Luisa Weiss

**I recieved this book free through goodreads firstreads!**

There is something wonderful about getting to read a book before it's officially released....it's like being let in on a juicy secret! And this was a wonderful secret!

Firstly, let me say that I do not know how to cook. If it's not frozen with instructions on the box, I'm absolutely lost. But ironically I like to read about people who can in fact cook.

Luisa Weiss however, makes me WANT to learn how to cook. The way she weaves her show more memories around certain foods and recipes has inspired me to try and give my own children some of those traditions.

"Be brave." That she was. I can not imagine my family living more than a quick car ride away, let alone scattered across the pond. The way Luisa took control of her life through trial and error is amazing. I wish I had her courage.

I loved the cover art - it's appealing yet simple (and actually looks like my handwriting on the cover!)

Overall, the best words I can think of to describe this book is COZY and COMFORTING. The fall/winter season is a perfect time to release it as it made me want to put on fuzzy socks, make a pot of tea and curl up under a blanket (even though this is the hottest time of year!) I only wish Luisa had included some simpler recipes for those of us who are cooking/baking challenged! show less

Anyone who has tried to bake a German cake knows that it takes about 2 weeks to do it the correct way. All right, that is exaggeration, but baking German cakes and breads is often a long and involved process. And so rewarding.

I grew up in Germany, and had easy access to the amazing breads, tortes, cakes and cookies, damfnudeln and Schneeball, lebkuchen and Laugen brot and OK, OK I could go on for a while. Not sure why I put the dampfnudeln in there... At any rate, I appreciate and miss the show more lovely perfection with which the perfect baked goods were created. This is not an objective review. Merely having photographs of Brotchen and Pretzels and Sachertorte and Bienenstich would earn a three star rating from me.

Luckily, this book really is great! I love that Luisa Weiss takes the time to explain how to tackle each process. She tells you how the dough should look and feel at different stages, she adds helpful tips in recipes, and explains why she is recommending something that might seem unusual or unnecessary. She offers multiple variations for recipes that are hotly contested in differing regions of German. Her reverence for German baked items shines through.

Recklessly, I have been inspired to attempt two of the recipes this very week, to truly get a sense of their effectiveness. These recipes are not all challenging, just be aware that many are, and it takes a commitment to attempt those more difficult recipes.

I would recommend that those who enjoy baking read this book, it is great. Also, fans of German baking. There are a lot of Swabian recipes, but whether that is a positive or negative point is for you, dear reader, to decide.


**eARC Netgalley** show less

Meticulous in the very best way

"Classic German Baking" will teach you to bake anything in the same way that "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" teaches you to cook anything. German, French, that isn't important; what matters is that an expert talks you through every single step of the process so that while you are learning particular recipes you are also learning an art.

Only attempt this book if you are serious. Believe me, though, if you know any serious bakers who do not own this book, show more buy it for them immediately and win their love forever.

Terrible cover.

I received a review copy of "Classic German Baking: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen" by Luisa Weiss (Ten Speed) through NetGalley.com. show less

The writing wasn't very tight, and there were a handful of typos, which I always find very distracting, yet I truly enjoyed this book. The author's search for her place in the world resonated very deeply with me, and her descriptions of Berlin made me want to pack up and move there ASAP. I haven't tried to make any of the recipes in the book, so I can't speak to their deliciousness or ease. They sounded rather tasty when I read through them, though.