Bistro (Menus and Music) (Sharon O'Connor's Menus and Music) [Paperback]

Sharon O'Connor (Author), Sarah Creider (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sharon O'Connor's Menus and Music | Publication Date: May 1999

Authentic recipes from Parisian bistros are perfect for simple, celebratory meals with family and friends. Classic dishes like French Onion Soup, Coq au Vin, and Tarte Tatin capture the tastes of easy, old-fashioned French cooking. A description of each bistros style and neighborhood guides to nearby sights and amusements lead readers on a gourmet tour of Paris.

With sections on how to order like a true Parisian, a bistro menu glossary, and suggestions for dining bistro-style at home, this is the perfect volume for confirmed francophiles, first-time visitors to France, and everyone interested in enjoying French cuisine, family style. The accompanying compact disc of tunes by Edith Piaf, Django Reinhardt, and George Gershwin sets a stylish and romantic Parisian mood to complete the bistro experience.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Parisian bistro scene conjures as many images of Gauloises and Piaf as it does of veal stews and floating islands. This CD-book multimedia presentation aims to associate jazz, that quintessentially American musical form, with French cookery. O'Connor has compiled recipes from some of Paris' most celebrated bistros. Two American bistros, one on each coast, and a Montreal establishment also rate notice. For tourists needing to know more about the surroundings of the Parisian establishments, a "neighborhood walk" introduces parks and sites around each eatery. Each bistro has divulged an appetizer, entree, and dessert recipe. Terrines, steak frites, roast chicken, and tarte tatin, form the core of this cuisine. Most dishes are such classics that there are few surprises among the recipes, but a moderate level of cooking skill is useful to execute them successfully. Mark Knoblauch

Review

Sharon O'Connor's book Bistro, part of the Menus and Music series, provides readers with recipes from chefs at 17 top Paris bistros, plus useful insider neighborhood notes. There's also a CD with mood-setting songs by Edith Piaf, Django Reinhardt, and others top lay while preparing a meal fromor trip tothe City of Light. -- Bon Appetit Magazine, 11/99

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Menus & Music Production (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883914280
• ISBN-13: 978-1883914288
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #529,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sharon O'Connor is building a career around her passions. She travels the world collaborating with great chefs and musicians, bringing together food, art, music, and travel to create her two best-selling series, Menus and Music® and MusicCooks®.

After graduating from the University of California with degrees in music and sociology, Sharon continued her education in Europe at the renowned Amsterdam Conservatory of Music. Upon returning to the Bay Area, she established the San Francisco String Quartet, and for sixteen years the quartet performed in the Garden Court of San Francisco's celebrated Palace Hotel. In her remarkable career as a musician, O'Connor has recorded and performed with music icons such as Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Tony Bennett, Linda Ronstadt, and Aretha Franklin!

In 1985, Sharon founded Menus and Music and became the first person to ever package a cookbook with music. In 2005, Sharon introduced MusicCooks, stylish boxed recipe cards with music that makes cooking and entertaining at
home more fun. O'Connor's recipes are fresh, quick, and easy, and each one has a sensational food photo, practical cook's tips, and a shopping and pantry list. The music is performed by Grammy Award winners and other great musicians. Now with more than thirty titles, O'Connor's publications have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Sharon O'Connor lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her husband and two daughters enthusiastically help in the research, travel, and tasting for her series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sucess in the kitchen!, April 19, 2005

By 

Philip Bewley (San Francisco, ca. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bistro (Menus and Music) (Sharon O'Connor's Menus and Music) (Paperback)

I have had great sucess with many of the recipes here. The recipes are easy to follow, the photos of the finished dish are inspiring,and the result is very tasty! There is just a step or two in these recipes that really elevate these dishes. The best Coq a vin and cauliflower gratin I have ever tasted! I look forward to trying the desserts next.The accompanying CD was a fun surprise...It is actually very pleasant to listen to when cooking: upbeat but not too loud,all rather "hummable" and fun.This cookbook and CD is perfect for a relaxing Sunday afternoon preparing a special Sunday dinner.Highly recommended.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great gift for any francophile, December 28, 2003

By 

Travel Enthusiast (International) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bistro (Menus and Music) (Sharon O'Connor's Menus and Music) (Paperback)

Now a confirmed francophile after honeymooning in Paris, my daughter is delighted with this collection of authentic bistro recipes and music. With the CD and recipes, easy enough even for her novice cooking skills, she can re-create the Parisian mood at home while entertaining family and friends. The only thing lacking are more photographs of the prepared recipes as food is to be savored by our mouth, nose and eyes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Lauded Cookbook I Own, August 17, 2010

By 

Hollywood F1 (Marina del Rey, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bistro (Menus and Music) (Sharon O'Connor's Menus and Music) (Paperback)

First, the CD: Everyone loves it. It's fantastic atmosphere music. But the book-- A miraculous compilation. She begins by explaining bistro origins and culture in Paris, then focuses on one of the many Parisian bistros covered in the book-- its story, a walk around the neighborhood, how to find it. Then a few of their star recipes. This book boils down centuries of combined knowledge of the cooking-est culture in the world.

Everything I've tried has been nothing short of an unqualified triumph. You'll understand when the people you invite over begin using every superlative in their arsenal to describe not just what they are tasting, but what they are feeling. I'm somewhat of a 5-star restaurant hopper, so I've got a basis for comparison.

And the Coq au Vin-- quite possibly the best thing anyone has ever eaten. Anyone. Ever. Honest to God, I nearly cried. It's Beethoven's 7th symphony. It's Citizen Kane. It could bring about world peace. Do not die without having eaten this dish. Is that emphatic enough?

To sum up-- the CD is great, the hisotories are interesting, the illustrations are helpful, the content is educational, and the recipies are divine.