The Sauna Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul [Hardcover]

Tuula A. Kaitila (Author), Edey Saarinen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004

Full color cookbook focusing on Finnish and North American Finnish recipes suitable for sauna entertainment. More than 130 recipes. Measurements in both metric and imperial. Additional information in Cooks' comments. beautiful color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... the obvious care -- reflects the nurturing of body and spirit that is the essence of the sauna. -- Beth Virtanen, Finnish American Reporter, July 2004

About the Author

Finnish Canadian cooks Tuula Kaitila and Edey Saarinen's life-time passion for cooking and interest in Finnish traditions make them uniquely qualified to write a cookbook that combines sauna traditions and Finnish and Scandinavian foods.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Aspasia Books, Inc. (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0973105356
• ISBN-13: 978-0973105353
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #733,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Scandinavian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you want to buy a sauna and start cooking, November 3, 2008

By 

Kiwi (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Sauna Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul (Hardcover)

"The Sauna Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul" is a very well illustrated (full colour, hard cover, 180 pages) tribute to Scandinavian cooking and Finnish Sauna traditions and offers a variety of recipes for entertaining sauna guests at the summer sauna as well as the home sauna. Modern Finnish hospitality increasingly in¬volves a relaxing and refreshing visit to the sauna and enjoying good food and drink. The authors, Tuula Kaitila (a native-birn Finn & Canadian immigrant) and Edey Saarinen (a Finnish-Canadian fully immersed in things Finnish), draw on both their Finnish and North American cooking experience, to provide clear, easy-to-follow instructions, and offer informative and helpful cooks' comments. The slightly more than 130 recipes include both traditional and modern recipes from sauna beverages and "saunamakkara" (fish baked on the sauna stove) to light salads and full dinners complete with homemade breads and condiments. A special chapter is devoted to traditional Christmas sauna entertaining

The Forward to the book explains the authors personal connections and experiences with Finnish traditions, including the sauna and the Kalevan Naiset, or the Ladies of the Kaleva Society. Chapter One sets the context of the cookbook - placing it in the context of Finnish literary and cultural traditions - with excerpts from the Kalevala, works by Aleksis Kivi, Maiju Lassila, Marja-Liisa Vartio and others. The authors also refer to the works of the renowned Finnish ethnographer Juha Pentikainen to discuss the sauna's historical origins and connections with the early Finns, the Sami and other Baltic-Finnic peoples of the region. In this chapter, the authors also provide instructions for taking a sauna. The Löyly and vihta, or vasta, are explained as well as sauna etiquette itself.

Subsequent chapters cover Traditional foods, Christmas foods, Salads and Side dishes, Soups, Casseroles, Seafood, Meat and poultry, Desserts and pastries, Sauces and condiments, Breads and Beverages, are all illustrated with the same quality photography and punctuated with the authors' comments on tips or variations to insure a complete understanding. The books also sell indexed and contains a conversion chart at the back. The book itself is a work of art in itself - great printing in high quality paper with beautifully photographed full-colour illustrations. It's not often you find a book that simply looks this good.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a simply wonderful cookbook!, January 1, 2012

By 

Joanne - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sauna Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul (Hardcover)

Wow, this is such a wonderful book! It is full of delicious recipes and it also captures the culture and ambiance of Finnish cooking in a North American (Canadian) setting. It is a wonderful testament to how culture can be maintained in a new country. It has beautiful pictures as well, that make you want to both try the recipes and have a sauna! I tried several of the recipes and they were all wonderful.