Plats du Jour [Hardcover]

William Black (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2008

There is more than a slight malaise in the air these days about French food and cooking. While the rest of the world delights in the intricacies of molecular gastronomy, in France the years of worship at the temple of the great god Michelin seem to have blinded them to change and evolution. Why is this? What is it about the French that causes them to be so blinkered about their food? Plats du Jour is an attempt to answer that question, as William Black explores the highways and byways of French cooking. Taking as his starting point the great tradition of French food, William tackles years of received wisdom and parochial food snobbery head on, though with his mind (and his mouth) firmly open... He eats tête de veau and fried cow’s udder with his French wife’s family near Orléans. He samples the dubious (and illegal) delights of ortolan in the south west and has the most painfully disappointing gastronomic experience of his life. He combs the beaches of Brittany for seafood and is chased away from a festival by an enraged Basque villager. His dedication to the culinary cause knows few bounds. Plats du Jour is a book which the French aren't going to like very much. That said, it's a highly entertaining and irreverent look at the world's greatest culinary tradition which will be required reading for anyone with an interest in food and cooking...

Editorial Reviews

Review

The author is a veteran of the eat-your-way across the map genre, and this book about France is witty and thoughtful, redolent with garlic and goose fat.” —The Times

About the Author

William Black is the author of Al Dente and the co-author with Sophie Grigson of several bestselling books: Fish, Organic and Travels à la Carte. He was the winner of the Glenfiddich award for his television program A Question of Taste and he has sourced ingredients (fish in particular) for many of the UK’s finest restaurants.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers (September 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059305640X
• ISBN-13: 978-0593056400
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,977,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastique!, November 29, 2010

By 

Melanie Micale (Mocksville, N.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Plats du Jour (Paperback)

Being a Francophile, I truly appreciated this book. Mr. Black's approach to writing about his travels, encounters and culinary experiences were a delight to read.He does not focus on Paris, but on various areas that produce some of the finest ingredients as well as dishes. The descriptions are tantilizing and give an intimate feel. I enjoyed his style so much I have several of his other books on order.