Rich in truffles, oysters, olives, and eggplants, the Languedoc region of France is a gourmet’s paradise. It’s also full of wonders to explore—the secrets of olive oil and salt production, the Roquefort caves, and the miracle of the sparkling Perrier Springs. But is it the perfect place for an ambitious young chef to open a restaurant? Intrigued by Laurent Arrazat’s determination to achieve perfection on a shoestring, Patrick Moon rolls up his sleeves and pitches in. For a year, he shares in the triumphs, disasters, and sheer hard work of restaurant life. By turns informative and funny, this is a captivating tale of culinary ambition, mishap, and discovery.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Moon's sabbatical of country living and tutelage under a winemaker in Languedoc, a region of southern France, was the subject of his first book, Virgile's Vineyard. That year left him wanting more; he subsequently left his London legal career and moved permanently to Languedoc, where he found himself apprenticing again—this time to Laurent Arrazat, a renowned chef and new restaurateur. This book initially promises to divulge the inner workings of a first-class restaurant in the French countryside, where the emphasis is on the use of local ingredients, as well as on the curious juxtaposition of tradition and innovation. Alas, Moon spends a marginal amount of time in Laurent's kitchen; readers learn much more about Moon's progress in restoring his home, cultivating his land and discovering local foods. The latter subject provides the most fodder, and Moon spends many a day trip discovering histories of Languedoc foodstuffs: Labiel fish, Perrier water, Roquefort cheese and fleur de sel salt. Moon's comic insight into his rural neighbors' quirks buoys what might otherwise be a dry study of regional foods. The buffet of colorful characters and food adventures will please Francophiles, foodies and anyone who wants to experience la vie rustique—without the hassles of actually living it. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Patrick Moon, a former London lawyer, now spends every possible moment in his Languedoc home. Paul Levy described his first book, Virgile's Vineyard - about the region's wine-makers - as 'humane, funny and quirky'.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Narritive of a Year in France with Food,
By
This review is from: Arrazat's Aubergines: Inside a Languedoc Kitchen (Paperback)
A narrative of a year spent inside the kitchen of an ambitious young chef in the Languedoc region of France. This is not a cookbook, it is a story of one man's dream as he follows a year of working in the kitchen, visiting suppliers, investigation that region of France (on the Med, not too far from the Spanish border). It's a story of love. Mr. Moon has clearly discovered where he wants to be and has been able to arrange his life so that he can be there.
He reports that all of these stories are true, well, if not exactly true, they are inspired by real experience. It's a fun book
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Compared to the first book..,
By Luvtostitch (Virginia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Arrazat's Aubergines: Inside a Languedoc Kitchen (Paperback)
I'm afraid this book's best attribute was that it put me to sleep quickly every night. My husband and I have reread Patrick Moon's first book Virgile's Vineyard at least 3 times each and so I was hoping for more humour than this one provided - actually, I don't think I chuckled once. It is very interesting to learn all about the workings of a restaurant, about Perrier and Roquefort cheese but this felt more like a reference book than a biography. Perhaps it's because I am comparing it to the first book. I would have liked more talk about the people and their inter-relationships.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
'Do you feel as bad as you look?' asked Manu, pausing briefly at the top of my drive to let his heart slow down after the sprint across the bridge from his neighbouring cottage. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mme Gros, Mme Vargas, Fleur de Sel, Uncle Milo, Eric Cellier, Saint Saturnin, Eric the First, Causses du Larzac, Coteaux du Languedoc, Grenache Blanc, Pierre Morel, Aigues Mortes, Bassin de Thau, Laurent Pourcel, Saint Affrique, Saint Etienne, Salins du Midi New!
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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
'Do you feel as bad as you look?' asked Manu, pausing briefly at the top of my drive to let his heart slow down after the sprint across the bridge from his neighbouring cottage. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mme Gros, Mme Vargas, Fleur de Sel, Uncle Milo, Eric Cellier, Saint Saturnin, Eric the First, Causses du Larzac, Coteaux du Languedoc, Grenache Blanc, Pierre Morel, Aigues Mortes, Bassin de Thau, Laurent Pourcel, Saint Affrique, Saint Etienne, Salins du Midi New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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