Danube: Recipes and Stories from Along the Banks of Eastern Lands

’This is an utterly magical book.’ - Nigella Lawson

A culinary journey with easy-to-make recipes from the enchanting Eastern lands of the Danube River.

In Danube, the James Beard Award-winning food writer and cook Irina Georgescu takes you on a gastronomic adventure as you journey along the Danube River, unearthing the hidden gems of Eastern European cuisine. With over 80 extraordinary recipes for everyday cooking - many focusing on vegetables, beans and pulses without meat - this cookbook is a testament to the diverse cultures of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria in those border regions shaped by the Danube.

The recipes are simple and practical, from Potato Stew with Filo Crust, Leek and Rice Pie, Noodles with Sauerkraut and Slow-cooked Beans served with Cheese Breads to Horseradish Cornbread and Rice Pilafs. For those who crave the meat-centric dishes of Eastern European festivities, Danube offers mouth-watering and no-fuss recipes that will transport you to the heart of tradition, including the life-giving Lamb and Pearl Barley Curban Soup, Easter Lamb Stufat with Spring Onions and Sunday Pot-Roasted Chicken with Herby Stock.

With stunning location and food photography throughout, Danube is your passport to a world of flavors, stories, and traditions that will leave you hungry for more.

＂Utterly transporting - Irina’s wonderful recipes and sparkling writing made me hungry to eat and to travel.＂ - Mark Diacono

＂Danube is an enticing introduction to the rich culinary traditions of people living in the regions the Danube River traverses on its way to the Black Sea. Photographs and stories about life in Romania opened my eyes to its rich history, from the time of the Romans to the present day. This is a book to read with pleasure as well as to cook from!＂ - Naomi Duguid

Irina Georgescu is a Romanian food writer and author of two renowned cookbooks, her most recent being TAVA, which won the James Beard award in 2023. Irina’s recipes draw on her Eastern European heritage - she has always felt very strongly about exploring the world through food and understanding people through what they eat. Her love and commitment to talking about Romanian culinary traditions encouraged her to pursue her dream to write about Romania, its food and its heritage. This is her third cookbook.