Recommendation for cooking, food and wine

From the publisher of Under the Tuscan Sun comes another extraordinary memoir of a woman embarking on a new life this time in the South of France. Thirty years ago, James Beard Award-winning author Georgeanne Brennan set out to realize the dream of a peaceful, rural existence en Provence. She and her husband, with their young daughter in tow, bought a small farmhouse with a little land, and a few goats and pigs and so began a life-affirming journey. Filled with delicious recipes and local color, this evocative and passionate memoir describes her life cooking and living in the Proven al tradition an entrancing tale that will whet the appetite and the spirit perfect for foodies, Francophiles, or anyone who’s dreamed of packing their bags and buying a ticket to the good life.

About the Author
Georgeanne Brennan is an award-winning author of cooking and gardening books. She lives in Northern California and Provence, where she runs a seasonal cooking school.

The sophisticated, adventurous cook will enjoy preparing these nouvelle cuisine recipes from one of France’s premier chefs. The average cook, unfortunately, may be daunted by the difficulty of obtaining such ingredients as eel, truffles, brains, squabs, and caviar, not to mention whether he or she really wants to eat asparagus ice cream or lobster ravioli. The instructions are easy to follow but do assume a familiarity with cooking terms and procedures. The recipes this reviewer tried were superb. Recommended only if there is a demand for gourmet recipes. Joanne K. Hammond, formerly with Pennsylvania State Univ. Lib., Mont Alto
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)

This petit but useful compendium contains centuries-old Provençal lessons in bread making as relayed to Francophile foodie and memoirist Mayle (A Year in Provence, etc.) by Auzet, an award-winning baker from Cavaillon, Provence. The collaboration between author and baker yields a mix of regional history, first-person essay and a portrait of a family boulangerie through the generations. The modest Auzet boils down his expertise to a few secrets: among them are that the exact combined temperature of the water, flour and kitchen air should be 56°C, and that a good kitchen scale is imperative. Traditional recipes for baguettes, batards and boules are simple, though, as with any bread made by hand, quite time consuming. To keep second-guessing to a minimum, Auzet offers helpful tips for testing both the dough’s gluten and the bread’s doneness. He also explains how these basic formulas can be amped up with a number of French flavors: olives, thyme, saffron, apricots, nuts and garlic. Additional chapters concern making breads with wine, olive oil and sweet yeast. For true authenticity, a suggested list of wine pairing is included at the end. Throughout, Auzet’s suggestions are spot-on, making his “confessions” an invaluable contribution to aspiring boulangers and bread-lovers. (Nov. 2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Despite the title’s implications, this tiny book offers no lurid expose. Rather, this is simply a guide to the technique and art of French bread production as practiced by one of France’s premier bakers. Working out of the Provencal village of Cavaillon, baker Auzet won national honor for his skills when he produced a model of the Eiffel Tower made exclusively of baked bread dough. Author Mayle has written a brief introduction to Auzet’s recipes, which include more than the classic baguette. Auzet produces sweet and savory breads, including thyme, olive, garlic, bacon, and Roquefort cheese exemplars. There is even a loaf that echoes the herbs and spices of Marseille’s bouillabaisse. Recipes are very simple, and Auzet suggests a way to reproduce French flour in an American setting. A short chapter pairs Auzet’s breads with some noted French wines. Mere words may not begin to encompass the technique and art involved in producing a perfect loaf of French bread, but Mayle and Auzet present an entree for the home breadsmith. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Dannenberg, the author of a half dozen other books on France and French cooking, presents tarts, tourtes, and quiches from patissiers, top chefs, and home cooks. There are classics like Tarte aux Poireaux (Leek Tart), more unusual creations such as Tartelettes Tatin au Foie Gras, and variations on the theme, like French Toast Plum Tart. Many of the recipes are accompanied by stunning color photographs, and whimsical illustrations decorate the text. For most baking collections. [BOMC selection.] Willard, a New York food writer, might be described as a pie fanatic; she likes pie at any time of the day, and when she has it for breakfast, it’s likely to be freshly baked rather than a leftover. She offers recipes for any occasion, from “quick pies for when friends drop in” to “knock-’em-dead creations and labors of love.” There are both savory and sweet pies here, along with “pie history,” tips on dealing with the fear of piecrust, and anecdotes about friends and fellow pie bakers. For most collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
Glossy, tempting, and brazenly luscious, the French tart is a scrumptious seductress. In French Tarts, Linda Dannenberg presents fifty of the most delectable and easy-to-prepare savory and sweet tarts from the top bakers, chefs, and great home cooks of France. The featured tarts hail from many different regions–Provence, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Riviera, and, of course, Paris. Photographed on location throughout France, Guy Bouchet’s full-color images, combined with the charming illustrations and rustic hand lettering of renowned illustrator Vavro, create the literary equivalent of an authentic French culinary experience.

