Customer Reviews (1)

Good Culinary History, Mediocre Cookbook
This book has the most stupid thing to ever appear in a cookbook: `In my opinion one should leave the table feeling a little bit hungry.' (Insert your own clever retort here). It has been sometimes said that one can judge the talent of a chef by the respect that he/she cooks vegetables. By this measure, Bocuse is a bad chef; he is representative of an entire generation of restaurant chefs who are in the regular habit of torturing the vegetables, showing no respect for the flavor or freshness of the vegetables he/she is cooking. It expounds `nouvelle cuisine'; like the current fashion of `slow food', it is (was) an elitist movement primarily of interest to 3 star Guide Michelin restaurants and their well to do customers, and certainly doomed to the dustbin of culinary history. It is not relevant to the typical home cook. The back cover has a quote from a review that states `a new emphasis on freshness and simplicity'. This is way wide of the mark. This book was written in 1976. Perhaps it had more currency then, but today, one fails to see the point of this book.

Despite the rhetoric and the legendary name of the chef/author, the recipes themselves are pretty standard. It is an ordinary, average, and unexceptional collection of French recipes. It is a random mélange of haute cuisine and bistro cooking, with an emphasis on the former. As a sort of encyclopedia of standard French haute cuisine for restaurants or the accomplished home chef, it is acceptable; for the typical home cook, forget it. It is not a learning or educational tool; you better know your French haute cuisine cooking techniques. There are a number of recipe in this book I am rather doubtful of, and it takes a cook already experienced in French Cuisine to be able to detect these recipes.

The author commits the usual assortment of cookbook sins. Some recipes can be done as described, others require sophisticated kitchen skills. Sauces, like demi-glace, that restaurants much less homes are unlikely to have just hanging around, are repeatedly called for. Some recipes call for ingredients that the home cook will never get even if very rich, e.g. various song/game birds and truffles. The procedures can be downright terse and unhelpful. Protein cooked in the oven are only given cooking times with no internal temperature, and protein cooked on the stove have no indication as to when the protein is properly cooked; it assumes you already know these things. Sophisticated, multi-component recipes that require skill and planning to pull off correctly. Only using expensive meat (the beef section for the most part assumes that you have access to the whole tenderloin, more recipes for veal than anything else). The poultry section assumes you have access to a butcher who will freshly kill and dress poultry according to your request. It often calls for meat to be larded, but it does not describe how to do this. If you have a good battery of home kitchen skills or are a foodservice pro and need a reference for French cooking, this book is OK. Otherwise, forget this book and move on.

I also note the frequent, incorrect use of the verb `moisten'; this is probably an attempt to translate tremper or mouille. Either way, it is not a legitimate culinary translation and is a mark of laziness on the part of the translator. The temperatures listed in the `Making Sugar Syrup' section seemed to be totally wrong, whether in Fahrenheit or Centigrade. The English names of some of the recipes and ingredients do not match current usage, but here perhaps we can blame a sloppy translator rather than the author. It is the only cookbook I can recall that specifically recommends cooking meat `a la cuiller' (e.g. soft enough to eat with a spoon). Plate presentations that require the talents of both architect and painter are eschewed; sound familiar?
... Read more

Product Description
Designed for beginning cooks whose tastes surpass their culinary skills, this book allows home cooks to improvise and create by themselves. From traditional basics such as Aioli, Coq au Vin, and Pot au Feu to elaborate dishes like Sea Bass with Fennel and Tomato Butter Sauce and Chocolate Espresso Mousse, here are recipes for easy yet sophisticated French foods. Drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Authentic and wonderful
I have owned French Cooking for Beginners for several years and have prepared almost every recipe in it except for a few desserts.The dishes are authentic yet without all the mystery usually associated with French cooking. The directions are clear, the ingredients readily available, and the results outstanding.I like this book so much that I came to Amazon.com for the first time ever to look for more cookbooks by Helene Siegel.The lovely dustjacket and inside graphics are a bonus. ... Read more

Product Description
Brings the lusty cuisine of the French countryside to American tables with more than 175 recipes--from seafood stews to chocolate mousse--collected during the author's thirty years of extensive travels through France. 25,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

James Villas Finds True French Cooking
In the French Country Kitchen, James Villas goes beyond the basic French items known to Americans as French food, and further explores the true essence of French cooking in France.

The introduction delves into the amazing French Paradox, the question of how the French eat suchheavy food, yet have half the rate of heart problems of Americans.

And the recipes in Mr. Villas' masterpiece are also just as interesting.I found the recipes to be very informative, and most were preceded by a humorous or thought provoking anecdote about the French countryside.Each recipe also informs the reader what part of France the particular recipe is from, such as Provence, Flanders, or Alsace.

The recipes are all delicious, and most are relatively easy to prepare as well, contrary to popular belief that French cooking is extremely difficult.

In addition to all the wonderful recipies, Mr. Villas also includes a chapter about bread, and the salade verte, both of which are very important in France.This book is truly interesting, even for someone who dosen't cook.It is worth reading just for the parts about French culture, as well as for the recipies.Bon Appetit ... Read more

Product Description
A very old FANTASTIC book, with a french cooking history overview.

