Eastern European Baking and Desserts From Romania & Beyond

Tava

WINNER OF THE 2023 JAMES BEARD AWARD FOR BEST BAKING AND DESSERTS BOOK 
 
 &ldquo;A joy and an education. Irina Georgescu has disentangled the strands woven into Romanian cooking and identity and she has done so deliciously, through glorious cakes, pies, strudels and doughnuts. Cook, eat, learn.&ldquo; &ndash; Diana Henry&ldquo;I am such a huge admirer of Irina Georgescu in general, and of this extraordinarily impressive and important book in particular. A must-have, not just for enquiring bakers but, crucially, for all those interested in the context and evolution of culinary culture.&rdquo; &ndash; Nigella LawsonTava is a meticulously researched baking book celebrating centuries of diversity and overlapping cultures that form today&rsquo;s cuisine in Romania. The author&rsquo;s aim is to also share the story of those dishes that have come to represent the identity of different cultural communities across the country. Tava means tray in Romanian, a metaphor for how a whole culinary landscape is presented to the reader. You will find Armenian pakhlava, Saxon plum pies, Swabian poppyseed crescents, Jewish fritters, and Hungarian lango&#537;i alongside pl&#259;cinte pies, alivenci corn cake, strudels and fruit dumplings. Rice or pearl barley puddings, doughnuts and gingerbread biscuits come with their own story, while chocolate mousses, meringues in custard sauce and coffee ice cream introduce you to the glamour of famous Romanian and Eastern European pastry shops. The book is written with integrity and respect towards this rich heritage connecting the past with a present which can be encountered by the reader when travelling in Romania. The recipes are easy to follow, beautifully photographed, and tempt the reader to embrace the unfamiliar as much as the familiar, while enjoying their comforting and homely feel.

Like all the best cookbooks, Tava is as interested in the history and culture of Romania, as it is in all things sweet and baked. Enlightening, evocative and irresistible.

A rare glimpse into a rich and diverse baking culture, this beautiful book is packed full of fascinating stories and recipes I can&rsquo;t wait to taste.

Romania is not yet well known as a gastronomic destination, but Irina Georgescu&#39;s Tava is set to change that. This delightful and unpretentious book tells the story of her culture through comforting food memories and delicious recipes for baking and desserts.

Tava is so accomplished in ambrosial gumption, the words exploding in my head are which should I try first. I love the clarity of sun-filled photography and pretty pastry, and the unexpected layers beneath of &#39;...opium with sugar and spices&#39;, walnuts instead of flour, noodles, rum, history, politics, Hungary v. Romania... Belle Epoque in Bucharest. I conclude there are no empty calories where Georgescu&#39;s presentation of Romanian and Eastern European confectionery is concerned. Everything is invested with allure and cleverness. Such a beautiful book.

What a transporting cookbook Tava is! Here are tempting recipes for Romanian cakes, pastries, biscuits and other treats made using delightful ingredients such as rose petals, chestnuts, walnuts, sour cherries and poppy seeds. Importantly - and evocatively - Irina Georgescu sets the rich tapestry of Romanian baking in a historic and social context, giving readers an insight into what has shaped and influenced Romanian cuisine.

I love Irina Georgescu&#39;s writing. Carpathia was one of my favourite books of 2020 and Tava is equally exciting: a celebration of Romanian baking that is full of a sense of light and life. Matt Russell&#39;s photography is gorgeous. The recipes set me dreaming of strudels and poppy seed crescents and I can&#39;t wait to start baking from it.

Start reading and you won&rsquo;t be able to stop. Fascinating as well as delicious... Her writing is eloquent and heartfelt.

Diana Henry’s Autumn 2022 Best Cookbooks, The Telegraph

Irina Georgescu is a Romanian food writer and author of Carpathia, a book that celebrates Romanian home cooking. Irina&#39;s recipes draw on her Eastern European heritage &ndash; she has always felt very strongly about exploring the world through food and understanding people through what they eat. Her love and commitment to talking about Romanian culinary traditions encouraged her to pursue her dream to write about Romania, its food and its heritage.

Irina Georgescu

&lsquo;This is an utterly magical book.&rsquo;

Utterly transporting &ndash; Irina&rsquo;s wonderful recipes and sparkling writing made me hungry to eat and to travel.

"Danube&#160;is an enticing introduction to the rich culinary traditions of people living in the regions the Danube River traverses on its way to the Black Sea. Photographs and stories about life in Romania opened my eyes to its rich history, from the time of the Romans to the present day. These layers of history come to life in the recipes: some are a legacy of the Ottomans, others have roots in Serbian, Tatar, Austrian, Czech, Hungarian traditions, and often in a mix of influences. This is a book to read with pleasure as well as to cook from!"

Recipes and Stories from Eastern Europe

&lsquo;This is an utterly magical book.&rsquo; &ndash; Nigella Lawson 
 
A culinary journey with easy-to-make recipes from the enchanting Eastern lands of the Danube River. 
 
 In Danube, the James Beard Award-winning food writer and cook Irina Georgescu takes you on a gastronomic adventure as you journey along the Danube River, unearthing the hidden gems of Eastern European cuisine. With over 80 extraordinary recipes for everyday cooking &ndash; many focusing on vegetables, beans and pulses without meat &ndash; this cookbook is a testament to the diverse cultures of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria in those border regions shaped by the Danube. 
 
 The recipes are simple and practical, from Potato Stew with Filo Crust, Leek and Rice Pie, Noodles with Sauerkraut and Slow-cooked Beans served with Cheese Breads to Horseradish Cornbread and Rice Pilafs. For those who crave the meat-centric dishes of Eastern European festivities, Danube offers mouth-watering and no-fuss recipes that will transport you to the heart of tradition, including the life-giving Lamb and Pearl Barley Curban Soup, Easter Lamb Stufat with Spring Onions and Sunday Pot-Roasted Chicken with Herby Stock. 
 
 With stunning location and food photography throughout, Danube is your passport to a world of flavours, stories, and traditions that will leave you hungry for more. 
 
"Utterly transporting &ndash; Irina&rsquo;s wonderful recipes and sparkling writing made me hungry to eat and to travel."&#160;&ndash; Mark Diacono 
 
"Danube&#160;is an enticing introduction to the rich culinary traditions of people living in the regions the Danube River traverses on its way to the Black Sea. Photographs and stories about life in Romania opened my eyes to its rich history, from the time of the Romans to the present day.&#160;This is a book to read with pleasure as well as to cook from!"&#160;&ndash; Naomi Duguid

Books by Irina Georgescu

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