North is a large, beautifully illustrated cook book based on Icelandic ingredients and cuisine. It’s separated into sections unlike most cook books: the individuals who grow or gather many of the native ingredients of Iceland. The Bacalao Producer, The Arctic Char Smoker, The Rugbraid Baker, The Fisherman, The Seabird Egg Collector, The Barley Farmer, The Dairy Farmer, The Birth and Mushroom Forager, The Sheep Farmer, The Hardfiskur Producer, The Salt Maker, The Goat Farmer, and The Blue Mussel and Dulse Harvester. The chapters start with a few pages introducing the Icelandic producer of one of the key ingredients, and recipes using these ingredients follow. Each recipe has a full color photograph of the dish. Now, some of these Icelandic ingredients are not easily sourced in the local grocery store. Many are not found easily outside of Iceland. For the accomplished chef, these recipes are a great way to cook many wonderful, and in some cases unusual, authentic Icelandic meals. For most of us less motivated cooks who are less likely to source Puffin eggs, the beauty of this book lies not in the full meals, but in the smaller side dishes such as fennel salad, new potatoes with grill oil and pickled onions, roasted cauliflower puree, red beet pillows, salted cod chips with pickled angelica cream, and brown butter cake. Even for those who don’t cook at all, this book is a perfect introduction to Iceland, its people, and its cuisine and an interesting read.
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