No, not a cookbook, not a recipe in sight. It's a novel by the Russian-born German writer, Alina Bronsky, about three generations of women (mother, daughter, granddaughter) and their weird and dysfunctional relationships. And it's quite funny.

This book is mean and funny and horrifying and I love it. I've met a Rosa. Shit, I've talked politics with her and defended western bread and explained why I can't marry her grandson. I'm so glad to see her humanized but not excused. Definitely a fresh, unusual viewpoint, a great way to look into second world life without succumbing to the drearies. ( )

Rosa knows everything. She knows that her daughter is stupid and ugly and only has a husband thanks to her. She knows that her granddaughter is smart and pretty, thanks to her care. And she knows that without her, her family would be nothing. It′s hard being the only intelligent, beautiful person around, but Rosa bears the burden.

One day her daughter, Sulfia, tells her that she dreamt about a man and is now pregnant. Rosa believes her immediately, for what man would be attracted to her ugly, dim-witted daughter? But for as much as she derides her daughter, Rosa loves her granddaughter and takes over raising her. Aminat is not as easily cowed as her mother, however, and the three are entwined in a destructive, subversive embrace.

Rosa is one of the most detestable characters I′ve encountered in literature. She is self-aggrandizing, delusional, and cruel. She has perfected the use of emotional abuse to inflict pain while professing love. Yet despite this, the book is funny at times, and I found myself admiring Rosa′s spirit, almost, even as I deplored her actions. Like Baba Dunja′s Last Love, Bronsky′s writing is crisp and acerbic with a strong female protagonist. But whereas Baba Dunja′s love for her granddaughter is self-effacing and supportive, Rosa′s is greedy and domineering. Baba Dunja sacrifices herself for others; Rosa sacrifices others for herself. I don't know how to rate Hottest Dishes, because it is well-written, but repelling. ( )

I definitely preferred this one over Bronsky's debut novel, Broken Glass Park. Why? I like the fictional memoir approach to the story and I really, really like our snarky/sneering narrator,Rosalinda! Crazy, I know, especially given the character's rather disturbing cynical narcissistic personality - one reviewer has described Rosalinda as the "Tartar babushka from hell" - which should be an immediate turn off. Okay, she is not quite that bad - from hell, that is - but boy, does Rose have quite the interesting tunnel vision focus when it comes to her family and the world around her. Think Hyacinth Bucket (Keeping Up Appearances) meets Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest) and you get the general idea. Thrown into the mix is a really fascinating portrayal of a Tartar who, on one hand, will do whatever it takes to fit into the Russian mold "to get ahead" while at the time, has an internal struggle about losing her Tartar roots. Rose has a lot of common sense ideas that, in principle, are jewels of wisdom so it is pretty easy to start to see things from her point of view (always a slippery slope!). It is Rose's determination to get out of Russia - the economy is collapsing after all - that we really get to see just how ruthless Rose can be. Of course, I am saddened at the state of the family dynamics but I love how each character - from down-trodden on the surface, mousy Sulfia to loud, energized Aminat - add life to what could have been a rather antagonistic story. End result: Bronsky proves once again that she has a gift for constructing compelling narrators. You don't have to like Rose to appreciate Bronsky's keen eye for observation and captivating wit. ( )

The highlight of Alina Bronsky's Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine is the book's first-person narrator, Rosa Achmetowna, a narcissistic battleaxe of a woman who thinks she knows what's best for everyone. The novel begins in the Soviet Union in 1978, where Bronsky offers some sharp insights into aspects of life before perestroika. I thought that portion of the book was the best: the book's humor and characters lost much of their energy when the action moved to Germany and time moved forward.

(There's more about The Hottest Dishes on my blog, here.) ( )