Among the savory tart recipes are: a pungent Pissal-adiFre–the onion, black olive and anchovy tart so popular in Nice; the GGteau dePommes BoulangFre, a traditional “Baker’s Wife” potato-and-goat-cheese tart; and the remarkable Tartelettes NapolTon au Saumon FumT, an intensely flavored smoked salmon tart.

French Tarts also contains recipes for sweet tarts including: a delectable version of the traditional Tarte Tatin, this one an upside-down apple-and-pear tart from the Anjou region of France; the Tarte aux Framboises Proventale, a baked raspberry-and-flan tart from the C(te d’Azur; and an exquisite Tarte au Chocolat InfusT au Basilic–an intense chocolate tart perfumed with basil.

Savory with cheese and vegetables or sweet and succulent with fresh fruit, nothing captures the essence of French pastry more eloquently than the tart.

The magnificent illustrations in this book are characteristic of the “Eyewitness Handbook” series: glossy color photographs, so finely reproduced that the subtlest shades of white, beige, gray, yellow and brown come alive. A complimentary foreword by the great chef Joel Robuchon concurs. Beyond the excellent visuals, however, is voluminous information on over 350 cheeses made in France. A concise introduction serves not only as a guide to interpreting each entry’s economically arranged information but also to alert the reader that attention will be given to methods of production, aroma, taste, fat content, milk-type, and the ideal accompanying drinks. Included are a small glossary, a short bibliography, and even a directory of French cheese shops and markets at the end. Don’t be put off by the somewhat narrow subject?here is a necessary selection for any collection with a sophisticated respect for food.?Wendy Miller, Lexington P.L., Ky.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Although many guides to the art of fromagerie exist, none provide such visual detail and at-a-glance information as Masui and Yamada. They categorize 350 cheeses in a dictionary format, divided by regions of production, and add succinct sidebars about manufacturing processes and the definition of specific terms (i.e., the distinction between artisanal and industriel), generally enlightening even the most blaseof cheese buyers. Like many California wine, few of the cheeses produced in limited quantities even leave the country, so the compilation here yields many surprises. There is a massive amount of reference data to be consumed and savored piece by piece. A glossary and a list of producers, shops, and markets are appended. Sharp color photography by Yohei Maruyama. Barbara Jacobs
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Forget about counting calories–the title has both “French” and “desserts” in it, for Pete’s sake! You won’t find any low-fat silliness in Jill O’Connor’s latest masterpiece, and you won’t care a bit. From extravagant honey madeleines, profiteroles, and almond macaroons to classics like chocolate mousse, meringues, and warm apple crepes, the recipes in this book will produce fantastic results for the novice and expert alike. The detailed, easy-to-follow instructions take you effortlessly through each step of even the most complicated recipes, and O’Connor’s technique tips, such as “Fearless Folding” and “Mastering Meringue,” offer the extra guidance so many of us need. Entertaining lessons, such as “How the Madeleine Got Its Hump,” and first-hand descriptions of an American dessert hound in Paris give Simple French Desserts added charm. Photographs are sparse, but the ones shown are guaranteed to send your imagination soaring. As O’Connor herself puts it, “Let the bacchanal begin!” –Melissa Asher

From Publishers Weekly
In this concise collection, O’Connor (Phyllo and Sweet Nothings) offers an abundant selection of desserts ranging from cookies and pastries to crepes and tarts, ice cream and mousse. There are sables, the slightly sandy French version of shortbread, along with a couple of variations, such as Pistachio-Orange Sables. O’Connor includes French meringues and Almond Macaroons, Chocolate Eclairs and a much-simplified recipe for napoleons based on phyllo dough rather than tricky puff pastry. Lemon Tart is served on a cookie-like crust that’s tempting on its own, while Fallen Chocolate-Souffl? Cake provides a more decadent option. Fruit desserts also figure prominently: there are apples in Tarte Tatin, berries in Red Fruit Gratin and cherries in almond-flavored Cherry-Frangipane Tart. O’Connor is equally inventive with her ice cream and sorbet recipes, including toasted walnut-studded Mocha Dauphinois Ice Cream. As with anything worthwhile, the confections here aren’t exactly simple, at least in terms of the time they require. Many recipes involve multiple steps; however, clearly written description of techniques are interspersed. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

According to an amusing, but undoubetly incorrect etymology, the word “bistrot” goes back to the times of Napoleon. Its said that Russian soldiers in Parisian bars shouted “bistrot” (hurry up) to get a drink.

