Aquavit: And the New Scandinavian Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson
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Book Reviews of Aquavit: And the New Scandinavian Cuisine
Book Review: Finally, bringing Swedish food into the spotlight!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have ever eaten at Aquavit in New York, you know how hard it is to resist buying this gorgeous cookbook. If the meals at the restaurant can be created to be even half as amazing at home, the book is weel worth its cost!Luckily, they have turned out to be extremely successful in my own kitchen. And, might I add, most of them are far easier to make than they appear. I love this book and appreciate the chef's work so much that it blows my mind when I read some of the criticism in the reviews.
First of all, this book is so beautiful that I keep it in a bookshelf in the living room, not the kitchen. The pictures are so lovely but at the same time might intimidate certain readers who fear they won't be able to recreate the image. To this I have to say: "It's ok. You aren't putting the meal into a book to be published and you're not serving it to paying customers... It's allowed to look different, as long as it still tastes good." Samuelsson is a chef. The food is on a different level than that of Ina Garten, Rachel Ray or Nigella Lawson (as much as I like all of them.) Some of these recipes will take a bit more effort, but many you can make with very little effort! The soups, roast chicken, meatballs, salads, and many main courses are not as difficult as they appear.
Another gripe I've read in other reviews is that the recipes are not as much Scandinavian as they are Asian. Whoever said this knows very little about Swediesh food! As a Swede, I found all of the recipes to be based in strong Swedish tradition. But like the title says, it's the NEW Scandinavian cuisine, melded with tastes from all over the world. Ingredients like curry, have been used in Northern Europe for centuries now.
This book has brought a lot of joy to our home. The pictures and tastes make us homesick! His food is authentic and groundbreaking at once and I believe Marcus Samuelsson deserves all the praise he has received.
Book Review: Compelling, beaufiful to view
Summary: 5 Stars
I just received Aquavit as a gift, so have to add a disclaimer - I haven't cooked from it yet. But cookbooks either cast their spell instantly or don't. This is a captivating book. To begin, it's visually stunning, with beautiful photographs and an attactive wide layout.
The content is equally enjoyable. The story of Marcus's journey is interesting, and his narrative style is warm and engaging. His recipe introductions are very effective putting the dishes in the context of his upbringing and culinary training.
The recipes are a good mix of food and technique. The "raw and cured" section is an interesting change of pace, and his treatments of fish, meat and poultry all have appealing Scandinavian flair.
Marcus frequently integrates a vegetable or side dish recipe with a main dish recipe, layering each dish with multiple flavors, textures and color. The result is recipes that are enjoyable to read and think about.
The other Scandinavian cookbook on my shelf is Kitchen of Light by Andreas Viestad (2003), which has a greater emphasis on Scandinavian culture and mood. Both are good, Aquavit is a much lighter, easier read than KOL.
I'm giving Aquavit 5 stars based on the reading and visual experience, with the assumption the recipes will cook just as well.
Book Review: Fabulous recipes
Summary: 5 Stars
What I like most about this book is that I can prepare sophisticated meals with it without committing my entire day to the menu. I have the French Laundry cookbook, for example, yet I don't use it because of the enormous time commitment required by most recipes. Although none of the recipes in Samuelsson's book are meals-in-thirty-minutes, I can actually prepare them in a reasonable amount of time but have the kind of entree that I would often order in a restaurant. The outcome so far has always been wonderful and impressive.I agree with other reviewers that the recipes in this book are more Asian fusion than Scandinavian, especially with such ingredients as rice wine vinegar, miso, and cardamom pods. Still, the recipes are fantastic, especially the seafood recipes. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys modern California and Asian style cuisine.
Book Review: Swedish With A Twist
Summary: 5 Stars
If you've ever eaten at Aquavit, then you know what to expect from this world class chef's first cookbook. It's loaded with wonderful recipes reflecting Marcus Samulesson's multi-culturalbackgroud and it's beautiful book to look at. While there are many classic Swedish dishes in this book, Marcus also shows us his creative approach to Scandinavian cooking. As a novice chef, I found the the recipes informative and easy to understand. I also liked the fact that many of the recipes had variations and included some background information or cultural history. And, just as you might expect from a restaurant named Aquavit, there's a nice selection of aquavit recipes in the drink section. This is now my favorite cookbook.
Book Review: A different type of fusion
Summary: 5 Stars
Having become interested in northern european food of late, I decided to buy this book on a whim. Of my cookbook collection, which is a reasonable size, I rate this book in the top 5. Comparable to both of Thomas Keller's, this book combines inspirational recipes with different ideas about flavour and beautiful food photography. I read it 5 times over in the 2 days after I recieved it. I would recommend it to anyone who is a serious reader of culinary works and a great place for those new to collecting cookbooks to start.