[.ca] Provence: The Beautiful Cookbook (ISBN 0002551543)

From Amazon.com:
Provence is loved for its sunlit beauty and earthy, tantalizing cuisine. Both are celebrated in Provence the Beautiful Cookbook, an oversized (more than two feet tall!) picture and cookbook of breathtaking color photos and authentic regional recipes. The 270 recipes, compiled and written by award-winning food book author Richard Olney, include soups and starters; seafood, meat, game, and poultry dishes; vegetable and grain specialties; and simple but luscious desserts. Readers seeking an armchair tour of the region, singularly depicted, and the chance to see and reproduce its dishes, will delight in the book, which would also make a welcome gift. Beginning with an introduction to the land and its cooking, the book then weaves short essays about the Provençal regions with recipes arranged by courses. There are exemplary versions of bouillabaisse and bourride (the creamy, garlic-infused fish chowder), estouffade (braised beef, here with olives and mushrooms), daubs (stews), vegetable-filled omelets, and tians (savory gratins). Less familiar treasures include a mixed herb pasta from Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, porgy with crab sauce from the Var, a braised stuffed lamb shoulder from Vaucluse, zucchini and rice gratin from the Alpes Maritimes, and dried figs in thyme and red wine syrup, also from the Var. The recipes reflect Olney's unerring palate and dedication to tradition; some cooks may find certain dishes beyond their reach, but all will discover approachable recipes that are easily made. Wine information and a glossary conclude the portrait of Provence and its table--a feast for the eye and palate alike. --Arthur Boehm

Good intro to Provencal cooking:
I like this book, but it does point out one weakness in Provencal cooking...a slight lack of variety. There are multiple gratin recipes, good fish dishes, etc. It also doesn't shy away from organ meats, etc., much like the region itself. Like all the books in this visually stunning series, this one has lovely photography.

BIG AND BEAUTIFUL:
I was a little suspicious of the series. After all, should we trust a book more suitably sized for the coffee table than for the kitchen counter? But my mistrust was misguided. The food is wonderful. All people have assumptions about "others," and one of the assumptions Americans make about the French is that their food is very difficult to prepare and relies on expensive ingredients. The truth is that French food need not be difficult and that it is a cuisine that recognizes the beauty of each season. Since my children bought this book for me, we have been building seasonal rituals around it. For example, we get salt anchovies from the neighborhood Italian deli for our Christmas eve appetizer. At Mardi Gras, we make the oreilles found in this book, which are the pastries sold as "pig's ears" or "angel wings" in the last days before Lent by Polish bakeries in Detroit. Depending on the bakery, they were known as "pig's ears" or "angels wings." My only criticism of the book is that I feel the need to keep it open in the dining room, lest kitchen grease spoils it.

Oh la la!:
French born and 4th generation provençale, I take pride in the cuisine from my homeland and I have to confess I was a little wary about what I would find in this book. Well, the authors did a wonderful job at promoting the gastronomic traditions of Provence without betraying them. My grand-mother, our family's head-cook, and our culinary inspiration would have given her seal of approval without hesitation, would she have been around to discover this wonderful recipe collection and it is with her and my homeland in mind that I enjoy preparing the recipes featured in this excellent collection for my own enjoyment and the one of my (American) husband and our friends.

Oh la la!:
French born and 4th generation provençale, I take pride in the cuisine from my homeland and I have to confess I was a little wary about what I would find in this book. Well, the authors did a wonderful job at promoting the gastronomic traditions of Provence without betraying them. My grand-mother, our family's head-cook, and our culinary inspiration would have given her seal of approval without hesitation, would she have been around to discover this wonderful recipe collection and it is with her and my homeland in mind that I enjoy preparing the recipes featured in this excellent collection for my own enjoyment and the one of my (American) husband and our friends.

Deja Vu de Provence:
What a wonderful, inspirational book. This book showed me how to make the amazing dishes that I tasted during my tour of Provence. I finally know what specific herbs make up the "Herbes de Provence". It was more than a cook book, though. It was a walk down memory lane inspiring me to, not just cook the dishes but, create them! Thank you Richard Olney.