The Gastronomer's Bookshelf » France

Ready for Dessert, David Lebovitz | 2010 | US

Sat, 15 May 2010 07:16:19 +0000

I come from the school of thought that says rock bands shouldn’t release their Greatest Hits album until their career is complete. Likewise, chefs should restrain themselves from re-releasing their favorite recipes until their career enters a culminating phase. That said, David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes will be excused since some of his previous books are no longer in print, and his greatest hits truly are classics worth reprinting.

New release: Douceurs de Christophe Felder

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 07:10:48 +0000

Feel like all-chocolate desserts? Have a craving for an ice cream or cake classic? Chocolate, ice cream, cakes: this set features 120 recipes of master patissier Christophe Felder, with 120 recipes that are easy and delicious to share, for moments of pure pleasure.

Macaron, Alison Thompson | 2010 | AU

Sun, 02 May 2010 22:00:41 +0000

Alison Thompson’s Macaron is a nicely presented book that offers 35 flavors ranging from classic to creative. However, for such a notoriously difficult petit four to make, the recipe presented is too temperamental and the information too lightweight, with little to offer in terms of troubleshooting and technique.

Cuisine du Temps, Jacques Reymond | 2010 | AU

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:23:54 +0000

Jacques Reymond and his restaurant are institutions in Melbourne, Australia. Over the years, the French-born chef has gradually introduced Asian elements into his cuisine. In some respects, he is the other side of the coin to Sydney’s Tetsuya Wakuda, who gradually fused French methods into his Japanese cuisine. Cuisine du Temps is a book reflecting on Reymond’s career in the kitchen. Many recipes that people will recognise from his restaurant appear in this book, as do dishes that he learned during his time working in South America and the South Pacific. The recipes and photography speak for Reymond, but there’s a part of me that would have liked to read about the man himself and what motivates him.

Year-end Countdown: Cuisines from Around the World

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:16:24 +0000

We're continuing our year-end countdown this week with cuisine-focused cookbooks. This journey will take you from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to Southeast Asia, East Asia, and India, France, Italy, Ireland, Ukraine, Greece, and northern and southern Africa. Hopefully you'll find something of interest in the great variety of books for yourself, or to give as gifts.

The Evolution of Larousse Gastronomique

Duncan Markham — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:02:34 +0000

The most renowned encyclopedia of food, the Larousse Gastronomique, has just appeared in its fourth English edition. Attractively presented with a bronze cover and black slipcase, it's the latest in a series of impressive, fascinating and somewhat quirky editions in both French and English. Each edition is a translation and adaptation of a preceding French edition, and the fifth French edition was published almost exactly two years ago, in mid-October 2007. This feature provides an overview of the various editions and some of the interesting issues and changes over the years.

Cooking & Travelling in South-West France, Stephanie Alexander | 2002 | AU

Julian Teoh — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:55:26 +0000

"(T)he book vividly evokes the country households of two generations ago. It includes personal opinion, trucs and tours de main (personal tricks), even alternative versions of the same dish, all offered in a warm, practical and personal voice." That was Australian chef and food icon Stephanie Alexander on La Mazille's La Bonne Cuisine du Périgord, but I would say much the same of Alexander's own work, Cooking & Travelling in South-West France, published in 2002. A record of Alexander's visits to the region between July 1999 and November 2000, this is part travel diary, part cookbook and 100% addictive.

Coming: The Heart of Bordeaux: The Greatest Wines from the Graves Chateaux

Jane Pickett — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:06:19 +0000

This beautiful book reveals the history and distinctive characteristics of the wines of Bordeaux’s Graves region. With individual chapters on each of the châteaux, the book describes in detail the history of the estate and its wine production.

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, Elizabeth David | 2009 | UK

Lucy — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:56:30 +0000

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, a collection skillfully pieced together by Elizabeth David herself, is the perfect introduction to the breadth and depth of her writing. First published in 1984, this collection of articles spanning many decades was inexplicably out of print in Britain for some years (but still available in the US). Here you will find remarkably candid – often hilarious - reviews of books and restaurants; historical essays sit comfortably with the well-loved romance of markets in rural France. Culinary gems are peppered throughout.

Trail of Crumbs, Kim Sunée | 2009 | US

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:12:40 +0000

In Kim Sunée’s coming-of-age-memoir, she travels the world and uses food to find herself and the home she never felt she had. Sunée’s narrative is an intensely honest, earnest telling of her story, with a poetic, yet unfussy writing style. Trail of Crumbs details Kim’s life, from early memories of her childhood abandonment in Korea, to her adoption and upbringing in New Orleans, to her travels around the world. Most chapters conclude with a few recipes, appropriate to the setting. The recipes don’t necessarily inspire the reader to jump into the kitchen, but they are a nice touch and complement Kim’s journey in this heart-warming story without a classic happy ending.