Recipes reflecting the rich traditions of twenty-five countries, passed down through generations.   Peasant cookery offers healthy, real food-and is as relevant now as it was centuries ago. In this remarkable book, Elisabeth Luard sets out to record the principles of European cookery and to rediscover what has been lost in over-refinement. The recipes come from twenty-five countries, ranging from Ireland in the west to Romania in the east, Iceland in the north to Turkey in the south. This enormous compendium covers vegetable dishes; potato dishes; beans, lentils, polenta, and cornmeal; rice, pasta, and noodles; eggs, milk, and cheeses; fish, poultry, small game, pork, shepherd's meats; breads and yeast pastries; sweet dishes; preserves; and more.   Filled with an authenticity rooted in Elisabeth Luard's years of living and cooking in Europe, these recipes are peppered with hundreds of fascinating anecdotes and little known facts about local history and folklore.