Customer Reviews

Bocuse's Regional French Cooking

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book by Paul Bocuse, arguably the most distinguished French chef alive today, translated from the French into English, is akin to Stephen Hawking's writing a popular work on the history of physics. Unlike similarly formatted works by Joel Robuchon, this book aims at presenting relatively straightforward instructions for preparing classic French regional cuisine. What is missing are the details of proper selection and handling of seasonal ingredients. This is replaced by a very high level tour of the major culinary regions of France.

I am surprised that such a distinguished culinary figure would do this kind of book, but I am supremely delighted that he did. The book includes literally every traditional French dish I can think of, with recipes that are quite easy to follow by the average American amateur cook. The book includes recipes for pot-a-feu, cassolet, crepes, coq au vin, salade Nicoise, Vichyssoise, onion soup, stuffed cabbage, Provencal fish stew, Burgundy Beef, tapenade and aioli. The list of recognized classics goes on and on. There is even a gratin recipe for macaroni and cheese and a confession that it was the Romans and not the Lyonnaise who invented macaroni.

I confess that some ingredients, such as the Lyonnaise sausage with pistachio may be a little hard to find, but the author graciously provides several serviceable substitutes for each ingredient not commonly available in American markets. Kielbasa, for example is an acceptable substitute for the saucisson pistache.

I am simply delighted with the simplicity and clarity of the instructions. The potato and sausage salad dish is French to its core yet the author succeeds in making the recipe read like something out of a Martha Stewart book. The instructions are clear, unpreachy, and workable. Aside from the sausage, there are no unusual ingredients and no unusual equipment needed. No trace, for example, of a food mill, china cap, or bain marie. The same can be said of almost all recipes in this book.

This is not to say there are no interesting recipes in the book. While there are so many classic dishes here, many have a special twist which is not due to the invention of the very talented author, but rather due to the author's using a recipe which is closer to the original roots of the dish rather than the dish's most famous incarnations. The recipe for onion soup, for example, is quite unlike the dish I had at Les Halles in Paris at 5 AM. Bocuse's recipe is from the Lyon area where, as he says, they put onions in virtually everything.

There are only two minor complaints about the book. First, this is a book about foods from specific geographic regions, yet there is no map to assist one in visualizing where in France these regions occur. While many foodies may be familiar with the location of Provence, is probably the rare American who knows that the Alsace is in the East, bordering on Germany. This explains similarities between food in the Alsace chapter and common German dishes such as sauerkraut. Second, as the author states himself, there was much Procrustean lumping together of different geographical regions to form a single culinary identity. The author blames this on his editors. I am willing to believe this, and register my complaint to the editors that I am really surprised that they could come up with only six culinary regions (Lyonnais, Provence, Bordelais, Perigord, Brittany-Normandy, and Alsace).

These two complaints aside, this is hands down the very best introduction to French cuisine I have seen for the casual reader. Be sure to read Julia Child and Elizabeth David and Patricia Wells, but read this book first. It will clearly whet your appetite for those other classic authors.

Very highly recommended.

Bravo Monsieur Bocuse. Finally, an authentic French Cuisine Book. The recipes are simple and truly traditional. The ingredients are available at your corner grocery store and THAT is a refreshing change. The only French Cookbook you will ever need.

From the cover one is in for a treat, both to the eye and palate. The photography in this cookbook is simply gorgeous. How can one take a shot of a man holding a rooster in front of a bin of corn and make it look like a million dollars? It's here.

The recipes are the best of the tradition which the French are world famous for. Here are stressed the best in ingredients, cooked lovingly with patience and care and technique to bring out their succulence from French Regions.

Feast on such as "Cod and Vegetables with Garlic Mayonnaise" "Stuffed Breast of Veal" "Lyon Style Onion Soup" "Veal Stew" "Pears in Beaujolais."

Truly Bon Appetit.

This wonderful and important book, give you the most authentic recipes and background on many famous dishes from the regions of France.
If you follow the recipes and ingredients exactly you inevitably bring authentic refined flavors of French cuisine to your kitchen.
There is no use of stocks and other base recipes, the sauces are made along the dish preparation, this can take longer but sometimes it's better for home cooks.
Try this book "Basque-style chicken", the "Nice-style Salad", the "Macaroni and Cheese", and you will be surprised to find how these simple recipes capture the delicate nature of French cuisine.
Note: the "Bouillabaisse" recipe has a mistake - add the "soup" fish to the pot after the onion step.

Master chef Paul Bocuse compiled this book of signature regional French recipes. He presents them in an uncomplicated form to show the essence of the dish. This means these are not his five-star Paris reinterpretations of these dishes. A selection of beautiful photographs show good presentation for about half the recipes.

I found the majority of the recipes taste good as presented, and are robust enough to support reinterpretation by imaginative cooks. There may be more comprehensive collections of regional French cooking. But I think Bocuse has met his goal of explaining regional cooking well enough to begin a discussion of how it should influence the search for excellence.

This book contains over 100 recipes, of which about 40 caught my eye. Many others that seemed just OK may turn out great. But overall these recipes describe very traditional dishes, so you can find similar recipes in a wide variety of sources.

I think Paul Bocuse a great and masterful chef, but he has created a book of delicious, yet average, unenlightening fare. I must recommend as a better choice Anne Willan's Regional French Cooking. It is out of print, but I found a nice hardcover on Amazon. The book goes into beautiful details of each French region (divided into 12 regions) covering history, climate, and idiosyncrasies and their effects on the food of that area, with wonderful representative recipes from hors d'oeuvre through dessert. There are many photographs, but few of the dishes for which she has recipes (this is the only fault). It is not glossy nor as breathtaking as her "Chateau Cuisine" or "From My Chateau Kitchen", but every bit as charming and instructive. If you want to learn about France through its food you can't do better. I hope they reprint it someday. [...]

Overall the book is great, but I came across a mistake in the measure of a certain ingredient.
2 cups sugar, 1/2 a cup of flour for a cake. Probably got messed up in the translation or something.
So, buyer beware.

This book epitomizes the very essence of great French cooking. Whilst I cannot purchase most of the ingredients used in the recipes, the recipes themselves are classics!! Us ing the recipe as a guide, an experiened cook can re-create almost the same results. Truly Monsieur Bocuse is a genius in the culinary arts!! A real must have for the serious cook!!!!!