Kay Shaw Nelson - Cuisines of the Alps

The Hippocrene Cookbook Library

Afghan Food & Cookery

African Cooking, Best of Regional

Albanian Cooking, Best of Alps, Cuisines of The

Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook

Argentina Cooks!, Exp. Ed.

Austrian Cuisine, Best of, Exp. Ed.

Belgian Cookbook, A

Bolivian Kitchen, My Mother's

Brazilian Cookery, The Art of Bulgarian Cooking, Traditional

Burma, Flavors of

Cajun Women, Cooking With

Calabria, Cucina di

Caucasus Mountains, Cuisines of the Chile, Tasting

Colombian, Secrets of Cooking

Croatian Cooking, Best of, Exp. Ed.

Czech Cooking, Best of, Exp. Ed.

Danube, All Along The, Exp. Ed.

Dutch Cooking, Art of, Exp. Ed.

Egyptian Cooking

Eritrea, Taste of Filipino Food, Fine

Finnish Cooking, Best of French Caribbean Cuisine

French Fashion, Cooking in the (Bilingual)

Germany, Spoonfuls of Greek Cuisine, The Best of, Exp. Ed.

Gypsy Feast

Haiti, Taste of

Havana Cookbook, Old (Bilingual)

Hungarian Cookbook

Hungarian Cooking, Art of, Rev. Ed.

Icelandic Food & Cookery

India, Flavorful

Indian Spice Kitchen

International Dictionary of Gastronomy

Irish-Style, Feasting Galore

Italian Cuisine, Treasury of (Bilingual)

Japanese Home Cooking

Korean Cuisine, Best of

Laotian Cooking, Simple

Latvia, Taste of

Lithuanian Cooking, Art of

Macau, Taste of Mayan Cooking

Middle Eastern Kitchen, The

Mongolian Cooking, Imperial

New Hampshire: From Farm to Kitchen

Norway, Tastes and Tales of Persian Cooking, Art of Poland's Gourmet Cuisine

Polish Cooking, Best of, Exp. Ed.

Polish Country Kitchen Cookbook

Polish Cuisine, Treasury of (Bilingual)

Polish Heritage Cookery, III. Ed.

Polish Traditions, Old

Portuguese Encounters, Cuisines of

Pyrenees, Tastes of Quebec, Taste of Rhine, All Along The Romania, Taste of, Exp. Ed.

Russian Cooking, Best of, Exp. Ed.

Scandinavian Cooking, Best of Scotland, Traditional Food From

Scottish-Irish Pub and Hearth Cookbook

Sephardic Israeli Cuisine

Sicilian Feasts

Slovak Cooking, Best of Smorgasbord Cooking, Best of South African Cookery, Traditional South American Cookery, Art of South Indian Cooking, Healthy

Spanish Family Cookbook, Rev. Ed.

Sri Lanka, Exotic Tastes of Swedish, Kitchen

Swiss Cookbook, The Syria, Taste of

Taiwanese Cuisine, Best of Thai Cuisine, Best of, Regional

Turkish Cuisine, Taste of Ukrainian Cuisine, Best of, Exp. Ed.

Uzbek Cooking, Art of Warsaw Cookbook, Old

Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia

Kay Shaw Nelson

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For this book I am especially grateful to the publisher, George Blagowidow, and my editors, Anne McBride and Rebecca W. Cole, of Hippocrene Books. As always, I wish to thank my daughter, Rae, for her continual support and editorial assistance while writing the book.

Over the years, many friends and acquaintances have helped considerably in my quest to produce an Alpine guide that is part history book, part travelogue, and part cookbook. I thank them all, especially those I knew when I lived in Germany. These include my husband, Wayne Nelson, Elizabeth Richards, Nellie Spiegler, Mary and Greg Hutchison, and Catherine and Matt Matthews. Before and after that period, many friendly people and culinary experts in Alpine countries shared their special knowledge of folklore, culinary traditions, and recipes with generosity. Some even spent hours with me in markets, kitchens, and provided hospitality through friendly conversations, the enjoyment of libations, and dining on fine fare.

I also wish to thank the Austrian and Swiss Tourist Boards and the Liechtenstein National Tourist Office for their valuable information.

It was a marvelous sunny autumn day and I was traveling with my husband from Milan, Italy, through Switzerland en route to northeastern France. Even with the anticipation of finally seeing the Alps, the most dramatic mountains in the world, it was difficult to express the exultation of my experience. At the first sight I was transfixed. Call them what you wish, magical, romantic, awesome, there is an enchantment about the majestic snow-capped peaks that beckons visitors year after year. Enthusiastic travelers come to France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia to enjoy spectacular scenery, health resorts and spas, summer and winter sports, historical, and cultural attractions, colorful folklore, hospitable people, and diverse culinary specialties.

After driving from Italy through the historic Simplon Pass we arrived in the incomparable canton of Valais, a picture-postcard land embracing the Rhone River valley, high Alpine settlements, magnificent orchards, flourishing vineyards, and formidable landscapes. We were soon enchanted by the stunning views of fabled mountains, thinking about the role they had long played in poetry and literature as well as mountaineering. Awestruck, we drove along winding roads through deep gorges and past green pastures to our first destination, the small town of Brig, known for centuries as a trading center with Italy and now an important rail and road junction joining four cantons. Its outstanding attraction is the massive baroque Stockalper Castle topped with three gilded onion domes, built in 1624 by a wealthy merchant, Kaspar Stockalper, called the uncrowned king of Valais.

We were in Brig, however, to enjoy my first Alpine meal and to explore the indigenous cooking. Many famous cooks have come from Valais and in most Swiss cities there are Valaisan restaurants serving specialties of the region that has long been famous for wine, chocolate, outstanding cheeses, and the freshest fruits and vegetables. The restaurant's rustic atmosphere was just perfect for enjoying raclette, originally from Valais and known all over Switzerland as a traditional country cheese dish that promotes conviviality, sparked by a lively interest in its preparation, service, and consumption. We also tasted the superlative air-dried beef made by marinating a piece of meat in herbs, pressed between planks, and then dried in the open air. Shaved into thin slices and virtually fat free, it is tender and flavorful.