Where French cuisine meets Central European style.
Plenty of tradition and lots of flavor, with the touch of a professional chef.
I bought “Savoury Specialities from Alsace” during a trip to Strasbourg and along the Route des Vins, in an unassuming souvenir shop tucked away in the corner of a medieval village.
Browsing the shelves, I first grabbed a very elegant cookbook inspired by the star chefs of Alsace (which I might talk about in the future). Then, seeing that the recipes in the first book were not very suitable for home experiments, I decided to balance it out with something more approachable.
And here it is! “Savoury Specialities from Alsace” is a collection of dishes that you can find on the menus of the restaurants choosen by tourists, but also in most of the bistros visited by locals. Rich, tasty, abundant, and very nutritious.
As I always say, to improve at cooking, you need to be curious. You need to “spy” on people’s plates while traveling, and then try everything that attracts you. And every time you manage to understand the stories behind what you eat, there’s a new experience to share with your next guests.
The beauty and goodness of Alsatian cuisine is that it is, in fact, border food. Because that territory is naturally a border—straddling France and Germany, with a culture that “nibbles” a bit here and there for centuries. So it’s not uncommon to find sauerkraut and sausage and foie gras on the same menu, which might seem incredible, but they go wonderfully together in the same meal.
“Savoury specialities from Alsace” • A journey through Alsace, tasting 45 traditional dishes
This time, we have a cookbook written by a chef who manages a restaurant in real life. So, not an Internet or TV star, nor a writer or communications professional, but someone who spends most of his time running a professional kitchen. Indeed, in “Savoury Specialties from Alsace”, we find recipes. Many well-explained recipes—exactly 45 traditional Alsatian specialties—accompanied by beautiful photographs showcasing the artful presentation. And that’s it. There are no introductions, storytelling, or explanatory paragraphs. It’s all very concise, succinct, but effective!
Each chapter is dedicated to a course: appetizers, soups, starters, main dishes, fish, and side dishes. There isn’t a single dish that isn’t iconic; it’s like being faced with an encyclopedia of gastronomic knowledge. Since these are popular and traditional recipes, you can cook almost all of them at home—just obtain the local ingredients, though only in some cases.
What are my favorite recipes from this book? First place goes to the flammkuchen, a sort of thin, crispy flatbread topped with a creamy, flavorful spread, for which I’ve dedicated an in-depth step-by-step in the recipe section. Followed by a great classic of French cuisine, the soupe à l’oignon. And finally, the pretzels (in a home-friendly version), duck foie gras, baeckeoffe, venison stew, and sauerkraut.
