What does fennel have to do with fennel? How is blachan, this (and extremely smelly) Indonesian ingredient made by sun-aging small crabs and salted fish, related to our butternut squash? How can we prepare the strawberry-chocolate recipe called Cold Smiling Blonde Marquis? It's full of tormenting questions, which István Váncsa not only asks but also answers in his new cookbook.
The recipe collection of the author's new volume is grouped around basic ingredients, that is, (according to his own words) he is looking for answers to the real problems of everyday life.
The organizing principle is seasonality, we learn from Váncsa, given that the ingredients used in food preparation are largely related to the seasons.
"We ate chicken in the spring, pullets in the summer, ducks and geese in the fall, and pork in the winter, but only the oldest remember that. In large grocery stores, regardless of the season, you always see the same thing, but never real chicken or pullets; the original meaning of these words is now forgotten immersed. However, this book tries to pretend that we are still living normal lives in a normal world, so its author is spreading a virtuous lie. It makes you feel good."
The Flavors of the Seasons entertains, teaches, makes you think, and also provides 240 exciting recipes - what more could you expect from a cookbook?