Georgian Khachapuri and Filled Breads: The Little Georgian Collection

As Carla Capalbo says in her introduction to this smart little volume, "Khachapuri—the cheese-filled bread—is a staple of Georgian cuisine and one of its iconic dishes." 

In this 60-page treat, Capalbo, the author of Tasting Georgia and many other books about food and drink, provides two master dough recipes (one yeasted) and then turns her attention to the many regional and even family variations of the bread. There's Megrelian khachapuri, "the most indulgent version," from western Georgia, with a mixture of grated cheese and egg spooned over it. Adjarian khachapuri, from a region on the Black Sea, is topped with a sunny egg yolk. At Christmas in the Guria region, cooks prepare a special egg-stuffed version that may have a lucky coin or nut baked inside to bring good fortune for the coming new year.

Good photographs illustrate the traditional processes for shaping the dough, as well as Capalbo's own technique, designed for cooks who are less familiar with the dough and worried about filling escaping. This promises to be the first of several small volumes that Capalbo will produce on Georgian dishes: The Little Georgian Collection.

Paperback. Color photos throughout.