Germany is a beautiful country with a long and significant history. It also has its own distinct culture that has influenced Europe and the rest of the world. Learn more about the “land of poets and thinkers” by building a letter press or a model car propelled by jet force. Create lanterns for a procession, prepare typical regional dishes, and bake sweets for festivities. Find out how Germans celebrate the holidays and recreate some of their age–old traditions with step–by–step crafts and cooking projects.

From her cheerful Berlin kitchen, Luisa Weiss shares more than 100 rigorously researched and tested recipes, gathered from expert bakers, friends, family, and time-honored sources throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. German baking has influenced baking traditions around the world for generations and is a source of great nostalgia for those of German and Central European heritage. Yet the very best recipes for Germany’s cookies, cakes, tortes, and breads, passed down through generations, have never before been collected and perfected for contemporary American home bakers. Enter Luisa Weiss, the Berlin-based creator of the adored Wednesday Chef blog and self-taught ambassador of the German baking canon. Whether you’re in the mood for the simple yet emblematic Streuselkuchen, crisp and flaky Strudel, or classic breakfast Brötchen, every recipe you’re looking for is here, along with detailed advice to ensure success plus delightful storytelling about the origins, meaning, and rituals behind the recipes. Paired with more than 100 photographs of Berlin and delectable baked goods, such as Elisenlebkuchen, Marmorierter Mohnkuchen, and Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, this book will encourage home bakers of all skill levels to delve into the charm of Germany’s rich baking tradition. Classic German Baking is an authoritative collection of recipes that provides delicious inspiration for any time of day, whether it’s for a special breakfast, a celebration with friends and family, or just a regular afternoon coffee-and-cake break, an important part of everyday German life.

Selected for Jamie Oliver's Cookbook Club ‘I love it. As soon as I opened this, I felt it was Christmas.’ – Diana Henry Advent celebrates the magical run-up to Christmas with over 100 classic German baking recipes. The Advent season is one of the most special times of the year, when candles twinkle, the Christmas tree is decorated, and the smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove fill the kitchen. In her new cookbook Advent, Anja Dunk shares her recipes for the very best of traditional German festive bakes. From lightly spiced Lebkuchen, frosted cinnamon stars, jam-filled ginger hearts, snow-capped coconut macaroons, to marzipan-filled Stollen, edible tree decorations, lucky meringue mushrooms and a gingerbread house dripping with candies and sugar icicles, you will find delectable spiced treats to fill your Bunter Teller and share with friends and family. Featuring Anja’s own linocut illustrations and evocative photography, this is a stunning, comforting clothbound volume that will be a family favourite for many years to come. The weeks of Advent hold all the sweet, almost unbearable anticipation of Christmas for days on end and this gorgeous book embraces that fairy-tale feeling within its pages.

Italy is a beautiful country full of artifacts from bygone eras. Architecture, paintings, and sculptures from prehistoric times, from the Roman Empire, and from the Renaissance period can be seen in the biggest cities and the smallest villages. Visiting Italy is like immersing yourself in the history of the last 2,000 years or more in one of the most important countries in Europe. With the crafts and cooking projects in this book, you can learn about the different periods, the customs and life, the artwork, and the culinary traditions of this country. Through re-creating holiday crafts, carnival masks, and cooking traditional sweets and other dishes, get to know more about the riches of Bella Italia!

This book goes beyond the sauerkraut and knackwurst stereotype to unveil the often overlooked diversity of German cuisine. 170 regional recipes range from classic dishes, such as spaetzle with cheese and sauerbraten to forgotten delicacies like Westfalian pumpernickel pudding. Numerous profiles, anecdotes, and food lore complete the book.

France attracts more tourists than any other country in the world. Step inside this colorful book to learn why people love it so much. Then make French-inspired crafts you can keep or give as gifts, and cook some delicious French food for your friends and family. Make a paper stained-glass window for your room, and find out why the real stained-glass windows in one of the world’s greatest cathedrals were taken apart piece by piece. Build a model château, and learn where the rich people made their homes in France. Paint an animal like the ones found in an ancient cave called Lascaux. Then impress everyone by whipping up some dessert crepes or a basket of crispy French fries. As you craft and cook your way through France with the projects and recipes in this book, you’ll come to love this wonderful country, too. Vive la France!

The Rough Guide to Germany is the ultimate travel guide to this dynamic country. Full-color photography illustrates Germany's stylish cities and beautiful landscapes, its meandering rivers and picture-perfect castles. Detailed accounts of every attraction provide all the information you need to explore the country's exceptional museums, iconic architecture, and its many rural escapes, from the soaring Bavarian Alps and dense woodlands of the Black Forest to the beautiful beaches and islands of the North Sea, or the idyllic Rhineland vineyards where you can sample some of the country's many world-class wines. The Rough Guide to Germany includes practical advice to ensure that, no matter what your budget, you'll find the perfect boutique hotel, convivial hostel, authentic cellar restaurant, stylish gourmet haunt, design-conscious shop, cutting-edge arts venue, or hip bar and club-all marked on the book's many color maps. The Rough Guide to Germany includes well-researched historical and cultural background to help you understand and appreciate this complex country and, above all, make the most of your time.