"Learn how to" cook and serve 24great old French Dinners easily.

The simple instructions give you mouth watering French cooking from easy to read recipes.

This easy "how to"book provides much , much more than just the 24 great recipes.

Why not try a french dinner tonight ? ... Read more

Product Description
Recipes from the villages and provincial towns throughout France provide and excellent introduction to balanced and nutritious vegetarian dishes with a distinct French style and flavor.Includes traditional and contemporary vegetarian dishes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I love it!!

Although this book is small and only has a few recipes, they are excellent.The book is a great way to introduce yourself to French cooking.

I've made everything in the book and was not been disappointed.

A tiny book brimming with delicious recipes
This is a small, hardbound book with gorgeous pictures of luscious French vegetarian food.What always helps me when using a new recipe is to see photos of the process and especially the outcome. Not only are the photographs clear, but so are the directions.Some French cookbooks require ingredients that are not easily purchased in the USA; not so with this book.Each recipe has easy-to-follow directions, so even a beginner can cook with this book.

Before the book lists its recipes, there are a few pages on the history of traditional French cooking, nutrition and choosing vegetables, herbs and spices, preparation and cooking techniques, and what items to have stocked in your cupboards.

Some of my personal favorite recipes included here are grated carrot salad with hazelnuts, spinach soufflé, asparagus with lemon butter sauce, green beans with parsley and almonds, and poached cherries.

Some claim that "French" and "vegetarian" don't belong in the same sentence.They most definitely do, and this book is just one of many that proves it.This book would be a good one to buy for oneself, but its attractive cover and design also make it a good option for a gift. ... Read more

Product Description
This book brings together a fabulous selection of recipes from all over France that evoke the authentic flavors of this rich and diverse cuisine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

about the book
Features recipes for all occasions, from relaxed weekday family suppers to entertaining for special occasions. Beautifully illustrated throughout with easy to follow step by step instructions. Includes time honored national favorites, such as Soupe Au Pistou, Old fashioned chicken fricassee, toulouse cassoulet and the classic and refreshing tarte au citron, professional cook's tips throughout ensure success. ... Read more

Product Description
Attention bread lovers!

In the first of his famous books about Provence, Peter Mayle shared with us news of a bakery in the town of Cavaillon where the baking and appreciation of breads “had been elevated to the status of a minor religion.”Its name: Chez Auzet.

Now, several hundred visits later, Mayle has joined forces with Gerard Auzet, the proprietor of this most glorious of Provençal bakeries, to tell us about breadmaking at its finest.

Mayle takes us into the baking room to witness the birth of a loaf. We see the master at work–slapping, rolling, squeezing, folding, and twisting dough as he sculpts it into fougasses, bâtards, and boules.

Auzet then gives us precise, beautifully illustrated instructions for making sixteen kinds of bread, from the classic baguette to loaves made with such ingredients as bacon, apricots, hazelnuts, garlic, and green and black olives. There are tips galore, the tricks of the trade are revealed, and along the way Mayle relates the delightful history of four generations of Auzet bakers.

One of Provence’s oldest and most delicious pleasures is now available at a kitchen near you, thanks to this charming guide. Read, bake, and enjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

what a happy life!
His eyes catches small beautiful details that otherwise would been overlooked; he present his words on a silver tray to you, many of them spark laughter;he opens windows to a fascinating life style and unique experience i couldn't possibly have known: getting up @4 to visit a bakery in France? LOVE LOVE LOVE HIS BOOKS!

Love You Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle does it again in this easy unique read. Once again we are transported to that lovely Provence. We are drawn right into the #1 establishment, Auzet Cavaillon Banette Artisan-Boulanger. The aroma of bread rises off the pages. You'll want to get your "King Arthur" flour out and get to it!...

It's as good a place as any to start
A confession: I like little cookbooks -- little books that make their case in maybe a hundred pages and sometimes as few as 20 or 30 recipes. I have a bunch of them -- things like A Cookbook for a Man Who Probably Only Owns One Saucepan and A Little Japanese Cookbook and even Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. Little cookbooks in a way are like sonnets, haiku, and other forms of constrained poetry -- the point is to be made in as concise a manner as possible, getting across the required knowledge while still bringing a bit of artistry into it.

That is what Peter Mayle's bread book is -- not a comprehensive reference like The Italian Baker or a technical book like I'm Just Here for More Food, just a short and sweet study of the basics of one bakery in Provence. It is a spectacularly quick read, and even at its brief length and highly aerated page layout, still seems a bit padded. And yet, in its short length, you still find all the basics of French breadmaking as well as a brief exposition of the workspace and business of Mayle's coauthor Gérard Auzet, as well as an impassioned defense of artisanal baking over the convenient but unloved French supermarket baguette. The really nice thing is that the book uses weight measurements like a good baking book should and a professional always does; my edition (a UK printing picked up on a remainder rack) even includes metric measurements.

