WINNER OF THE 2007 GLENFIDDICH AWARD FOR BEST COOKERY WRITER AND THE GLENFIDDICH TROPHY

Since the earliest times the people of Europe have gathered together, either as families or as whole communities, to celebrate their traditional festivals - their high days and holidays, their harvests, their births, weddings and funerals. At Christmas and New Year and Easter, and at the pagan festivals that preceded them, people ate the dishes sanctified by custom for those occasions. The best local produce was served at these feasts but often with the extra savour of the unfamiliar: exotic spices in cold northern countries, fish from icy Atlantic waters in the sunny south. Ritual and ceremony, some of it very ancient, accompanied the food.

From all over Europe from Scotland to the Mediterranean, from Hungary to Cornwall, Elisabeth Luard has collected descriptions of these traditional feasts and festivals, many of which she has experienced first hand, and hundreds of recipes for the dishes appropriate to them. As well as being a unique and wonderfully readable cookery book, European Festival Food is written with the scrupulous attention to detail and authenticity that is the hallmark of Elisabeth Luard's cookery writing, the recipes are peppered with hundreds of fascinating anecdotes and little known facts about local history and folklore. Starting with December the book is organized according to the months of the year and so it importantly also reminds us of the cycle of seasonality that is now once again regarded as the natural and much more enjoyable way to shop and eat.

Elisabeth Luard is an award-winning food-writer and a winner of the much coveted Glenfiddich Trophy. In the judges' estimation, 'in addition to scooping the much coveted Glenfiddich Trophy, Elisabeth Luard was named best Cookery Writer for her recipes in The Oldie. Elisabeth's seemingly effortless style of writing, self-drawn illustrations and understanding of the way in which ordinary people's cooking reflects their history, culture and everyday life, makes her one of the most individual and distinctive food writers of all time.' In the 90s she covered regional cooking in Britain for Country Living and was the food-columnist of The Scotsman and The Telegraph. She is the food columnist for The Oldie and a contributing editor to Waitrose Food Illustrated as well as many national newspapers.

Reviews

'Luard's writing is elegant and her food is always excellent.' The Times

'Luard writes with authoritative enthusiasm.' Colin Spencer, The New Statesman

'You need to buy this book twice - once to read and once to cook from - both worthwhile purchases.' The Bookseller

'This is literature, with food as its vehicle. It’s not a dry and worthy textbook but a thoroughly accessible good read. A book for bedtime as well as the kitchen ... It’s a gem of a volume that offers seasonal recipes which have stood the test of time. They are a marvellous collection.' Mostly Food Journal

'I loved the reissued European Festival Food by Elisabeth Luard which has provided me with plenty of seasonal inspiration.' Catherine Phipps, The Guardian

'Luard is one of the greatest living food writers. Her work combines a deep knowledge of French and Spanish cooking with intelligent prose and clear, workable recipes. This may be her best book yet, bringing alive many of the forgotten food traditions of Europe. We all know about turkey for Christmas, but what about Cornish macaroons for Advent, Swedish saffron buns for December 13 and tatie-pot for Boxing Day from the Lake District' Bee Wilson, The Times

'Magnificent ... a treasure trove of food lore.' The Telegraph

'Highly Recommended ... warm and immensely readable.' The Glasgow Herald