Slippurinn Cookbook Review

Slippurinn: Recipes and Stories from Iceland

Last but not least, in this month dedicated to Phaidon Press, we decided to share with you the review of Slippurinn Cookbook.

Slippurinn Cookbook is the debut monograph from chef Gísli Matt. The book celebrates a unique culinary voice and perspective among a new generation of the world's top chefs from his internationally renowned restaurant in Iceland, Slippurinn.

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The Land of Fire and Ice

Off Iceland's southern coast is an archipelago of islands, formed by volcanic eruptions, that has been called the country's "best-kept secret".

There, in a small town whose landscape was changed forever by a 1973 volcanic eruption, where plants grow on mountains created out of lava, is a family-built restaurant that is pushing the boundaries of international contemporary cuisine.

Slippurinn, opened in 2012, is housed in a historic machine workshop building, built by Gísli, his mother, father, and sister Indiana - all descending from a long line of cooks and fishermen. (The name Slippurinn means "boat ramp" or "slipway".)

After training and working in restaurants worldwide, including Eleven Madison Park, Gísli returned to Iceland, taking Slippurinn to the next level with a menu that respects the local and traditional, whilst pushing the boundaries of contemporary cuisine.

A family restaurant at its core, Slippurinn is not only adored by locals, but has an international reputation that attracts people from all over the world to eat there.

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Recipes and Stories from Iceland

Slippurinn Cookbook tells the story of this incredible restaurant and its rising star chef through revealing writings and vivid photography that captures the stunning Icelandic landscape and mouth-watering dishes.

Like the previous monographs from Phaidon, like monk cookbook, Slippurinn: Recipes and Stories from Iceland opens with a foreword introducing the reader to important themes. In this specific book, with the history of gastronomy in Iceland to Gísli's goal today of preserving and nurturing Icelandic food traditions and ingredients while also cooking at the forefront of creativity.

The book comes with 85 recipes organized into thematic chapters – foraged plants & seaweeds; vegetables, seeds & grains; fish & shellfish, seabirds & fowl; meats; sweets, and basic recipes.

Throughout his career, Gísli has undertaken a tremendous amount of research into traditional Icelandic dishes, preserving local culinary knowledge and combining this with a modern approach. As Gísli writes in the book: 'We have tried to cook creatively with the ingredients of our ecosystem, no matter how unusual they might seem, while not alienating our community.'

The resulting cuisine is one enjoyed by both locals and international food lovers. Slippurinn: Recipes and Stories from Iceland will take them right to the heart of Gísli's fascinating culinary world and island life.

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Final Thoughts

Restaurant cookbooks are one of our favorite styles of cookbooks. For us, it's fascinating how much you can learn by knowing what is happening behind the world's best restaurants.

Slippurinn: Recipes and Stories from Iceland takes you right to the heart of Gísli's fascinating culinary world. Throughout this book, Gísli discusses in detail the incredible array of local ingredients and plants and seaweeds foraged on the island that are central to his food, making it a truly fascinating read.