"Confessions" is admittedly a bit silly for a title (I think Mayle was trying to evoke Rousseau for some reason or another), but let it slide. The book could perhaps be a bit more visual, but as I've often stressed in my cookbook reviews, it really all depends on your learning style. (A proper index would be nice as well, but the recipe listing in the back is usable enough.) What I do find unfortunate is the cover price; you certainly shouldn't be looking for this in a bookstore at full retail. However, for an amateur bread baker, can you really pass up a whirlwind course in breadmaking in only 16 recipes?

Look elsewhere
I am a home baker with a few bread baking books "under my belt". I also love books that tell us about simple pleasures of life. Among them, other books by Peter Mayle.

When buying Confessions... I expected a few stories about the bakery, along the lines of Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking, or Joe Ortiz's The Village Baker. I thought I would find a few trade tricks, or "secrets" that will help me bring out flavour more successfully. And, maybe as a bonus, one or two new recipies, not to mention the atmosphere that was in some earlier works by that author.

If you just began your bread baking adventure, you will not learn from this book enough to succeed. Try Joe Ortiz's The Village Baker, or Daniel Leader's Bread Alone, or Peter Reinhart's Crust and Crumb, or The Bread Baker's Apprentice (for the more detail oriented).

If you read a few bread baking books, and you tried several recipies, you will not learn much from this one. It focuses on direct method and white flour only, so ... look elsewhere.

If you think it will be just a nice story about good life in the south of France, a bit like Year in Provence, or Good Year (the film, not the book)... look elsewhere.

It's not even a good read. It seems a case of an author and publisher milking the former's (ailing ?) brand.

Don't buy it ... sadly look elsewhere.

From a Visitor to Chez Auzet
I felt I had to submit a review after reading the comments from some of the folks who are doubters about whether the recipes really work. I had the pleasure of being part of a small group of eight (four Americans and four Australians) who had the privilege of visiting Chez Auzet and working with Gerard Auzet in the back of his boulangerie. We made the walnut and red wine bread, and the green and black olive bread. Both were made exactly according to the recipes in the book, and both were fantastic. Mr. Auzet really stressed the importance of getting the temperatures of everything just right, and these careful instructions are in the book as well. Mr. Auzet also taught us to make the little canoe-shaped cookies that are emblematic of the region. Mr. Auzet had the books for sale in his shop and he very kindly autographed each one as we waited for the bread to rise and then bake, completing his autograph with a little drawing of a basket of bread. He showed genuine interest in passing along the "secrets" of breadmaking. I have since tried the recipes at home, with care to buy the recommended flour, and get the temperatures right,and so forth, and the bread turned out just as good.

After our bread baking lessons, we got to take our bread with us as we proceeded to our next stop - a wine tasting at a local vineyard. The smell of that fresh baked bread as we drove to the winery about made us crazy-hungry, so we brought our bread in with us and shared it with everyone - it was wonderful with the wine.

For me, "Confessions of a French Baker" will provide memories of a wonderful trip to Provence, and a souvenir of time spent with a very kind gentleman who loves to teach others the pleasures of his craft...whether in person, or through his little book. Merci M. Auzet!! ... Read more

Product Description
How can a good cook become a great cook? It's all in the detailsBecoming a Good Cook Means Learning Principles that Will Last
You a Lifetime in the Kitchen; With Simply French,
You Will Never Cook The Same Way Again.

In Simply French acclaimed food critic and best-selling author of Trattoria Patricia Wells works side by side with award-winning French chef Joel Robuchon to distill the best of the French table for the American cook. Among the 125 exciting recipes youll find in Simply French are Potatoes "Chanteduc," a perfect Roast Chicken, Beef Tenderloin Roasted in Herb-Infused Salt Crust, Marbleized Chocolate Wafers, and Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse.

Customer Reviews (13)

Simply the Best
Having had a long and expensive education in French restaurants I am still pleased and impressed by Simply French, the stellar collaboration of food writer Patricia Wells with a younger Joel Robuchon, then at the height of his creative albility.Their idea, beautifully realized in this book, was to showcase "simple" food in ways that were unusually flavorful and lovely to look at while also being easily prepared at home.These are not involved preparations as in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.Recipes are clear and direct.Dishes are still "made from scratch" but involve neither the preparation of preliminary products, exotic ingredients nor a large number of steps.

This is my "go-to" French cookbook for many special dishes:Thick Veal Chops with Mushrooms and Asparagus; Cheese and Bacon Potato Cake; Fresh Plum Tart with Fragrant Almond Cream.The book presents soups, salads, main courses, vegetable accompaniments and desserts, focusing on just a few fine recipes in each section.Wells includes an interview with Robuchon but it is clear that she spent considerable time with his chefs at Jamin (his legendary landmark "back in the day",) watching them cook in the Robuchon way.The result is French cooking without fear or fussiness.Having worn out my first copy of this book, I have just purchased another.What a pity this "classic" is no longer in print!Still I am completely satisfied with the barely used copy I purchased from an Amazon partner.

