Hot Sun, Cool Shadow: Savoring the Food, History, and Mystery of the Languedoc [Paperback]

Angela Murrills (Author), Peter Matthews (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2008

Hot Sun, Cool Shadow is the story of one couple's discovery of the Languedoc--a region of France near the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrennes--and their quest for a new home where they could have a simpler life and where they could "live to eat."

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

More than a decade ago, Angela Murrills and husband Peter Matthews began their love affair with the Languedoc, an area in southern France near the Mediterranean coast and the Pyrenees. One of Europe’s oldest and most historic regions, it is rich with wonders including wild white horses, Roman ruins, and Carcassonne, Europe’s greatest fortified town. What really drew them to this area, however, was the locals’ love of food and wine. As their dream of owning a French home intensified, they began to discover another way of living—a slower one based on gastronomic pleasure and the really important things in life: hunting for mushrooms, morning trips to the bakery and heated debates about the best way to make cassoulet. 

 

Capturing the essence of the slow food movement—the discovery and
preservation of authentic culinary traditions—Hot Sun, Cool Shadow is an
unabashed celebration of the joys of food and life’s simple pleasures. Fortified
by mouthwatering recipes and charming duotone illustrations, Murrills’ savory prose pays homage to the connection between the history, the food, and the
people of the Languedoc.

About the Author

Angela Murrills writes on food, wine, and lifestyle for many publications, including Nuvo, Northwest Palate, Food Arts, Western Living, and the Georgia Straight. She is the author of Food City: Vancouver. She and her husband, retired art director Peter Matthews, divide their time between Vancouver and the Languedoc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 1st edition (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762747471
• ISBN-13: 978-0762747474
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,759 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing chronicle of life in rural France, June 21, 2009

By 

Cheryl C. Shaw "J'adore la France." (Guilford, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Hot Sun, Cool Shadow: Savoring the Food, History, and Mystery of the Languedoc (Paperback)

Angela Murrills paints a portrait in words of an incredibly beautiful and ancient land where people live a life much like their ancestors did in small villages in France in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon. It is a fulfilling life centered on family, the land, local cuisine, customs and friends, with the knowledge that their life is full and rewarding while the rest of the world tries to keep up with the frenetic pace of "progress". Almost every sentence is a lovely metaphor, leaving the reader speechless as one imagines the place she is describing. Each chapter ends with a recipe and a sketch of the places she visits. This is a gem of a book. I was sad to finish it. Its beauty is breathtaking.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious Reading, March 30, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Hot Sun, Cool Shadow: Savoring the Food, History, and Mystery of the Languedoc (Paperback)

Essential reading for anyone planning a trip to the Languedoc. Part guidebook, part history, part culinary journey, part cookbook, it's also the story of a couple who actually did what many of us dream of doing: finding a second home somewhere warmer, sunnier and more relaxed, with, in this case, better food.
Angie Murrills is a vivid writer with a keen eye, a warm heart and an insatiable appetite for food and food history. Each chapter ties a food - cassoulet, confit, anchovies, cheese - with a Languedoc town or region, illustrated with small, charming ink drawings by Peter Matthews.
I dare you to read this and not start planning a lazy trip boat trip down the Midi Canal, or a trip to the Camargue, to see a bloodless bull fight in Stes. Maries de la Mer.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as billed, December 30, 2009

By 

Hobiz2 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hot Sun, Cool Shadow: Savoring the Food, History, and Mystery of the Languedoc (Paperback)

I was expecting a mix of guidebook, sentiments, food, etc rolled into one. Instead there is little history, nor "guidebook" in this. It is primarily a rambling missive about her passion for food. That's OK, but not how it is reviewed. It is a copy of "A year in Provence" without the humor. You have been warned.