Beyond the North Wind explores the true heart of Russian food, a cuisine that celebrates whole grains, preserved and fermented foods, and straightforward but robust flavors. Recipes for a dazzling array of pickles and preserves, infused vodkas, homemade dairy products such as farmers cheese and cultured butter, puff pastry hand pies stuffed with mushrooms and fish, and seasonal vegetable soups showcase Russian foods that are organic and honest—many of them old dishes that feel new again in their elegant minimalism.
This home-style cookbook with a strong sense of place and evocative storytelling brings to life a rarely seen portrait of Russia, its people, and its palate— with recipes, gorgeous photography, and essays on the little-known culinary history of this fascinating and wild part of the world.
Awards
- The New Yorker Fifteen Essential Cookbooks
- The Readable Feast Boston Book of the Year
- Short-listed for Art of Eating prize
- Finalist for IACP Best International Cookbook and Best Travel Cookbook
- Ten best cookbooks of 2020 in Forbes, Esquire, National Post, and the Washington Post
- Best of summer cookbooks 2020 in the New York Times
Praise for Beyond the North Wind
“I squealed with joy when I learned that Darra was writing this book and the results are even more magnificent that I could have imagined. Beyond the North Wind is at once vividly passionate and methodically researched — a love letter to Russian cooking and hospitality.”
– Bonnie Morales, author and chef of Kachka
“This is Darra Goldstein’s masterpiece. Not only is this book full of invaluable research, it is also brimming with warm words and love for real Russia–its people and their wonderful food and unique culture.”
– Olia Hercules, author of Mamushka
“In this beautifully written, gorgeously photographed volume, Darra Goldstein captures both the archaic soul of old Russia and the hip new global zeitgeist. Her love letter to the mysterious Russian North brims with revelations, from recipes I can’t wait to make—dandelion blossom syrup! pumpkin pancakes!—to intimate portraits of cooks, erudite historical essays, and evocative travel notes. Part recipe collection, part cultural anthropology, part poetic evocation of place, this is the best kind of cookbook: one that evokes an entire culture at the table.”
– Anya von Bremzen, author Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking
“Ever since I started to cook from Goldstein’s classic book, A Taste of Russia, I have wanted her to return and explore more, to look at what’s happening in Russia now, to see how it has meshed the old with the new. Beyond the North Wind–rich, delicious, human–has been well worth the wait. Nobody knows more about Russian food and culture than Darra Goldstein. This is my cookbook highlight of the year.”
– Diana Henry, James Beard award-winning author
“Beyond The North Wind is her love letter to Russian cooking at its most elemental. Her recipes—for things like beef stew with horseradish, black currant cheesecake, and mushroom dumplings with buckwheat—and the evocative essays and stories that accompany them, take readers on an unforgettable journey without ever leaving the kitchen.”
– Leah Koenig, Forbes
“Beyond The North Wind is a fascinating, intensely alluring guide to the diversity and history of Russian cuisine a true masterwork.”
– Helen Rosner, The New Yorker
“This is a masterwork, the culmination of author Darra Goldstein’s lifelong dedication to Russian food and culture. Goldstein is a scholar, but at heart, she’s a poet, with the ability to see beyond stereotypes to capture the essence and humanity of her subjects.”
– Tim Carman, The Washington Post
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