Literal Interpretation
Patricia Wells writes about Joel Robuchon as if he were a deity and, contrary to her usually populist use-what-works approach, urges the reader to follow the recipes to a tee: use the same ingredients, use the same techniques, follow a literal interpretation of the recipes, straight from the horse's mouth. I was richly rewarded for my effort, the interpretation of the classical dishes some of the best I have ever had. I made the leek and potato soup, a spring vegetable soup, a dish in which thin ribbons of zucchini are wrapped around shrimp and then sauteed in olive oil with chantarelle mushrooms, the baked tomatoes, salmon over a bed of buttery cabbage and the scallops baked in butter. The proportions make for an incredibly satisfying outcome, which is difficult to attain when winging it, like I normally do. There are ample techniques and culinary inclinations revealed in the book--Robuchon's general preference for white pepper over black (which he rarely uses), snipping parsley leaves with scissors rather than chopping with a knife (the main benefits are that leaves are not bruised as much and probably more important it is convenient to cut the herbs at the last second) and tips for big pot blanching. Also edifying were Robuchon's little philosophical musings on food, my favorite being that, cooking is like brewing tea leaves: there is a time when the tea has not steeped long enough, a brief moment when it has been just right and any more would be too much. My favorite thing about this book is that it elevates simple ingredients to a sublime level. One instance is the bed of cabbage for a salmon recipe. The cabbage is boiled for a few minutes, refreshed in cold water, dried, gently rewarmed with melted butter and a touch of cream. It tastes like a delicacy when prepared just right. All the recipes I have tried so far have tasted extremely harmonious. Though the book is not as glossy and large as the Thomas Keller tome Bouchon, which also deals with simple French food, the quality of the recipes is noticeably higher.

Joel Robuchon is the master
There will never be a chef like this one! His Jamin restaurant in Paris was a masterpiece. His food second to none. The book is good but occasionally some of Patricia Wells lack of experince comments come through. (she has no professional culinary training) Some ingredients, seafood , we cannot get here in the US so why give us the recipes???? None the less, this is a good book.

Classic Addition to the Understanding of Fine Food
This third book by food journalist and teacher, Patricia Wells is a presentation of the Cuisine of Joel Robuchon, who is, next to Paul Bocuse, the best known French chef alive today. As Bocuse appears to have retired, the book touts Robuchon as the best working chef in France.

I am always suspicious of a book's quality when I can't find something new or remarkable to me in the first few pages. I had no such problems with this book. The depth of insight into fine cooking from Robuchon was easily equal to some of the best I have seen from Thomas Keller, Jeremiah Tower, and Richard Olney. Robuchon's contribution to the words `simple' and `French' together is an emphasis on a style of cooking which preserves and enhances the flavors of each individual ingredient rather than letting their properties be lost in a great gemish (that's German, not French) of indistinguishable flavors. Robuchon cites this as one of the great contributions of `nouvelle cuisine', although he claims that French cuisine has moved on from the excesses of this movement and now seems to be on more rational ground. He makes the remarkable observation that French cuisine before 1950 was intent on making food soft enough to satisfy a population with poor teeth. This is the reason for all the thick, smooth sauces and probably the reason why the braise is the most distinguishing method of French cooking. One may say that the braise is to French cuisine as stir frying is to Chinese cuisine.

This book is filled with little techniques that seem so unusual at first encounter. Given the least amount of thought, the methods become so obvious one cannot see why they (I) did not think of them ourselves. One example is in the preparation of a simple pastry crust (Pate Brisee). The problem is that no matter how closely I follow Martha Stewart's or Wayne Harley Brachman's or Nick Malgieri's instructions, I always seem to get some shrinkage of crust when I blind bake it in a tart pan. Robuchon's solution, which I have seen nowhere else, is to begin the blind baking BEFORE trimming of the excess dough around the edge of the crust. By baking with the overhang still on, the shrinkage will draw in some of the overhang to compensate for shrinkage in the pan. On the other hand, the recipe for Pate Brisee in general is not nearly as fussy as many other techniques when it comes to quickly working with cold butter. I will have to try this on my next crust.

There is no lack of truffles and foie gras in these recipes, although one of Patricia Wells' objectives in translating these recipes from the French restaurant kitchen to the American home is to remove as many of the hard to find and expensive ingredients as possible. My impression is that she has done a brilliant job of making the recipes accessible to the home cook. That is not to say that these recipes are easy. As Wells says on the first page of her essay on the cuisine of Robuchon, `good food is no accident', meaning that it takes work to achieve good food. She immediately says also that good food is not impossibly difficult.

The recipes in the book all seem to be classics. There is no evidence of fusion ingredients or techniques and there is little evidence of any other type of invention. The chapter contents are purely traditional, being: Salads, Warm First Courses, Cold First Courses, Fish and Shellfish, Poultry and Meats, Vegetables, Side Dishes, and Pasta, Desserts, Basic Recipes (Pantry), and Basic Pastry Recipes. The procedure description for many recipes is fairly long. For poultry, this may be simply because poultry techniques can be tricky. For many other dishes, it may be because the preparation of a vegetable garnish may be included with the preparation of the protein. In all cases, the recipes are a bit longer than most due to the extra attention to maintaining ingredients' integrity.

The recipe for the old standard Ratatouille is a perfect example of Robuchon's attention to detail and his devotion to bringing out the best in fine ingredients. One difference from conventional wisdom is that he does not draw moisture out of vegetables (disgorging) with salt, as he claims this makes the vegetable too soggy. Typical techniques that mark the gourmet dish are slicing vegetables to fine sticks and cooking vegetables separately to preserve their individual flavors.

