A Lampeter-based author has released a new cook book.

Irina Georgescu is an award-winning food writer and cook, originally from Romania, who is releasing a new book called Danube.

The book – which Nigella Lawson has called ‘an utterly magical book’ – contains recipes and stories from eastern Europe, taking readers on an adventure along the Danube river.

The book – published by Hardie Grant – showcases a ‘rich tapestry of flavours, traditions and stories that encapsulate the history and heritage of this fascinating region.’ The recipes are known throughout Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria.

Ms Georgescu’s book contains 80 simple recipes, with the majority focusing on vegetables, beans and pulses without meat.

Some of the recipes detailed in Danube include potato stew with cheese filo crust, leek and rice pie, noodles with Sauerkraut and slow cooked beans served with cheese breads.

There are also recipes featuring meat such as lamb and pearl barley curban soup, Easter lamb stufat with spring onions and Sunday pot-roasted chicken with herby stock.

Ms Georgescu starts the culinary journey in the Banat region and follows the river south into Walachia, finishing east in Dobrogea. She will introduce readers to new people, revealing how they eat at home in the region, celebrating the culinary traditions in some of the most ethnically diverse regions of eastern Europe.

Ms Georgescu focuses her work on her heritage, with her recipes and writing being a love letter to Romania. Her aim is to bring to light the culinary prowess of the country. Danube is her third cookbook, with her second TAVA winning the James Beard award in 2023.

Danube by Irina Georgescu will be available from January 16, 2025 through Hardie Grant for £28.