Glorious French Food or Women of the Vine

Glorious French Food: A Fresh Approach to the Classics

Author: James Peterson

From the James Beard award--winning author of Sauces-a new classic on French cuisine for today's cook
His award-winning books have won the praise of The New York Times and Gourmet magazine as well as such culinary luminaries as chefs Daniel Boulud, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Waters. Now James Peterson brings his tremendous stores of culinary knowledge, energy, and imagination to this fresh and inspiring look at the classic dishes of French cuisine. With a refreshing, broadminded approach that embraces different French cooking styles-from fine dining to bistro-style cooking, from hearty regional fare to nouvelle cuisine-Peterson uses fifty "foundation" French dishes as the springboard to preparing a variety of related dishes. In his inventive hands, the classic Moules à la marinière inspires the delightful Miniature Servings of Mussels with Sea Urchin Sauce and Mussel Soup with Garlic Puree and Saffron, while the timeless Duck à l'orange gives rise to the subtle Salad of Sautéed or Grilled Duck Breasts and Sautéed Duck Breasts with Classic Orange Sauce. Through these recipes, Peterson reveals the underlying principles and connections in French cooking that liberate readers to devise and prepare new dishes on their own. With hundreds recipes and dazzling color photography throughout, Glorious French Food gives everyone who enjoys cooking access to essential French cooking traditions and techniques and helps them give free reign to the intuition and spontaneity that lie in the heart-and stomach-of every good cook. It will take its place on the shelf right next to Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Library Journal

Cooking teacher Peterson is the author of several other big cookbook/reference works, including Fish & Shellfish and Splendid Soups. The recipes in those books reflected influences from cuisines all over the world, but here Peterson, who worked in France and had his own French restaurant in New York's Greenwich Village, turns to his first culinary love. He has chosen 50 classic recipes as the starting point for his wide-ranging exploration of French food and techniques; each recipe serves both to demonstrate a variety of techniques and as the inspiration for a diverse collection of other recipes related to it in one way or another. Thus, the bouillabaisse chapter, for example, shows how to thicken a sauce with a beurre manie, intensify flavor with herbs, and work with eel and octopus; the spin-off recipes include French-style fish and shellfish chowder and pureed fish soup from Marseille, among others. One of Peterson's aims is to inspire his readers to use his recipes as a starting point for their own creations, so each chapter includes boxes and charts on improvising with different ingredients and flavors. The suggested variations for individual recipes, often mini-essays in themselves, open up dozens of other possibilities. Peterson is both passionate and knowledgeable about his subject, and his new book is an essential purchase. [Good Cook Book Club main selection.] Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Table of Contents:

Introduction.
Read This First.
Assorted Vegetable Salads (Les Crudites).
Green Salads (Les Slades Vertes).
Apple, Celeriac, and Walnut Salad (Salade Waldorf).
Leeks in Vinaigrette (Poireaux en Vinaigrette).
Country-Style Pork Pate (Terrine de Campagne).
Ham and Parsley Terrine (Jambon Persille).
Poached Eggs with Red Wine Sauce (Les Oeufs en Meurette).
Omelets (Les Omelettes).
Cheese Souffle (Souffle au Fromage).
Cheese Fondue (Fondue au Fromage).
Traditional Bacon Quiche (Quiche Lorraine).
Nice-style Onion, Olive, and Anchovy Tart (Pissaladiere).
Leek and Potato Soup (Vichyssoise).
French Onion Soup (Soupe a l'Onion).
Oxtail Soup (Potage de Queue de Boeuf).
Chicken Consomme with Shredded Crepes (Consomme Celestine).
French Country Vegetable Soup with French "Pesto" (Soupe au Pistou).
Mediterranean Fish Soup (La Bouillabaisse).
Oysters (Les Huitres).
Steamed Mussels with White Wine, Shallots, and Parsley (Moules a la Mariniere).
Sea Scallops Poached in Vegetable Broth (Coquilles St Jacques a la Nage).
Sole with Hot Butter and Lemon (Sole Meuniere).
Sole Braised with Shallots and White Wine (Sole Bercy).
Mediterranean Sea Bass Grilled with Fennel (Loup de Mer Grille au Fenouil).
Lobster with Tomato and Cognac Sauce (Homard a l'Americaine).
Roast Chicken (Poulet Roti).
Rooster in Red Wine Sauce (Coq au Vin).
Duck a l'Orange (Canard a l'Orange).
Fricassee of Young Rabbit with Pearl Onions, Bacon, and Mushrooms (Lapereau en Gibelotte).
Creamy Veal Stew (Blanquette de Veau).
French-style Pot Roast (Bouef a la Mode).
Beef Stew with Pearl Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon (Boeuf a la Bourguignonne).
Farmhouse-style Poached Beef with Vegetables (Pot-au-Feu).
Baked Bean and Duck Casserole (Cassoulet).
Steak with Red Wine Sauce (Entrecote a la Bordelaise).
Pork Tenderloin with Prunes (Noisettes de Porc aux Pruneaux).
Roast Rack of Lamb with Parsley and Garlic Crust (Carre d'Agneau Roti a la Provencal).
Alsatian-style Sauerkraut with Assorted Sausages and Meats (Choucroute Garnie a l'Alsacienne).
Veal Kidneys with Mushrooms, Mustard, and Port (Rognons de Veau aux Champignons, a la Moutarde et au Vin de Porto).
Glazed Sliced Carrots (Carottes a la Vichy).
Baked Potato Gratin (Gratin Dauphinois).
Provenc:al Vegetable "Stew" (Ratatouille).
Baked Whole Truffle (Les Truffes sous la Cendre).
Apple Tart (Tart aux Pommes).
Chocolate Mousse (Mousse au Chocolat).
Creme Brulee.
Crepes with Orange Butter Sauce (Crepes Suzette).
Floating Islands (Iles Flottantes).
Strawberry Jam (Confiture de Fraises).
Assorted Cookies and Candies (Petits Fours Secs).

See also: Pro JavaScript Techniques or The New Language of Business

Women of the Vine: Inside the World of Women Who Make, Taste, and Enjoy Wine

Author: Deborah Brenner

This book takes you on a very different journey to wine country, inviting you to enjoy the remarkable stories of twenty dynamic women in the world of wine. These women share their lives, wine tips, pairings, and most important, enthusiasm for wine while imparting their rich life lessons and wine expertise—a wonderful way to share your love for wine with the enterprising women who help bring it to your table.