Customer Reviews

Perfect French Country Cooking

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

 

 

Since Amazon hasn't provided an editorial review for this book, here's the description from the back to help you decide if this book is for you: "The step-by-step cookbook that shows you what each dish should look like, teaches you exacltly what to do, tells you how long it will take." This book is loaded with picutres of every dish as well as some hints and techniques. A very nice cookbook no matter what your level of skill.

Anne Willan is one of my favorite cookbook authors. She details a recipe with step-by-step instructions, clear photographs, as well as variations on a dish. When it comes to French country cooking, she makes it look easy. She lists out the ingredients and the equipment, in words and in pictures. She posts the shopping list and the order in which to do things (i.e. prepare the ingredients; roast the lamb and vegetables; finish the dish.)

It's her tidbits in the side margins, pointing to the image, and peppered throughout that make this enjoyable reading. For example, "The favorite French sweet pastry is pate sucree. The proportion of sugar and egg yolks gives the dough a crumbly character, much like a biscuit."

With a section on techniques and an index at the back of the book, this is sure to be a winner in anyone's cookbook collection.

Anne Willan's books are great. In this series, especially this particular book she shows how to cook dishes that are gourmet, but breaks the information into steps with multiple photos and drawings for each step. Everything I cooked from this book became a family favorite.