From Publishers Weekly
Michelin-starred Ducasse pairs up with grande dame of simplicity Bernard in a book that melds his luxurious twists on old classics with her unfussy, economic dishes to offer a mixture of home cooking ease and restaurant glamour. Despite their differences, they have much in common, from their insistence on quality ingredients to their passion for food and its preparation. Having chosen 52 ingredients most common in French cuisine, the authors both offer two recipes for each (as well as little notes on each other's recipes). The book begins with Shellfish and Fish, and then moves on to Poultry and Meat; Vegetables; Eggs, Pasta and Rice; and finally Fruit. Appetizers and desserts get nestled among main courses this way, but cooks can also easily find a dish suitable for the best, market-fresh ingredients, from the firm piece of Hake used in the tasty Oven-Baked Hake to the simple Belgian Endives with Butter and Lemon. Many recipes are for well-known classics like the Steak au Poivre with Old-Style French Fries or Artichokes in Vinaigrette, but others are given a new zing: Ducasse's French Toast with Strawberries and Mint Salad, for example, is fresh and inviting. The resulting book will please home cooks of skills both modest and grand; that the ingredient lists are not arranged vertically (and are therefore difficult to read) is the book's only flaw.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
