Zuza Zak describes herself as a 'storyteller cook'. Her interest
lies in the culture and history of food and she uses storytelling
as a medium for delving into another cuisine and through its food
and recipes, into another culture. Her debut cookbook Polska: New
Polish Cooking achieved much success - published in six countries,
it sold out after being chosen as one of the best cookbooks of 2016
on BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme. The Independent newspaper
described Polska as "capturing the spirit of a nation". Zuza was
born in Communist Poland in 1979 and came to the UK when she was
18. She worked in TV in the UK for 8 years and has started a supper
club, A Slavic Tale.
Since publishing her book, Zuza has had regular appearances on
Polish TV and radio and in the UK and the rest of Europe you can
see her on Food Network Finds: Poland. She is also currently in
talks with a UK production company about a food and culture related
TV show, as well as running her regular supper clubs and events in
the UK and Poland.
In October 2019, Zuza is starting a food-focussed PhD at the
prestigious School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UCL,
where she will continue exploring East European food from a
socio-cultural perspective, through the lens of a cultural
anthropologist.
"It is such a joy to finally see a cookbook on beautiful Baltic
cuisine, done with so much sensitivity and respect by Zuza Zak, one
of my favourite authors. It is making me pine to travel to the
region more than ever. Before I can do that, I will enjoy reading
and cooking from this wonderful book." Olia Hercules, Summer
Kitchen, Mamushka,
'Zuza Zak deftly steers us from place to plate though the Baltic
trisect of countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in her
illuminating Amber & Rye, a cookbook brimming with approachable
recipes and mouth-watering photographs.' Caroline Eden
Zuza Zak is truly the best ambassador for Eastern European culture
and cuisine. This book is full of reach-in-and-grab photographs of
both food on plates, but also recognisable ingredients full of
nostalgia and toska (still yet to find the word for this in
English!)
There's a sense of abundance and generosity in Zuza's writing, her
storytelling and in the food itself. This book is as much a
traveller's guide as it is a cook's compendium of Baltic cuisine. -
Alice Zaslavsky, author of In Praise of Veg
'Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, Zuza Zak's new book
offers a warmly personal insight into a vibrant cuisine of the
little-know region of the Baltic states. Zuza's passion for the
history, the folklore and the cuisine, shines through making Amber
& Rye more than just a recipe book. It is a beautiful portrait of
the region - its landscape, its history, its people and of course
its food. Ranging from familiar Soviet-era classics to unique
regional and modern gems, the recipes are versatile, exciting,
inviting and full of flavour. This book is a real highlight within
the culinary travelogue genre!' Alissa Timoshkina, author of Salt
and Time:
Zuza has an enchanting way with recipe names and her flavour
combinations are irresistible. Chanterelles & blueberries,
Fermented beetroot elixir, Kaja's 'sour milk lady' with berries,
Kama yoghurt with plum butter. This is food to fit with for the
fairytale landscapes the book describes. Eleanor Ford, author of
Fire Islands
"A 'food Renaissance' is happening in Eastern Europe, where new
energy is making local traditions come alive ... In Amber & Rye: A
Baltic Food Journey, Zak takes readers on a mouthwatering culinary
journey through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Breaking down the
invisible barriers that often stifle mass knowledge about Baltic
cuisine, Zak invites readers into her world-one filled with
familial history, ancestral discoveries and enticing recipes ...
Amber & Rye brings this Baltic journey to life for readers, who are
taken on edible and visual trips across some of Eastern Europe's
most storied capitals, cultures and cuisines."
- Kayla Stewart, Salon magazine
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