Saveur Cooks Authentic French

Saveur Cooks Authentic French
Rediscovering the Recipes, Traditions,
and Flavors of the World's Greatest Cuisine

by the Editors of Saveur Magazine

Authentic French
"Stylish, knowledgeable, chatty...full of gorgeous, you-are-there photographs. The same infectious energy that runs through the magazine...The voice of authenticity." —The New York Times

"Once you pick up Saveur Cooks Authentic French you can't put it down...Riveting."—San Francisco Examiner Magazine

"The ultimate cookbook...Definitely put this one on the top of your holiday wish list."—Denver Post

And now in the same magnificently beautiful format, Saveur Cooks Authentic French is the triumphant follow-up to the highly acclaimed Saveur Cooks Authentic American. After years of so-called fusion foods, tastes have returned to the pure and classic-and nothing exemplifies this trend better than the renewed interest in traditional French cuisine.

From the first issue of our magazine, Saveur—whose name is French for "flavor" or "savor"—in the summer of 1994, we've made the food and wine of France a specialty. We've gone to the source to learn the truth about black truffles, foie gras, dijon mustard, and walnut oil. And we've deconstructed and then reproduced such definitive French dishes as bouillabaisse, boeuf à la bourguingnonne (which appear in this book), among many others. Along the way, as we tested recipes for this book, we became ever more enamored of this exquisite cuisine, and ever more convinced of its continuing importance, its eternal viability. There's a lot of talk these days about getting back to the culinary basics. These, in the Western world at least, are indisputably, and authentically, French.

From their very first issue, the editors at the award-winning Saveur magazine, heralded as..."the ultimate food magazine" by Adweek, have shared their passion for French food and wine, describing the vivid immediacy of real French cooking in loving detail. Now they take readers off the beaten track and into the kitchens of regional France to taste the true Mediterranean flavors of Provence, sample the unique farmhouse cooking of Brittany, savor the sumptuous culinary specialties of Alsace and Burgundy, and discover many more inspiring regional cuisines. Whether interviewing a cheesemaker or accompanying a truffle hunter on his secret rounds, Saveur's editors capture the authentic essence of French food and culture.

Praised for their special way of putting food in its geographical, social, and historical context, the editors of Saveur Cooks Authentic French present a selection of never-before-published recipes as well as their acclaimed previously published recipes that showcase some of France's most important historic and culinary regions. Featuring award-winning food writing and stunning color photography, Saveur Cooks Authentic French takes readers on an unforgettable gastronomic journey that introduces readers to these distinctive regions with mouthwatering recipes that include Pissaladiere (Nicois Onion Tart), Terrine De Canard (Duck Terrine), Homard à l'Armoricaine (Lobster in Tomato Sauce), Sandre au Pinot Noir (Pike Perch Braised in Pinot Noir), Farcis à la Nicoise (Nice-Style Stuffed Vegetables), and Civet de Lapin (Rich Rabbit Stew). For the absolutely decadent dessert course, the editors include such tasty treats as Tarte aux Prunes Facon Grand-Mere (Grandmother's Plum Tart), Tarte Tatin (Upside-Down Apple Tart), Soufflé au Chocolat, Crème Brûlée.

An informational and anecdotal sidebar with stories of people, places, and the rituals of France's many rich culinary traditions accompanies each of the recipes in Saveur Cooks Authentic French. In these, we learn, for instance, that there are two species of oysters grown in France today: huitres plates (flat oysters) and huitres creuses (concave oysters). "The Pancake Ceremony" story tells how the crepe symbolizes all that is Brittany. More basic to the region's gastronomy than bread, crepes come in two main varieties: sweet ones made with plain wheat flour mixed with eggs and milk and generally folded over a sweet filling of some kind, and salted ones, also called galettes, made with buckwheat flour, eggs, and water, and usually filled with savory ingredients. The sidebars also offer tips from some of France's most well-known chefs at some of the most highly-acclaimed restaurants.

Saveur Cooks Authentic French explores the rich array of local cusines that flourish across the regions of France. It unequivocally demonstrates why some of the best food in the world found its beginnings in France and why France has helped to define food as art.

About the Editors:

Colman Andrews is editor and cofounder of Saveur. A recipient of the 1998 M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award from the James Beard Foundation, he is the author of numerous cookbooks including Catalan Cuisine, Everything on the Table and Flavors of the Riviera. Andrews has contributed food and wine articles to The Los Angeles Times, Metropolitan Home, Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and many other publications.

Dorothy Kalins is cofounder and editor-in-chief of Saveur and Garden Design magazines. She is the author of two books and editor of The Garden Design Book. She is also a recipient of a James Beard Foundation Award.

Christopher Hirsheimer, executive editor and cofounder of Saveur, is also an accomplished photographer. Her pictures have appeared in Saveur and in several cookbooks, including Fried and True (Chronicle Books), License to Grill, and Emeril's Cajun Christmas.

Buy the Book!

Saveur Cooks Authentic French
Rediscovering the Recipes, Traditions,
and Flavors of the World's Greatest Cuisine
By The Editors of Saveur Magazine
Chronicle Books, November, 1999
Hardcover, $40.00
320 pages, 400 full-color photographs throughout
ISBN: 0-8118-2564-7
Information provided by the publisher.