Biro: European-Inspired Cuisine

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Politics and Food are closely tied. Not just in revolutionary 18th Century France or Tea Party Boston or even North Korea's bombs for food negotiations. But how many of us have felt the tie personally? And when could there be a better time to discuss such a cookbook by an East German-born chef who now lives in America than the week of July 4th? I opened Biro European-Inspired Cuisine by Marcel Biro and Shannon Kring Biro (Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith March 2005) with no expectation of being brought back to the heady days of 1989 when the wall between Eastern and Western Europe was starting to crack. At the time, I was a freelance journalist in Istanbul covering the less revolutionary changes in Turkey's own economy. When I arrived in 1987, there were virtually no imported food products to be found in Turkish markets. It didn't bother me since I just replaced local products for American ones when I wanted to cook food from home. Yet, two years later I could find soya sauce, imported cheeses, and American breakfast cereals in the local stores. Marcel Biro appears on the PBS series The Kitchens of Biro, and owns Biro Restaurant and Bar, O, and Marcel Biro Culinary School. In the second introductory essay in his book, (the first is by his wife and co-writer, about how she first ate his food and eventually married him and then opened a restaurant together in Sheboygan, Michigan) Marcel writes about how he was working at age 16 as a chef's apprentice in the kitchens of the Ratshaus (the Mayor's office and Town Hall) in Plauen, East Germany in 1989. He had prepped for a meal commemorating the 40th anniversary of the DDP, the Communist Party of East Germany. He describes how imported "exotic" ingredients were kept under lock and key, like bananas, canned pineapples and oranges. Then after he left the kitchens he walked into the first mass anti-DDR demonstration: I thought of the connection between food and power, of how effortlessly precious foods were attained by the people for whom we had just prepared the feast, while common citizens could acquire them only through connections. (p. 17) In fact, both his parents had connections, his father for his restaurant, and his mother as an administrator. Instead of taking the advice of the chefs to avoid the crowd, Biro joined into the 20,000 strong protest. Four weeks and two days later the Berlin wall started to fall. Biro writes that he took his 100 Deutsch Mark reunification gift and went to Nuremberg, (then) West Germany, and bought fruit, chocolate, and a smoked eel for his grandmother. The story is background to the importance Biro places on food, both seasonal and precious delicacies. But it is telling that he wrote of his unique East German experience in such interesting detail, rather than dwelling on the fact that he is one of the youngest chefs in European history to attain the title of Master Chef de Cuisine. For the politics-averse, however, not to worry: this is a cookbook, with recipes exhibiting a deep interest in fine ingredients, not politics. As such, it is not for every day but for special occasions, whether the celebration is yours or the season's, when a farmer's market is brimming with perfect vegetables. The photo facing the amuse-bouche table of contents is gorgeous on a blistering hot summer day: Lemon-Mint Sorbet with Red Peppercorns (p.27) as are many for the recipes in the book. Biro has a firm hand on color and design. The dish reminds me of a frozen version of a kind of drink served in Iran for Noruz, Sekanjebin (see Persian Cuisine by M. R. Ghanoonparvar for a terrific recipe). Though few home cooks would make the most complicated amuse-bouche like Smoked, Cured-Pork Roulade with Sun-Dried Tomatoed, Baby Spinach & Feta (p. 30-1), it is fun to read and there are some very simple recipes that only need the best quality ingredients like a Three-Pepper Mousse (p. 36-37) that has a fanciful three layered presentation. Biro offers variations on how to prepare the peppers to get a more concentrate or subtle taste (roasting versus sauteing versus using the peppers raw). And he offers several methods to roast bell peppers. I love to explore a single ingredient, and Biro's Heirloom Tomatoes with Tomatilo Salad and International Salts (p. 132) is an intriguing investigation of eight different salts. And if you buy these special salts Biro offers many other recipes to use them in: Striped Beets with Caraway Vinaigrette & Hawaiian Black Lava Salt (p. 32), and Wild Scottish Salmon with Seven Salts on Mache (p. 71). An East German chef would never have you buy the salt for just one recipe in a cookbook! Biro's salad presentations are studies in luxury ingredients treated by a light hand. Many are substantial salads, like Bison Carpaccio on Arugula with Shaved Parmesan (p. 121) and Duck Terrine with Black Truffle-Herb Vinaigrette on Micro Greens (p. 127 which is a forcemeat terrine typical in French cooking, but something many American cooks would not attempt at home. The entree recipes contain all the elements on a plate, rather than giving separate recipes for each element. They are dishes found at his restaurant often with German elements like Medallions of Pork in Black Cherry-Pepper Sauce with Spatzle & Braised Fennel (p.142) and Lamb Loin a la Provencale with Escargot Ragout, Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Haricots Verts & Schupfnudeln (p. 146). If you are looking for a quic chicken dish for dinner, there aren't any. This is a book for celebrations. One caution: the print in the book is fairly small so this is not a gift for someone who has trouble with fine print (a surprisingly common problem in cookbooks). For those with good eyesight and for all with keen minds as well as palates, Biro's story is inspirational and his recipes complex and interesting. Previous articles: July 4: Paul Gayler's The Gourmet Burger July 4: East Meets West Robert Klein: The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue Christy Campbell: The Botanist and the Vintner Kathleen Daelemans: Getting Thin and Loving Food! Aroma: Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel Tyler Florence: Eat This Book The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life Mother's Day Gift: Finding Betty Crocker The Sensual Language of Baklava: Diana Abu-Jaber Paula Deen & Friends Roland Mesnier's Dessert University Puerto Rico: Grand Cuisine of the Caribbean Don Pintabona: Shared Table Annabel Karmel: First Meals Nigella Lawson's Feast Cook Like a Kyrgyz Ozzi Dining Downunder and Bushfood Personal Favorites: The Chefs of Las Vegas Anne Willan: The Good Cook Gale Gand's short+sweet More Food from Alton Brown Manju Malhi's India With Passion SOS: Baking from the Heart Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs All Hail Alfred Portale Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs Book links: Publisher Amazon.com Technorati Tags: chefs food restaurants cooking branding cookbook biography Berlin Wall Cold War History Germany East Germany Communism --> back to superchefblog