The book contains several sidebars on general techniques. These notes are rich in explanations for why particular techniques are important. Each course includes a modest little wine suggestion. These will certainly be useful to anyone who uses this book as a resource for entertaining; however, making the most of these suggestions may require an exceptionally well-stockedand knowledgeable wine merchant. Residents of Pennsylvania with our rather ill informed State Store clerks might have a problem with this.

This book is a `must have' source for anyone who wishes to improve their understanding of fine food preparation. It is a fine resource for anyone who is looking for small dinner party dishes. It is a fine companion to works by Julia Child, Richard Olney, and Elizabeth David. It is probably the next best thing to being able to read Robuchon's works in French. I am looking forward to seeing what Patricia Wells can do in her later books on less demanding subjects.

Very highly recommended.

If I could have only one cookbook
I'm a professional private chef with an international clientelle.This book is more than just a cookbook, it's a way of life.Its all about paying attention to details.

The book is worth every penny just to read the interview with Patricia Wells; and Joel Robuchons' thoughts in the introduction.I've been re-reading just these two sections for over ten years now and am continuosly inspired.

The photographs are amazing, even frameable.One in particular I have removed and used as a cover shot for my private notebook.Its of a bottle of wine, a piece of cheese and loaf of bread.But oh..... what wine, cheese and bread!I always look at that picture to remind me whats its all about.

My copy has fallen apart long ago.The pages are now in clear sheet protectors and I travel with this book in this condition all over the world.I never leave home without it. ... Read more

Product Description
Have you ever read a recipe that called for artichokes and wondered just how to trim them, or wanted to learn the proper way to use a pastry bag? While most cookbooks provide home cooks with only recipes, The Tante Marie's Cooking School Cookbook provides recipes and detailed cooking techniques -- it's like going to cooking school without ever leaving your home. With more than 250 delicious yet approachable recipes and countless techniques, The Tante Marie's Cooking School Cookbook enables readers to become familiar with the basics of cooking and then encourages them to improvise. Because the recipes have been tested in the San Francisco kitchens of Tante Marie's by hundreds of students, home cooks can be assured that they are virtually foolproof.

Having guided thousands of students through the world of French cooking for the past thirty years, renowned cooking teacher Mary Risley is well aware of common mistakes made in the kitchen. Risley troubleshoots a multitude of problem areas for cooks (such as what to do if your soup is too thick, or not thick enough), allowing home cooks to avoid common pitfalls. With variations provided for many dishes and instructions on how to cook without recipes, more advanced home cooks can start to create dishes on their own.

From delicious hors d'oeuvres like Fava Bean Crostini with Pecorino and Miniature Shrimp Quiches and Asparagus-Fontina Pizza with Truffle Oil, to enticing entrees like Roast Chicken with New Potatoes and Olives, Halibut Baked with Warm Shallot Compote, and Herbed Rack of Lamb with Béarnaise Sauce, Risley presents an impressive array of French-inspired recipes for contemporary American tastes. Classic recipes are updated with modern twists in dishes such as Fresh Pea Soup with Cilantro and Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée. Delectable dessert recipes include Grand Marnier Soufflé, Gingerbread Napoleon with Poached Pears and Caramel Sauce, Compote of Fresh Berries with Lemon Verbena Ice Cream, and classic Tiramisù.

Additional chapters on first courses, soups, salads, pasta and risotto, fish and shellfish, vegetables, breads, cookies, chocolates, cakes, and pastries offer the home cook a recipe for every occasion. Risley also provides in-depth discussions on ingredients such as cheese, chocolate, truffles, and planned leftovers. A section of Suggested Seasonal Menus as well as a chapter of foundation recipes for accomplished cooks complete this wonderful volume.

Illustrated with gorgeous black-and-white drawings, The Tante Marie's Cooking School Cookbook will become the cookbook you can't live without. It's the next best thing to having a cooking instructor cook right beside you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

One of my go-to cookbooks
I have stacks of cookbooks that I use, but this is one of my all-time favorites.Here is why I am such a huge fan.First, the ingredients are relatively easy to find in your local grocers market.Many of the items I can find in my pantry.Second, the majority of the recipes I can make for an elegant weekday meal or a special dinner for guests. Finally, EVERYTHING I have made in this book tastes absolutely wonderful.And let me clarify "wonderful."It's not deep-fried wonderful, or condensed-soup enchilada wonderful (if anyone actually considers the latter wonderful), it is fresh vegetable wonderful, olive, shallot, red wine and pine nut wonderful.Tons of fresh, clean tastes that appeal to my palette.I have yet to find a dud!Thanks so much for a fabulous cookbook - mine is well worn-in!

Fun to use, fun to read
The first time I saw this book was in the public library. I was just browsing through the cookbook section and the attractive spine and then the title caught my eye. I pulled it off the shelf, wondering if it was just going to be another boring cookbook with a pretty cover and a catchy title -- I'm so happy I was wrong! This is a pretty book with a catchy title AND it's great!

