A Taste of Latvia (Hippocrene International Cookbooks) [Hardcover]

Siri Lise Doub (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2000 | Series: Hippocrene International Cookbooks

Here is a glimpse at the fascinating cuisine and culture of this Baltic country, from the culinary customs of pagan times to the modern cafes of Riga. The author includes 100 easy-to-follow recipes for classic Latvian dishes, along with bits of folk songs, poetry, mythology, historical accounts and local customs that reflect Latvia's rich history and cultural traditions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Siri Lise Doub

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (July 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781808030
• ISBN-13: 978-0781808033
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,523,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars REALLY BAD, March 25, 2006

By 

ogita - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Taste of Latvia (Hippocrene International Cookbooks) (Hardcover)

This cookbook is really bad. As a Latvian cook, I can tell the author does not know real Latvian cooking. The best Latvian cookbook with authentic Latvian food is the one by Latvian women from Ontario Canada. The book is called Latvian Cooking. It has had 9 printings, so you know it is good. The Taste of Latvia cookbook has very weird recipes in it for Latvian food. Also it has editorial errors. For example, the recipe for Klingeris starts with " cups very warm milk". It does not specify how many cups. The recipe for Alexander cake is to make it in three layers. I have never made or seen one with 3 layers, not even in Latvia. It is always made with 2 layers. Also, the book is missing basic Latvian foods, like braised sauerkraut. Braised sauerkraut is a Latvian staple and no book on Latvian cooking is complete without it. I won't even go into her errors on Latvian history. The author would have been better off writing a cookbook from her own heritage. Latvian is definetly not her heritage.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction to Latvian Cooking, August 2, 2000

By 

"inarab" (Williamsburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Taste of Latvia (Hippocrene International Cookbooks) (Hardcover)

Siri Lise Doub has collected in her book "A Taste of Latvia" many recipes that should have been learned from Vecmamina (Grandma). There aren't many Latvians in the world, and many of those who have emigrated to other lands often regret not getting a long ago enjoyed recipe. A Taste of Latvia brings together many traditional Latvian recipes. Latvian cuisine is not fancy by any means, but the recipes take advantage of fresh ingredients and relatively simple preparation.

The author has also incorporated a good bit of history of this old culture. Included are fragments of the millions of collected folk songs, mythology, and poems that make up the fabric of Latvian culture. For those seeking a good introduction (or revisit) to Latvia, I recommend this book.

The only negative comment is that there are several typos in the ingredient lists; those who are experienced with recipes could figure out the missing amounts. It is a bit disconcerting to try to use a bread recipe and not know how much yeast to use!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magnificent compendium of ethnic recipes!, September 5, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Taste of Latvia (Hippocrene International Cookbooks) (Hardcover)

This in-depth focus on traditional Latvian dishes provides over a hundred easily-followed recipes from pirogi and potato pancakes to Courland Sour Porridge, all adapted for the American kitchen. Black and white photos and cultural insights pepper the book but it's these rarely-found dishes, including one for a traditional caraway-rye bread made with apple cider, which are treasures.