In this new classic cookbook, Georgeanne Brennan takes us on an intimate journey to the land of her culinary inspiration. Haute Provence, the hidden heart of the Midi, is the last bastion of the old French way of culinary life. Here Brennan offers a loving homage to this special region, a rich tapestry of personal stories and delicious recipes, including such savory dishes as Leg of Lamb in Crust of Herbes de Provence, Braised Greens and Black Olives, Beef Daube with Dried Cepes, Belgian Endive and Mache Salad, Soupe au Pistou, and tempting desserts such as Tarte Tatin of Brandied Pears. An exquisite cookbook as well as a transporting memoir, The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence is perfect for all who long for the rustic pleasures of the South of France.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Reviews From:
New York Newsday
Publishers Weekly
By Marie Bianco
THE ADVENTURE began in 1970 when Georgeanne Brennan and her husband left California and bought a house in Haute Provence, a rural and rugged area of France an hour north of the more glamorous Cote d'Azur. In the plain and simple life they chose, Brennan planted a kitchen garden, raised pigs and made goat cheese. But best of all she cooked.
Her new book, "The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence," part diary, part cookbook and part armchair travel guide, focuses on one of the largely undiscovered areas of France. Here her neighbors eat what they grow, gather, raise and hunt, and she does the same. Her recipe for boudin noir (black pudding) comes from the butcher, the one for poor man's foie gras from Madame Corbet, a neighbor.
Each chapter gives instructions on some of the basics of Provençal cuisine--things I've always wanted to try, such as curing olives, desalting dried cod, seasoning fresh cheese, drying mushrooms, preserving fruit in alcohol.
In Haute Provence the food is perfumed with olive oil, and its production is a large part of country life. Brennan shares her delight at the first sampling of oil from her own olive trees. She describes the importance of every French farm woman's potager, or kitchen garden, which supplies fresh vegetables from the first fava beans of spring to the last pumpkin of fall.
Brennan's recipes ring true with the flavors of Haute Provence. They are varied and easy to follow. Although you may not be tempted to try your hand at boudin noir or wild boar casserole, there are plenty of pasta dishes, seasonal vegetable side dishes, chicken and lamb entrees and simple desserts.
From: Publishers Weekly
Just when it seems that Provençal cuisine is almost old-fashioned, Brennan makes it new again. She and her husband bought their home in the fuzzily defined region of Haute Provence in 1970. While their children were small, they lived off their farm, keeping goats and pigs and selling goat cheese locally. Their involvement in local agricultrue, described in essays on, for example the making of olive oil, sets this fine book apart from the run-of-the-mill memoirs of expatriate life in Tuscany and Provence. Only an insider is likely to know that "French pharmacists are trained in mycology and enthusiastically identify mushrooms brought to them." The recipes are excellent, offering toothsome and generally simple-to-fix dishes that highlight the flavors of Provence. Chapters are arranged around ingredients such as wild mushrooms and truffles or nuts. Each begins with an essay and a few basic techniques (e.g., the chapter on cheese explains how to make flavored cheese spreads.) Fresh flavors abound in dishes like Galettes of Wild Greens, and Warm Polenta Crêpes with Peaches and Fresh Goat Cheese. Among the desserts is Green Almond Ice Cream. Heartier foods include Baked Pheasant with Chestnuts, Cèpes, and Cabbage; Fried Ravioli with Garlic-Spinach filling; and Baked Pasta with Chanterelles. Brennan's graceful blend of agricultrual knowledge, food combinations, flavor descriptions and clear recipe directions is outstanding.
About the Author
Georgeanne Brennan is a James Beard Award-winning author of numerous cooking and garden books. She lives in Northern California and France.
Jeffrey Fisher has had his illustrations published in many books and magazines. He lives in France.
Patricia Wells is the author of Bistro Cooking and Simply French. She divides her time between Paris and Provence.
Jeffrey Fisher has had his illustrations published in many books and magazines. He lives in France.
Patricia Wells is the author of Bistro Cooking and Simply French. She divides her time between Paris and Provence.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Provence becomes close to downtown Manhattan,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence (Hardcover)
I have been a fan of Georgeanne Brennan's writing and recipes ever since I picked up a copy of France: The Vegetarian Table several years ago. This book about Provencal cooking had exactly the same effect on me. Apart from being charmingly designed, it is well thought-out, organized into chapters based on typical Provencal ingredients (olives, certain herbs, cheeses etc) and so beautifully written that one is nearly transported to the South of France as one cooks. I have tried numerous recipes from this book and have never been disappointed with a single one: they have all been wonderful. They are uniformly precise and simple to follow. Georgeanne Brennan has a superb sense of cooking with what is to hand, following the availability of seasonal produce, and focussing on abundant fresh vegetables and herbs. This book is a total treat. I think it is one of the best books on cooking of this region since Richard Olney's efforts...
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful kitchen companion,
By
This review is from: The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence (Hardcover)
This is really a wonderful cookbook. The recipes are delicious, and whenever ingredients would be hard to find in the U.S., Brennan talks about more-readily available options and how they change preparation. Even better, though, are the descriptive essays that precede each section in the book. Brennan describes how the food fits into the culture of Haute Provence. It's not only pleasant reading, but you learn how the natives mix flavors, so you can begin to develop recipes on your own that have provencal flavors. I'm sorry to see it currently unavailable, so snap it up used if you see it!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth owning even if there were no recipes,
This review is from: The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence (Hardcover)
In this well-conceived and beautifully written cookbook/memoir, Ms. Brennan transports her readers to a rural and rugged area of France that lies only an hour north of the glamorous Côte d'Azur. She offers an enticing collection of workable recipes both traditional and nontraditional, intertwining them with a treasure trove of personal reminiscences and invaluable information on foodstuffs. A pleasure to read as well as to cook from.
Also recommended: "Madeleine Kamman's Savoie."
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