First, I sat down and read it, which was a pleasure in itself. Then my two teenage daughters and I started choosing recipes to prepare, improving our technique and expanding our knowledge.

We learned a lot from this beautiful book. It is a keeper. I could barely bring myself to return it to the library, so I ordered one of my very own. I foresee that this will be a cookbook that sports lovingly stained pages with penciled notes in the margins - one I'll use for years to come.

A Genuine Learning Experience
I selected five recipes more or less randomly from the book and made them in preparation for this review.Over the course of a couple of months I made the roasted almonds, paella, boned leg of lamb with tapenade stuffing, vegetable charlotte, and tiramisu.Normally I take recipes as guidance (which Ms. Risley recommends), but for this exercise I followed them as closely as possible (except that I used blanched almonds, and I barbecued the lamb).I loved all of the dishes and my guests did, too.My learning curve was very steep, and I extended my culinary technique considerably.For instance, I'd never considered butterflying a leg of lamb before.Now?No problem!Ms. Risley composes her chapters and recipes very like Julia Child, by which I mean that she interposes considerable guidance on culinary technique among her recipes.It works for Julia and it works for Mary, too.I have one regular houseguest who now pulls this book from the bookshelf in the kitchen and requests me to make anything from it.I figure there are enough excellent recipes in this book to make me look good for years to come.

Not just recipes, but how to cook!
If Mary Risley had stopped after training some of my favorite San Francisco chefs, she would earn my undying gratitude. But what she's done with this book is invaluable. It's so much more than a book of recipes. She really teaches you how to cook -- with a recipe or off the cuff.

Tante Marie's Cookbook sits on our kitchen counter as a constant checkpoint, no matter where we get recipes from. I always use it as a cross-reference against other books. I'll open a recipe in the Silver Palate, but I'll check Mary's techniques for cooking that kind of meat, fish or vegetable. When I incorporate her suggestions, it always comes out better - and I understand more thoroughly the principle behind the recipes. So this is a cookbook that will enhance every other cookbook you own.

We are passionate cooks, but this book has taught us what we've never been able to do before -- cook without a recipe. In fact, at the beginning of every chapter Mary tells you how to select the discussed meat, fish or vegetable, what cooking methods are best for it, and how to cook it without a recipe. Mary straddles the difficult divide of providing a resource that teaches the experienced cook but is accessible enough to the beginner. In fact, if you own only one cookbook, this is the one to get.

In addition to wonderful recipes, tricks, techniques and the how-tos that change okay to fabulous, this book is filled with great anecdotes and recipes from some of the Bay Area's best restaurants. All made accessible by Tante Marie herself, patiently explaining the difficult, offering alternatives for when you can't find some exotic ingredients, but firmly telling you when you simply can't compromise. (Mary declares "seared tuna has no place in Salad Nicoise!")

We have a new vocabulary in our kitchen: "What does Mary say?" and "Mary says. . ." I promise you, if you let Tante Marie guide you, you'll never eat another so-so meal at home.

Wonderful gift
I bought this cookbook on a caterer's recommendation as a high school gift for a young man who is living with my family and hopes to become a chef. It was perfecto! I'm grateful he leaves it in my kitchen so I can make use of it, too. I've been cooking for 40 years, but I learned many new tricks and absorbed into my DNA several new recipes from just leafing thru these pages while sipping a latte in the morning.
A must-buy for the serious but casual cook. ... Read more

Product Description
In the heart of the Gascony region of France sits some of the country’s richest farmland, the source of foie gras, juicy strawberries, wild game, and other delectables prized throughout Europe. Through the center of this productive land winds the Canal Latéral à la Garonne, a picturesque waterway dotted with medieval villages, stone bridges and chapels, traditional pâtisseries, and lively farmers’ markets. The canal is also home to author and chef Kate Hill’s popular culinary tours, which are conducted aboard an old Dutch canal boat. In A CULINARY JOURNEY IN GASCONY, Kate cruises and cooks along the canals of southwestern France, sharing 80 memorable recipes inspired by the region’s farm-fresh ingredients. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review of a culinary journeyin Gascony
I like this book, well written, terrific do-able recipes, it moves a long at a slow, meandering pace, rather like the Dutch barge the author bought.
In all, a good read, with a good section at the back on cooking produce, and where to get them,-if you live in or near France, that is!

A Life to Die For

By Bill Marsano. La Capitaine Hill, or Cap'n Kate, as I think of her, is a sailor, cook and blessed soul who lives a life to die for. She spends much of her year in Gascony, in the southwest of France, and she lives in a place she calls the Long Village. By that she means the Canal Lateral a la Garonne, which winds through some of the prettiest parts of France as it makes its way to (or from) the river Garonne, which in turn meets the Atlantic just beyond Bordeaux. She manages to do this because about 17 years ago she had the good sense to buy the Julia Hoyt, a

or canal boat to live, cook and teach aboard.

This delightful and envy-prompting book is the fruit of her years in the Long Village, collecting recipes, meeting people, making friends, exploring odd corners and traditions and folkways. Buying tomatoes from the lockkeeper's wife; getting caught--by a 12-year-old boy!--in the ghastly act of serving cheese the meal; learning from an elderly that a freshly killed rabbit must 'rest' for a day before it's cooked; finding a pear-grower turned part-poet/distiller; discovering the potion 'served on wedding nights to fortify the newlyweds'; and more and more and more.

