300pp; 240mmx160mm; 
maps and b & w illus, 
paperback

ISBN 0 907325 963 £14.99

The hardback edition of this book won the Premio Langhe Ceretto for the best European recipe book in 1997. It is a vessel into which the author, herself Bulgarian, has poured a Lifetime of study, experience and brilliant cookery. I myself (Tom Jaine) visited Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia in the winter of 1998 with it tucked under my arm. It was the code-breaker that de-ciphered the bewildering palimpsest: more appetizing than a history book, and often more instructive. There are recipes, descriptions, pictures, and lists of names of dishes in all the main languages. At the core is Bulgaria, but the other countries of the peninsula are never ignored. The current political mayhem makes this a relevant book, hence my wish to see it in paperback at this juncture.

There could not be a more timely cookery book. When President Clinton told the American people to go home and look at their atlases to discover Kosovo, he should really have suggested they read Maria Johnson's The Melting Pot. It has more sense and information on the whole Balkan business than any number of histories, political analyses or what-have-yous. The Greek journalist Linda Makris, writing in Athens, proclaimed how useful and enlightening this very book was when she attempted to grapple with the Kosovo question, 'this thoughtful lady has included in her marvellous cookbook "A Lesson on History and Geography".' If the Greeks find it helpful, how much more will the British. 

There are more than 300 recipes from all the Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia. The recipes are authoritative: Maria Johnson is Bulgarian by birth, reads all the Balkan languages, has travelled extensively, and draws on the experience of friends and family. The recipes are written with an eye to the availability of materials in the UK (the author has lived here for the past 30 years). 

The chapters cover all the main categories of dishes and there is an extensive introduction which guides the reader through Balkan foodways, Balkan history and things such as indigenous pots and pans and ingredients. 

During the recent conflict, the Balkans was sometimes treated as 'other' - not part of our world. This book is a useful counterblast. So much has come into Europe by this route, whether something as basic as risen bread, or as gilt on the gingerbread of civilized living, like attar of roses. 

Publisher's note: if you think the British population has any culinary curiosity beyond swallowing whatever is on the TV screen this month, think again. The hardback version sold 600 copies in 4 years. It has sold all of 50 copies in the USA (no wonder Clinton needed to look up his atlas).