Customer Reviews

Made in Marseille: Food and Flavors from France's Mediterranean Seaport

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

 

 

The first 50 pages of this "cookbook" is a wonderfully romantic but not romanticized portrait of Marseille and that historic Mediterranean port of call's long history, native customs, literary inspirations, immigrant influences, notorious mischiefs, and recent cultural revival. Recalling the movie "The French Connection," it's hard to think of Marseille as being trendy, yet Daniel Young makes a convincing case, especially through his side-by-side presentation of the local Provence-based cooking and emigre flavors that gives the food its contemporary appeal.

The recipes I have attempted so far have been delicious and very doable (so far I've preferred to try the straightforward, home-style dishes from home cooks (many from grandmothers, others from fishermen) rather than the more elaborate ones from Marseille's restaurant chefs). I can see myself making the Parmesan and black olive biscuits all the time. The Provencal-style eggs in cocotte are terrific and also simple to prepare. My friends loved the basil potato chips and the Moroccan crepes. The soupe au chocolat -- that's right, chocolate soup -- is to die for!

Incidentally, I'm not sure what "Cloudia," my fellow customer reviewer, is talking about when she complains of no index. My copy of the book has a very detailed index where you would expect to find it, in the back (pages 259-272).

Daniel Young's recent book, Made in Marseille belongs in every serious cook's library, this is a wonderful book. His recipes are a good mix , some Eastern Mediterranean rather than the usual type of French Cookbook which we're more familar with. Mr. Young's bouillabaisse,his excellent appetizers especially his Tapenade are a very good reason to have his very special book, additionally the photographs by Sebastien Boffredo really capture the area.

Alors! robertolov's review is spot on. The author, Daniel Young, has created a sense of place and people that is warm, engaging, and thoughtful. It's somewhat akin to being regaled about a person's family history before actually meeting them. No cutesy French stereotypes here; to bastardize Shakespeare, the author has taken the approach of "what is a cuisine, but its people." Daniel Young is an evocative, compassionate interpreter who shares Marseilles' culture with descriptions that are so intimate, I felt as if I were right there. There is such joy in his discoveries that I couldn't put this book down -can you imagine, a cookbook! As for the recipes... they are terrific, healthy, flavorful and for the most part, quite simple. But of course.

Book arrived in like new condition. This is the second one I ordered for a chef friend. He was so impressed with this book I ordered one for him too.

It was interesting to learn that Marseille is a great Pizza town and has Pizza trucks complete with North African Pizza styles, but that didn't make me feel like I was there. The recipes all seem very complex and seem to come from the kitchens of fancy restaurants. I did manage to create a halfway decent vegetarian Spinach bouillabaise as inspired by one of the recipes.

Incidentally, I was moving when I wrote this review, and so I goofed. Of course there is an index! I don't know why I thought there wasn't one. So I apologize to the author and review readers for that considerable error.