Of course there are recipes; recipes by the penich-load. Cap'n Kate's are the dishes of Gascony, of course, and Gascony is that romantic landscape of Cyrano de Bergerac and d'Artagnan. If she can cook any and all of them in the tiny galley of the Julia Hoyt, then we ought to be able to cook them too.

A good strategy would be to buy two copies of this book--one for the kitchen and the other for the night table, to prompt sweeet dreams. Another good bet is to book a cooking vacation cruise, to plod placidly through the Long Village with the good Captain at the helm or the stove, as circumstances require. A quick e-mail to kate@thefrenchkitchen.com should do the trick, me hearties!--Bill Marsano is an award-winning writer on wine, spirits, food and travel.

Part cookbook, part travel journal, altogether wonderful
I had the pleasure of taking one of Kate's cooking classes at Sur La Table and bought her book while I was there. The recipes are wonderful and her narrative really puts you in the little towns she describes. My husband and I rented a boat on the Canal du Midi a couple of months later and I brought the book with me as a travel guide and for recommendations of where to shop. We passed the Julia Hoyt on the side of the canal (never expected that!) and stopped and said hello. Ihighly recommend the book, and I highly recommend a trip to the region. We ate like kings, even when I cooked ; )

Simple Elegance
I love this book!I was drawn in by Kate's story - living on a barge floating up the French countryside and wanted to read more about that.Kate not only took me on a beautiful journey but also shared some of her favorite recipes with me.

I thought French cooking was fancy and difficult but these recipes are not.They're simple, fresh, and just great.I can picture her walking through a farmers market creating these meals based on the produce available.

The book is beautiful and Kate is a wonderful guide.Thank you for sharing your travels with me.When I cook from this book I turn on the radio, pour a glass of wine, and travel back to France. ... Read more

Product Description
The various regions of France contribute to the highly admired and delectable epicurean tradition featured in this comprehensive collection of recipes.Numerous exciting traditional and contemporary dishes illustrated with over 800 full-color photographs, as well as regional favorites and specialties, capture the essence of French food with recipes suitable for every occasion throughout the year.The book's accessible format and the professional cook's tips and hints found throughout make this book invaluable for every cook's library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

My Go-To Cookbook
My friend gave it to me 12 yrs ago and it's still my go-to cookbook.I love French cuisine and this book offers both country and contemporary fare.Although there are some recipes that are time consuming or require a lot of ingredients, there are many recipes I can whip out in 30 minutes with a few ingredients from the frig.In fact, the reason why I came across these reviews was b/c I wanted to find other cookbooks by the authors.I highly recommend this book even if you have to get it used.

A Truly Great Cookbook
I wholeheartedly agree with the reviews that have already been posted.This is a GREAT cookbook.Almost every recipe is worthy of serving to company, which is the highest compliment given in our household.We have donated French dinners to charities using the recipes in this book and the response from the public is fantastic.You will wow your friends and family with the dishes from this book.

The book is well planned and has beautiful photographs.If you only buy one French cookbook, this is the one!

It is THE Quintessential cookbook for any chef
I own quite a few gourmet cookbooks. You know, the kind where you really have to put some effort into the cooking to turn out a dish you would receive somewhere in some great restaurant from the left bank of Paris. So finding this cookbook was heaven sent. This cookbook is my prized possession. I have referred it to everyone I know. If you really like cooking well, but you want simplicity, this book is for you. The pictures are so beautiful. I am not a fan of cookbooks that don't show you the photograph of the intended end result, or the visual steps during the preparation. This cookbook is loaded with all that, plus photographs of the French countryside, people, and history. I love thatextra background info. I have prepared a lot of dishes from this book and the outcome has been superb. This book teaches you the basics you need for fine French cooking.

The book divides the contents into sections: soups and salads; vegetables and side dishes; eggs and cheese, fish and seafood; poultry and game; meat dishes ( the stews are delicious!!); pastry and cakes; and desserts (oh my God, you MUST try the Rich Chocolate Cake recipe...it is a chocoholic's dream come true. I must have been asked for this recipe a thousand times.)Bon Appetit!

Best French Cookbook!
I've had this cookbook for over ten years now, and I still refer to it monthly and for cooking inspiration.I absolutely agree with other reviewers that it is the best french cookbook around.The step by step pictures and instructions make this cookbook invaluable and make even complicated dishes doable.