During the last 20 years, the “bistrot” has regained popularity. Many well known chefs have re-introduced old recipes in their new Bistro style restaurants.

This book allows you to bring a taste of this simple, yet scrumptous fare to your dinner table at home.

From Booklist
Serious scholars of French cooking will enjoy digging through Lawrence Schehr and Allen Weiss’ anthology French Food, not for recipes but for its many revelations. Although a reader must soldier through articles couched in academic style and veiled in polysyllabic obfuscation, one can ferret out for cocktail-party gossip tidbits such as Brillat Savarin’s borrowing heavily from an obscure earlier work, Grimod de la Reyniere’s Almanac des Gourmands, for his now-legendary Physiology of Taste. Elsewhere in this heavily footnoted anthology is an amusing rumination on whether Belgium has a verifiable cultural identity. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Serious scholars of French cooking will enjoy digging through Schehr and Weiss’ anthology…not for recipes but for its many revelations..
–Mark Knoblauch, Booklist

Cooking, eating–the whole dining experience–has momentous implications that influence our ability to understand a people, a way of life, a civilization. French Food is required reading for anyone who, like me, views cuisine as a significant and integral part of culture..
–Jacques Pépin

This collection offers detailed accounts of gastro-culinary themes across an unexpected range of texts..
–Rebecca L. Spang, author of The Invention of the Restaurant

French Food, a collection of essays entirely harvested in America, is neither scholarly junk food nor a quick fix for the mind, but a Barthesian feast of historical, literary and semiological insights–a nourishing reconciliation of savoir and saveur..
–Philippe Roger, author of Roland Barthes, roman and editor of Critique

Over the years, many have come to recognize the importance and influence of French cooking. Now Schehr and Weiss offer us delightful essays as sophisticated and subtle as the food, cooking, eating and culture they analyze. Whether you are a casual diner interested in exploring the complexities of French cuisine or an expert seeking scholarly discussion about French culinary conventions and practices, French Food is a pleasure that should not be denied..
–Eating Culture

Book Description
Learn how to make rich, velvety sauces, melt-in-the-mouth pastry and feather-light souffles with step-by-steo techniques that ensure success every time you cook.

French Pastry offers a truly comprehensive collection of the classic preparations of baking and pastry. Every page of this gloriously illustrated volume tempts the reader with the genius of master chef Yves Thuriès. As beautiful as it is informative, this extraordinary volume includes over 520 mouth-watering finished desserts; over 120 classic foundation recipes; plus hundreds of breathtaking, full-page color photographs.

From the Inside Flap
The Classic and Contemporary Recipes of Yves Thuriès French Pastry translated by Rhona Poritzky Lauvand Listen Carefully, and you will hear the sound of contented sighs and whoops of jubilation from serious chefs around the world. Finally, the world-renowned series on French pastry and cooking by master chef Yves Thuriès is available in English. This celebrated series is the benchmark culinary reference for professionals in France. Its translation is being heralded as a milestone in the culinary arts. Jacques Torres, pastry chef at the famed Le Cirque, calls the series “the new encyclopedia of baking and cooking.” French Pastry, the first volume in this series of three dessert and pastry books, presents a truly encyclopedic collection of the classic preparations of baking and pastry: yeast doughs, puff pastry, sables, tarts, shortbread pastry, petits fours, cookies, pound cakes, individual pastries, and cakes. You’ll find over 520 finished desserts, and detailed instructions for over 120 basic foundation recipes. Nearly every recipe is beautifully illustrated with a photograph, showing proper decoration and presentation. Professional chefs will delight in the organization of this book. Chef Thuriès groups finished desserts and their variations in each category with succinct instructions. Line drawings accompany desserts that require assembly, clearly labeling each step and basic components. This time-saving device allows the reader to simply view how a dessert is constructed without having to read through each recipe. Recipes for components are then conveniently grouped and referenced. The comprehensive glossary of cooking terms and ingredients makes this professional reference accessible for culinary students as well as serious cooks. This series offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn the culinary secrets of Chef Yves Thuriès, a renowned Compagnon who has won acclaim in a country that glitters with brilliant chefs. There is no English translation for Compagnon. This title represents a lifetime of dedicated apprenticeship and rigorous study that begins in youth and culminates in a tour of study with accomplished chefs throughout France. Each Compagnon bears a passionate respect for the art he is entrusted with passing on to the next generation. The work of Chef Thuriès is inspirational. Anne Sterling, food critic, sums it up beautifully, “With the works of Yves Thuriès on the shelf,the professional chef is never without inspiration.” Enjoy.