The Cooking of South West France Book

Whereas haute cuisine may dazzle with it's complexity and dramatic contrasts, the rustic cuisine de terroir of South West France seduces with its succulence and deep taste. Dishes such as "Cassoulet" and "Duck Confit" have logical recipes built step by step to produce the best result from the ingredients. This is what authoritative cookery writer Paula Wolfert was initially attracted to before she set out to write her award-winning The Cooking of South-West France, now released in paperback. "I found my favourite restaurants in Paris were not the citadels of haute cuisine or the laboratories of nouvelle," she writes, "but rather Alain Dutournier's Trou Gascon in a working class area on Rue Taine, and Antoine Magnin's Chez l'Ami Louis in the third arrondissement." Both had updated peasant cookery to produce modern, honest food that remained close to the earth. Wolfert's book is a personal collection of favourite South-West regional specialities, some modern and some purely traditional. It does not cover the geography of South-West France nor the customs and folklore. It is a book of detailed recipes, all of which are precise even if they are sometimes lengthy. After being introduced to regional ingredients like fois gras, truffles and armagnac, Wolfert delivers a exceptional collection of recipes for soups, salads, appetisers and main course dishes. A separate chapter is devoted to "cassoulet" and puddings, preserves and pastries are not omitted. This book is a classic which will not only provide you with recipes but also a sensuous connection to the lives of the people of South- western France. --Dale KneenRead More