I have collected these recipes over many years from all kinds of Swiss sources - town and country homes, rural and city restaurants, hotels, old manuscripts, books and from my childhood Swiss home. I've been back to Switzerland many times, and the recipes are authentic. Very few of them have ever appeared in English, to the best of my knowledge. Nika Standen Hazelton

{HISTORY}

The very best thing about Nika Standen Hazelton's cookbooks, apart from the wonderful recipes, is the way she she draws you into the country she is writing about. Like Betty Wason, Nika covers all angles of a country's food landscape from hospitality to history, to language, terrain and travel highlights. Reading her cookbooks is like that of reading a novel all the way through from beginning to end. It's not a quick flip to a recipe, although once you are familiar with the world in which she writes, that is fine, but it's a completely immersive experience so much more understood when you read all her delightful stories and interjections along the way.

Here in the Vintage Kitchen, we are big fans of Nika and the way she lays out her books. In this one, The Swiss Cookbook, published in 1967, she takes readers along on a tour of a Swiss chocolate factory, she takes readers on the train for a meal enjoyed in a dining car and on an adventure to find honey cakes and Glarner Pastete in northeastern Switzerland. She shares the history of Swiss hospitality, the universal delight of the Swiss salad cart, and the efficient sophistication of Swiss grocery stores. It's just a lovely well-rounded, interesting approach to learning about Switzerland through food. 

And then there are the recipes. These include old heirloom recipes passed down through generations along with more modern fare (circa 1960s) that were experienced in some of the finest restaurants and hotels in the country. There's an entire chapter on fondue recipes, a variety of ways to prepare trout, and a plethora of potato recipes that range from appetizers to side dishes, soups to main courses. 

Nika was born in Rome, Italy in 1908 and had the pleasure of traveling the world from a young age thanks to her diplomat dad. Those adventures spurned her interest in international cooking and taking up residence in various parts of the world including London and New York, encouraged a deeper understanding of the unique factors that formed a country's national cuisine. Writing for various magazines during the mid-20th century, she published close to three dozen books on the subjects of food over the course of her career. Nika passed away in 1992, but her books still remain treasured resources in the kitchen today.

Photo of Nika Standen Hazelton courtesy of The Fresno Bee, August 6th, 1969

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- This a first edition published in 1967 by Atheneum

- 371 pages

- Contains original dust jacket

- Interesting recipes include Chocolate Chestnut Tarts, Apple Pancakes, Artichoke Bottoms with Cheese, Country Mashed Potatoes with Pears, Roast Veal from Geneva, Spinach Souffle, Baked Cheese Sandwiches, Eggs Au Gratin from Berne, Fondue with Champagne Sauteed Rhine Salmon, Oatmeal Soup, Heidi's Devil Dip and so many more.

{CONDITION}

In good vintage condition. The dust jacket bears some sun fading on the spine and has been reinforced with archival paper to repair some chippy spots along the top and bottom edge. There is one cooking spot/smudge on the inside endpaper and a few very light cooking spots along the foredge but other than that the interior pages are clean and bright. The coverboards also are very clean and bright and are a striking bright red shade. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 9.75" inches (length) x 5.5" inches (width) x 1.25" inches (thickness) and weighs 1.5 lbs.