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| The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand's Culinary History | 
 enlarge | Author: Helen Leach
Publisher: Otago University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $19.87
You Save: $20.13 (50%)
New (9) Used (3) from $19.87
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 471788
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.7 x 0.7
ISBN: 1877372579
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.860993
EAN: 9781877372575
ASIN: 1877372579
Publication Date: August 30, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New. Delivery is usually 5 - 8 working days from order, International is by Royal Mail Airmail
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| Customer Reviews:
An informative and entertaining look at New Zealand cuisine through one of their most treasured national dishes October 7, 2008
Who exactly invented the Pavlova cake? Deftly written by Helen Leach, "The Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand's Culinary History" focuses on the cake, and looks at how three different cakes have taken on the name of the famous dancer. Showing the evolution of the three variations of this specific culinary delight, through how creative innovation from carious chefs have altered the cake forever, and how sometimes the professional cook altering historic recipe can be an everyday housewife, "The Pavlova Story" is an informative and entertaining look at New Zealand cuisine through one of their most treasured national dishes.
Good on ya! August 31, 2008
This book is not a cookbook in the standard sense. It is the story of the pavlova (the iconic Kiwi / Aussie national dessert -- although it documents many variants from the "standard" pav). As any good story, it has a subject (the pavlova) but also a theme and a message. In this case the theme is the irrepressible creativity of the New Zealand housewife. But the take home message of the book is that the origins of the pavlova were a cooperative evolution, not a competition and any attempt to cast this history as a competition dishonors the many contributions that were made on both sides of the Tasman sea.
As for how to make pavlovas, the book goes beyond "just do what I say" recipes (although there are dozens of recipes given, both historical and adapted for modern ingredients such as the change in composition of baking powders). There are many helpful tips and it documents as much as is known of the mechanisms involved. As soon as my diet (triggered by my recent trip to New Zealand) is over, I have every intention of seeing if I can add my own wrinkle to the pavlova story. A great read that offers the promise of many "just desserts".
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