Classic German Baking: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernusse and Streuselkuchen

One of the casualties of more than twenty years of tunnel vision among American publishers was attention to the food of any country without a Mediterranean coastline. Fortunately that has been changing of late, and the release of this detailed and informative cookbook is one of the best results of a broader perspective. Weiss, though she is of Italian-American heritage, was born and raised for a time in Berlin and lives there now. Her collection of sweet and savory recipes will have an extra resonance during the winter holidays with goodies such as lebkuchen, pfeffernüsse, and Christbrot, a home version of stolen that can be eaten right away without the aging the more famous loaf demands. Here as well are savory items such as a creamy leek tart, a potato-and-cheese flatbread, and a delicate cabbage strudel. Sehr gut! Color photographs throughout. Hardcover.