The Best!!
Owning over 100 cookbooks, this is the one that I turn to most often. One can turn out a marvelous French dinner and not spend a huge amount of time preparing it.I have yet to try a recipe that isn't excellent and I have prepared many of them. Highly recommend this book. Not being able to buy a new one now, have ordered used to give as gifts.They have all arrived in excellent condition. ... Read more

Product Description
Menu suggestions and simplified recipes for preparing soups, meats, vegetables, and desserts in the French manner. Also includes a glossary of cooking terms and describes special utensils and techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

My First French Cookbook
I loved this book so much that I borrowed it from our local library several times!It was my first introduction to French cooking, and I learned to make Quiche Lorraine way before it was too trendy for "real men" to eat...Seriously, I was a high school student who was very active in the French club, and our after-school activities included cooking food!I learned to make several things in the book, with my mother's help.And of course, Peter Max did the illustrations. The opportunity to own this book was "too cool" to pass up . ... Read more

Product Description
The classic French cuisine cook book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Love Cooking
I shared this cook book, along with two other books, with my school teacher friend who is spending her summer on the Cooking Channels!She loves the book and another friend who is in culinary school is using it with his classes. ... Read more

Product Description
France is renowned for its contributions to the worlds of cuisine and fashion, and this cookbook captures the essence of both! Featuring 38 bilingual recipes, Cooking in the French Fashion offers unique insight into the art of contemporary French cuisine.Popular recipes--both traditional and contemporary--are all adapted for the modern North American kitchen. Sample such stylish delicacies as Blanquette de Veau(Veal Blanquette), Artichauts Vinaigrette (Artichokes with Vinaigrette Sauce), Gigot d'Agneau aux Flageolets (Leg of Lamb with Flageolets) and Mousse au Chocolat (Chocolate Mousse), among many others. With the illustrator's enchanting fashion sketches throughout, Cooking in the French Fashion is the perfect gift for any cook, novice or gourmand, who wants to learn more about the French palate, culture, and language. ... Read more

Product Description
As much a book of inspiration as a collection of over 250 uncommonly delicious recipes, French Farmhouse Cookbook captures the rustic and richly flavored farmhouse cooking that is the basis of French cuisine and a perennial inspiration of French chefs. The author visited and lived among farmers, cheesemakers, ranchers, and vintners from the Pyrénnées to Alsace-Lorraine, from Normandy to Provence. The result is a stunning portrait in recipes, lively essays, and a wealth of astucesótips passed down through generations of cooks. Here are dishes prepared by lifelong cooks--not chefs--intended to satisfy, not impress.

"Susan Loomis's new book is that rare thing: a cookbook that expresses accurately the milieu of its recipes. It is a timely and beautiful reminder that we have to connect back to the land in order to recover a sustainable future."--Alice Waters, author of Chez Panisse Vegetables.

Main selection of the Book of the Month Club's Good Cook Club. 55,000 copies in print.Amazon.com Review
The food in the French Farmhouse Cookbook is a reminderof how deeply the soul of French cooking is rooted in the fruits ofthe soil and sea. For three years, Susan Herrmann Loomis traveled thecoasts and visited rural farms in all corners of France. Shediscovered more than treasured recipes for the quintessentially Frenchdishes that appear in this book. She also met people passionate aboutthe foodstuffs they raise, gather, catch, or produce. Their storiesmake this book a living tapestry of individuals and the food theycook. Many dishes, while utterly French, fit well into today'spreferences for sensible good eating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

French Farmhouse Cookbook
This is my first French cookbook and will probably be my only French cookbook because it has such a plethora of recipes of all kinds.

Thumbs up!
I love this cookbook and buying a gently used/soft cover version was great.The recipies are very doable -- some of them are tricky but an experienced cook can make simple modifications with great results.The cultural notes are great.For a francophile who loves to eat this is a good selection.Her book on La Rue Tartain (spelling) is a nice accompaniment.

Authentic, easy, fun!
My husband first bought a copy of this cookbook at a yard sale.I didn't look at it right away, fearing another overblown, complex and difficult French cookbook.Mais non!Most of the recipes are fairly easy and reflect the fresh, authentic nature of country French cooking.We now keep this cookbook at our house in Southwest France, in Wisconsin AND in Florida.This is the only book of which we have three copies!!The recipes are a delight (Loomis' gougeres are the best and have several quite helpful hints that no other chef has given).

The food and the stories capture the essence of rural France--making the cooking, wherever you may be, pure delight a la Francais!

Authentic, accessible and delicious
I served for two years in southwestern France as a Mormon missionary. When I came home to Calgary, Alberta I pined for the simple, fresh, unpretentious food I'd grown used to eating in rural France. Luckily the French Farmhouse Cookbook was first published about four months before I got home, and when I stumbled on it by accident in a bookshop I was overjoyed.

Not only are the recipes authentic and accessible, but the stories Ms. Loomis tells about how food is raised and grown -- how seriously the farmers and growers view their work -- ring absolutely true to my experience living in France. I've never found another North American book so true to real French family food.

Especially useful are recipes for small things that one can take for granted at any supermarket in France -- creme fraiche, sucre vanille, quatre epices, etc. -- but that are hard come by in most US or Canadian stores. You can substitute other ingredients (sour cream for creme fraiche) but it's not quite the same; the effort the author took to include everything needed to reproduce the authentic experience is another reason this is my favorite French cookbook. I can't recommend it highly enough.

La Créme de la Créme!!
My wife is French, her sole and all-absorbing passion in life is cooking.She has two armoires filled with cookbooks, including all the classics.This is her favorite.All of the recipes she has made from this book have been exquisite.Two thumbs up, and all eight fingers!This is a must-have!
Bon Appetit! ... Read more