine. But no one talks much about the food of the Netherlands. It's partly because the Dutch by their nature eschew the spotlight. They fly under the radar, as does their food. But in an attempt to change that, cookbook author and food blogger Emily Wight has offered us a feast to change our minds. So what is Dutch food exactly? It's food that feeds the soul. It is nourishing and warming, made with quality local ingredients and lots of flavorful spices. There is hearty proteins--meats, dairy, fish--as well as plenty of bread and sweets. It's practical and frugal and prepared simply. It's tasty comfort food, rich in butter and cheese, to feed you on every level. Wight's new cookbook, Dutch Feast, is the result of marrying into a Dutch family and loving food so much herself. She starts us off slowly, with an introduction and a very brief history, and then there is everything you need to know to stock your pantry for the best Dutch cooking. Dried spices like nutmeg, paprika, cumin, curry powder, ginger, and turmeric share space with flavor bomb sauces like fish sauce, mustard, and soy sauce. Almond and vanilla extracts, brandy and gin, and fresh chilies and ginger add even more flavor opportunities, so you never have to worry about a bland meal. Chapters on Comfort Food, Coffee Time, and Weeknight Dinners offer simple solutions for daily meals, while chapters on Daytime Entertaining and Christmas are filled with ideas, recipes, and inspiration for special occasions. And chapters on genuinely Dutch rituals like Borrels (basically Dutch tapas, or small plates) and Rijsttafel (Rice Table, a feast of Indonesian inspired dishes served with rice) shares a bit of the culture along with the cuisine. Recipes include (and know that there are so many more than this!) Dutch Eggs in Lettuce, Sugar Bread, Rose Meringues, Applestroop, Bitterballs, Marinated Herring, Braised Meatballs, Fried Trout and Sweet Potato Stamppot, Honey Rice Pudding, Dutch Fries, Dutch Macaroni, Prune Tart, Honey Rice Pudding, and Salted Licorice Ice Cream. Sound interesting? Honestly, I wasn't at all sure what I'd find in the pages of Dutch Feast, but I ended up finding a new cuisine that sounds like it's right up my alley. It's going to take some cooking and eating to know for sure, but I'm willing to give that a try. Any cuisine that understands the simple comfort of bread is a cuisine I can get behind. And with lots of interesting recipes and gorgeous photos, I think trying out a Dutch Feast will be quite a trip. Galleys for Dutch Feast provided by Arsenal Pulp Press through Edelweiss, with many thanks.

Dutch Feast from Emily Wight is both a fun read as well as a great collection of recipes. I have had this for a while and forgotten that I had not yet shared my opinions, so...The book is an attractive volume inside and out. From the beginning Wight's personality infuses the recipes with information and fun stories. I have probably tried a half dozen of the recipes so far, a few more than once. What brought the book to mind yesterday was making some more sugar bread. This was probably the 5th or 6th time I've made it and I really do like it.The recipes are easy to follow and for the most part any unusual steps are explained in detail. I have not yet, whether in ones I've made or ones I've mentally walked through (yes, I do that), felt that I was too confused to be able to tackle the recipe.I did see that one person was unhappy about the number of pictures in the book. I was happy with what there was, but then I want the book for the recipes and not as a picture book. Part of this may have to do with the cookbooks I remember growing up, very few pictures, often about 6-10 pages in a section in the middle of the book. The pictures that are here were, I thought, well chosen and beautifully rendered. But if you want a picture book instead of a recipe book, then by all means skip this. If you're wanting to cook rather than look like you might cook, this is the book for you.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

I’ve adored the country’s salty black licorice & aged Gouda, but never tried the cuisine. So I set about finding some great cookbooks & this is the one I loved the best written by someone that married into a Dutch family.The highlights for me were:Ontbijtkoek, a breakfast bread made with rye flour. It’s not too sweet & as the author notes, “perfect for the morning with a big mug of coffee”Bitterballen (crispy fritters) served with grainy Dutch mustardBlote Billetjes In Het Groen (aka Bums in the Grass because this white bean dish looks like naked bums frolicking in fields lol)Tomato Paprika Soup, a comfort dish made with roasted red peppersCranberry & Persimmon Pastechi, an empanada-like treat made in the Dutch CaribbeanDecadent Dutch Caribbean macaroons

This is a good product, it includes both the US customary and metric measurements, which is easier as I’m never sure about the volumes for the US measurements. The book is divided into different meals and categories with some good additional information as well as the recipes. The recipes are relatively straightforward and have some nice twists. I’d have preferred more photos of the food as I prefer to be able to visualise the recipes this way.

The book itself is an interesting one, It is beautifully presented and does have some dishes that I had not imagined. The mix of traditional and fusion-cuisine is appreciated. There is some nice historical background to some of the dishes. A lot of work went into this book. If anyone says that the dutch don't have real cuisine - just hand them a copy of Dutch Feast.

So far I've loved every recipe I've made including: Dutch Macaroni, Mustard Soup (sounds weird but is SO good!), Skillet Meatballs. Having been raised in a dutch family I found the recipes to be most welcome updates on some classics! Every dutch family has their family's version of traditional recipes and I feel that Emily Wight's versions are not only delicious but add some much needed flavour to what can be sometimes bland traditional dutch food. My family also loved each recipe I tried-highly recommend!

Yum. Love this book. Not only the recipes - which are unique and tasty - but the stories/history within the book. I had no idea Dutch food had so much history to it and the authors personal anecdotes make it a fun read. Some nice weekday recipes in here and some more complex ones that you'd use for a gathering or special occasion. Looking forward to making the Sugar bread and the mulled white wine.

vegitarian option was a good surprise.