Book Description

Food and history combine in this exploration of the Dutch influence on American holiday traditions. Includes more than one hundred easy-to-make holiday recipes. Delicious December mixes food and history in a celebration of Dutch and American Christmas traditions. In more than one hundred tried-and-true recipes, award-winning food historian Peter G. Rose draws on traditions that date back to the Middle Ages, as well as her own reminiscences of her native country, and suggests many ways to incorporate these true Dutch treats into American celebrations. The book not only talks about the history and recipes of St. Nicholas Day celebrations, but also about Dutch specialties for Christmas and New Year’s. Rose includes recipes for savory cookies and party treats as well as menus and recipes for the parties that might happen between the feast days. Divided into two parts, part one discusses the history of St. Nicholas, how he was brought to America and became Santa, and the other changes that have taken place here as well as in the Netherlands. The second part consists of 111 recipes that are easy to make and easy to love. Delicious December is for anyone interested in food and history, and those of Dutch descent will find many old favorites here, together with new, fresh ideas based on long traditions. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR DELICIOUS DECEMBER “Peter Rose is a national treasure, a rare writer who understands history and a very specific place, and in this book she uses that knowledge to leave me wanting nothing more than Christmas (or a holiday if you prefer, or a long, snowy afternoon) in the Hudson River Valley and beyond. This is a wonderful book!” — Molly O’Neill, author of One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking: 600 Recipes from the Nation’s Best Home Cooks, Farmers, Fishermen, Pit-masters, and Chefs “What a treat! Not only does Peter Rose provide us with an enjoyable history of Santa Claus but also with seasonal recipes of treats to enjoy while reading. Now, when asked about St. Nicholas, Sinter Claes, or Santa Claus I can safely refer people to a reliable source.” — Charles T. Gehring, Director, New Netherland Research Center “Delicious December is really two great books in one, revealing the little-known Dutch origins of American Christmas traditions, while also bringing into American kitchens dozens of lovely, festive Dutch recipes that few American cooks have ever heard of. Like a wonderful Christmas present, this book gives us historical insights we have long wished for—as well as delicious surprises we did not even know to ask for.” — Stephen Schmidt, food historian and author of Master Recipes: A New Approach to the Fundamentals of Good Cooking “Peter Rose knows more about Dutch life and lore than anyone I’ve ever come across, and she’s done it again! This exuberant excursion into the world of Christmas reveals the Dutch roots of many of our holiday traditions and, best of all, provides us heaps of richly tempting recipes to make everyone’s favorite season even more memorable.” — Nach Waxman, owner, Kitchen Arts & Letters, Inc. “A must-read for those interested in the origin of Santa and lovers of feel-good holiday season food.” — Rob de Vos, Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to New York