THE BOOK

*Alpine Cooking* by Meredith Erickson

With a single page turn of Meredith Erickson’s Alpine Cooking, the European Alps feel less like a distant dream and more like they’ve landed right in your kitchen. Inside, readers will find recipes, stunning imagery, travel tips, chef and restaurant profiles, and culinary recommendations that flavor the “Alpine arch” — the distinctively curved mountain range that spans from Grenoble, France through Switzerland and northern Italy, and reaches east to Austria’s Carinthia region.

It is as if these 345 pages were in Erickson’s back pocket as she skied, sipped, ordered and interviewed her way through Europe. Following the coffee table cookbook’s introduction, the book is organized by country: Italy, Austria, Switzerland and France. As you journey through each country with Erickson, you will discover an assortment of recipes alongside sleek photographs. She indicates each recipe’s serving size and the level of complexity from easy, medium to difficult. Sprinkled between recipes is where you can find Erickson’s storytelling and inspiring sub-chapters. These include the “Alpine Juice: Alpine Wines” section beginning on page 180, where she details “Where to Drink (Good) Wine in the Alps” in all four countries. Additionally, on page 146 you will learn “How to Clarify Butter,” and on page 269, you will find “The French Alpine Cheese Hit List.”

It is no secret the European culinary way is filled with rich cheeses and meats, but Erickson does a great job by providing a variety of soups, sides, salads, fish dishes and desserts to encompass all palates. All the while paying homage to fresh, farm-to-table and familial recipes. The first recipe in the entire book is from Italy, on page 35, for muesli, what Erickson deems a breakfast constant. Once you land in Austria, you will discover plentiful pastry recipes. The apple strudel is on page 175. Once you make it to Switzerland, you must not pass over the easy fondue recipe on page 207 or the five “fitness salad” recipes on pages 254-255. France is the grand finale with both multifaceted and classic dishes. The cabbage tart with smoked whitefish has a detailed spread to set you up for success on pages 286-289. For those eager to get back on the snow or stay snuggled up at home, the fondue brioche can be found on page 308 and is intended to be eaten without utensils.

Alpine Cooking is not meant to live inside kitchen cabinets. The cover and content should be shared, glowing in your home’s common space to spark culinary joy connections.

“Whenever I spy a demijohn of schnapps when entering a hut, I know I’m in the right place,” Erickson writes on page 125. “Schnapps is the alpine arbiter of quality and can be served after the meal, or perhaps, depending on your day, as soon as you walk in the room.”

This recipe is derived from the Austria section of the book and asks for only three ingredients: 1 cup of sugar, 16 pinecones and 1 quart of grappa. Once you pour the sugar into a glass container with a big enough mouth to fit pinecones into, insert the pinecones, add the grappa and seal with a cap for six to eight weeks. Keep the bottle at room temperature and strain before serving.

Photos by Kim Fuller

Originally published in the winter 2025-26 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Bringing the European Alps to Your Kitchen