Word of mouth

Saveur savors French food and the French way of life

"Saveur Cooks Authentic French"
(Chronicle Books)
By the editors of Saveur magazine

ATLANTA (CNN) -- At the beginning of "Saveur Cooks Authentic French," editor Coleman Andrews tells a delightful story.

He and the other editors, all having made long plane flights, gather at a "pretty little restaurant" in the wine town of Chablis. The moment their appetizers were served -- "snails in a buttery, garlic-accented parsley sauce, chicken liver terrine with Chablis-based gelee, and sauteed medallions of foie gras with apples and red currents" -- there was an epiphany. Traveled veterans of France and the cooking trades, they all instantly rediscovered the remarkable values of French food and the French way of life.

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Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée (French Onion Soup) Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Stew Burgundy-Style)
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Recipe count: Over 120 Art: At least one photo for every recipe Nutritional information: No Extras: Plenty of French food explainers Price: $40

French cooking is more than cuisine. It is a way of looking at the world, a way of valuing what comes from the land, a way of valuing the time spent savoring a rich cup of coffee or the mellow flavors of a good glass of red wine.

The value of this book is that it can carry even chronically overcommitted and harried Americans to that special place where the aroma of a simple apple tart baking in the oven is one of the supreme joys of life.

The famous French chefs with their three-star restaurants, jet airplanes, and celebrity lifestyles are not prominently featured in this book. There are famous chefs here, but most of them stay in the background, recommending the tiny bistro down the road in a little town where true, classic dishes are still served.

One such little place is Chez Millette in the little Burgundian town of Planchez where Millette Coquillon prepares beouf a la bourguignonne using a startling simple recipe.

In another instance, the editors go to the south of France where life-long fisherman Lucien Vitiello explains the way to make a saffron-scented bouillabaisse served with rouille, a traditional red-pepper mayonnaise. In the picture accompanying the recipe, this man who has spent his entire life in the harsh and financially unrewarding trade of fishing, smiles elfin-like at us, his weathered face featuring a large Gallic nose atop a gray mustache. Before him he offers up a platter filled with an array of beautifully cooked fresh seafood. The king of France, if there still was one, could not do better.

The book is beautifully rendered with color photos, most of them shot by Christopher Hirsheimer, who seems to have a real love of smiling French faces. Interspersed are wonderful archival photographs - a French couple in the '50s, stopped by the road to enjoy a holiday lunch; a row of loaves of bread from a country baker in a photo taken in the '20s; and even Julia Child visiting a Parisian kitchen in the '60s.

There are many classics here, from soupe a l'oignon - the rich, brothy onion soup topped with melted cheese to gratin dauphinois - the crusty casserole of thinly sliced potatoes baked with cream and nutmeg.

There are also some dishes that only the adventurous will want to try, such as tourte de groins de porc, a tart of pigs' snouts.

Almost as good as the recipes are the little side articles that accompany many of them. In one, Marcelle Gueneau explains that she adds a little potato starch to her vinaigrette so it doesn't separate. "That's not a chef's trick," she confides. "It's a grandmother's trick."

In another, Gerard Oberle, described as "a kind of profane cherub of a man with a generously beaming face and an unapologietic gourmand's lust for good food," invites the editors to an "informal" lunch. He then enlists Marc Meneau of restaurant l'Esperance, one of the top chefs in Burgundy, to help him with this "simple" meal.

Many of the stories and recipes are recycled from the magazine, but they are artfully edited and wonderfully presented. There is a list under "Our France," where to go for what specialties. Under "Our French Restaurants" there is an admirable list, including many "hole-in-the-wall" places the editors went to eat, including addresses and telephone numbers.

Those who know and love France and French food will adore this book. For those who simply love flavorful food, this one is a keeper.

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Chronicle Books
Fire & Hearth

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