From Tafelspitz to Kaiserschmarren – the Imperial Court Kitchen was more than just a collection of fine delicacies, prepared by the best cooks in the realm. It was a cultural institution, which grew up and reached its final flourish under Emperor Franz Joseph I, and sprang into action wherever the imperial family happened to be hungry – in Vienna and Prague, in Bad Ischl and Baden, in the emperor’s hunting lodges or Elisabeth’s yacht on the high seas. We hope that this selection of elegant recipes from yellowing cook books will bring the splendour of Old Austria to your dinner table, re-seasoned and re-worked for modern kitchens. And as they say on the beautiful Blue Danube, “Wünschen wohl zu speisen!” – “We wish you a pleasant meal!”