The postman brought me this beautiful new book by @zuzazakcooks the other morning. I couldn't resist stealing a few moments and poring over it with a cuppa.
Pierogi is about dumplings, obvs, but it's about so much more. "The big irony of my writing this book is that I set off on my food-writing career to prove that Polish food was more than 'just dumplings'," Zuza writes in the intro. "I felt as though I had been defending Polish food in the UK for much of my life, and I wanted to show the world that there was more to Polish food than they imagined."
This book sets the story straight (and has enough dumpling recipes satisfy the most avid pierogi-fancier out there). It's a book about food culture and history, with a bit of geopolitics (Poland's political history is complex, to say the least) and questions about identity thrown into the mix for good measure.
Zuza is an erudite and fluid writer and she has such deep knowledge of her subject matter. The recipes are great, with something for every skill level. If you haven't attempted pierogi before, this book tells you everything you need to know.
I worked as Zuza's copy editor on this one and I learned so much in the process. It was pure pleasure.
The book is published by @quadrillebooks, is out on 18 August and is ready for pre-order now.
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