from: Tim Thiel (Fotos)
published: B3 Verlag
on 01.05.2009
Hessen is a multifaceted state, rich in culture and nature, cosmopolitan and rural, economic and artistic. This diversity is of course also reflected in the cuisine, which is also characterized by an enormous wealth of facets. The wonderfully designed book "Hessen Häpchen" illuminates in a way worth reading and seeing country, people and favorite dishes from Hesse.
On 264 pages, the book takes the reader on a journey through the beautiful country in the heart of Europe. Visited are not only different regions of Hesse, from Kassel to the Odenwald, from Nassau to the Rhön, but also numerous interesting and particularly creative Hessians, who may also present their favorite dishes at the same time. Whether Olympic champion Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff, the players of the Kassel Huskies, chef Rainer Holzhauer swimmer Helge Meeuw or even Heinrich Donatus Philipp Umberto Prince of Hesse, they are all part of the book, which combines cultural with culinary and human with regional.
The short portraits and interviews are interesting as well as amusing and offer the reader an entertaining pleasure. One learns here something about the most popular sausage of Frankfurt, looks behind the scenes of a very special kitchen in the Frankfurt Städelschule, grills with the Kassel Huskies, learns important things about sparkling wine from the winery "Prince of Hesse" or is a guest of the Wolf family, who in their domicile on the edge of the Bodenwald inspire the guests with only with homemade and self-harvested. Flavored are the beautiful texts with appealing photographs by Tim Thiel, who has perfectly captured the mood and charm of each chapter.
As versatile as the state of Hesse and its people, so are the recipes presented in the book. Whether ribs with cabbage, spinach casserole, trout mousse or strawberry tartlets, whether Earl Grey iced tea, lentil soup with quail breast or fennel orange salad, here the sophisticated alternates with the simple, the fresh with the hearty and the sweet with the salty. The recipes are listed in a way that is easy to follow, and the finished dishes are so tastily photographed that the reader's mouth waters just looking at the pictures.
It is also particularly nice that the versatility that the book presents in terms of country, people and favourite dishes has also been translated into the visual design of the book. The design keeps changing, while keeping a certain black thread to prevent the whole thing from looking chaotic or unprofessional.
"Hessen Häppchen" is an appealing, entertaining and tasty tour through Hessen, which has been lovingly designed and implemented worth reading as well as seeing. Not a simple cookbook, not a simple portrait of a region, but something very own: the best appetizers from Hesse just!
An article by Frankfurt-Tipp