Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book

Book excerpt: Visitors to the Pennsylvania Dutch country in Pennsylvania are usually delighted with the unique food tradition that survives there among the hills and small, well-tended farms. Ultimately based on the rich cookery of the peasants and small townspeople of the Rhineland and Switzerland, "Dutch" cookery has expanded into the new foodstuffs and materials that America has to offer, and it is one of the gastronomic treats of the country. Dishes such as apple soup, baked bananas, Dutch liver dumplings, spaetzle and braten, walnut shad, and oyster peppers are enjoyed by almost everyone. One of the difficulties about Dutch cookery, however, is that is always has been a home cooking style within a closely knit community, and it does not go by cookbooks. Until this book appeared, the best that one could do was to try to cadge an occasional recipe from a Dutch acquaintance or a local inn. Mr. George Frederick, one-time president of the Gourmet Society of New York, was in an unmatched position to record the delights of Dutch cookery. Himself a native Pennsylvania Dutchman, with access to countless kitchens and family cooking secrets, he was also a gourmet of international stature. He has gathered together 358 recipes that show the Dutch tradition at its strongest, all dishes with the unique savor that distinguishes them from their occasional counterparts in other cooking systems. His book is so good that it in turn has been taken over by many Pennsylvania resorts as the official cookbook. To list only a few of the mouthwatering recipes that Mr. Frederick gives in clear, accurate recipes that you can prepare: Dutch spiced cucumbers, raspberry sago soup, pretzel soup, squab with dumplings Nazareth, shrimp wiggle, Dutch beer eel, sherry sauerkraut, cheese custard, currant cakes, and many fine dumplings, pancakes, and soups . All types of food are covered.