The Taste of Belgium

This Gourmand Award winner for Best Foreign-International Cuisine "will broaden your horizons to the left of La Belle France and you will thank it" ( Mostly Food & Travel Journal).

Ruth van Waerebeek's wonderful compendium of Belgian recipes celebrates the country that boasts more three-star restaurants per capita than any other nation-including France.

It's a country where home cooks-and everyone, it seems, is a great home cook-spend copious amounts of time thinking about, shopping for, preparing, discussing, and celebrating food. With its hearty influences from Germany and Holland, herbs straight out of a medieval garden, and condiments and spices from the height of Flemish culture, Belgian cuisine is elegant comfort food at its best-slow-cooked, honest, and hearty. It's the Sunday meal and a continental dinner party, family picnics and that antidote to a winter's day.

In 250 delicious recipes, here is the best of Belgian cuisine: Veal Stew with Dumplings, Mushrooms, and Carrots; Smoked Trout Mousse with Watercress Sauce; Braised Partridge with Cabbage and Abbey Beer; Gratin of Belgian Endives; Flemish Carrot Soup; Steak-Frites; Steamed Mussels; and desserts-some using the best chocolate on earth-including Belgian Chocolate Ganache Tart, Almond Cake with Fresh Fruit Topping, and Little Chocolate Nut Cakes.

As the Belgians say, since everybody has to eat three times a day, why not make a feast of every meal?

"Ruth is an engaging writer, plenty of stories and reminiscences pepper the text. ... Bask in Belgian goodness, a cuisine that really deserves to be better known." - Foodepedia