Customer Reviews

The Provence Cookbook

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The cookbooks of `cuisine Provence' just keep coming. The latest is the new book by Patricia Wells, whose credentials for doing a cookbook on a cuisine of France are impeccable, as she has already written seven (7), including an earlier book on Provence entitled `Patricia Wells at Home in Provence'. I made a point of reviewing the earlier book (as well as four (4) of Wells' other books) when I saw the notice of the new book's being published.

Madame Wells gives no clue in this book to distinguish it from the earlier title. She does indicate that it marks the occasion of her living at the farmhouse, Chanteduc, with her husband for the last twenty years. My biggest question about the current volume is, after all the books which have already been published, what new can be said about the cuisine of this singularly fecund culinary terroir? The answer in this book is `A lot'.

Like Wells' earlier Provence book, this book does not dwell on standards such as Bouillabaisse or Salad Nicoise. It presents recipes of local restaurants and bistros and recipes invented by the author herself. There are still lots of references to friends and acquaintances such as Joel Robuchon who happens to be great French chef, but the emphasis in this book, unlike the earlier title, is much more on the restaurants and food producers and vendors of her neighborhood in Provence than it is about Madame Wells and her contacts to the greats of French cuisine. This concentration on contacts in Provence sometimes seems a bit absurd to 99% of Madame Wells' potential audience. What reader / cook in Duluth will have any interest whatsoever in the telephone and fax numbers of `Restaurant Le Mimosa' just outside of Montpellier in Provence? Only that reader who will happen to be traveling to Provence within the next year, I gather. This doesn't mean there are no such contacts of value to the general reader. There are names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses (of course) to many local vintners, truffle merchants, and olive oil producers. I'm certain that if someone were absolutely determined to obtain a bottle of primo olive oil from Provence, they could use this information to track down a source. Note that the references to these merchants is certainly not an afterthought. The subtitle of the book states that it is a book of both recipes and a guide to markets, shops, and restaurants. I will chalk this up as a plus, as 175 good recipes for a list price of less than $30 is a bargain. Throw in first rate intelligence on Provencal merchants and I think the interested buyer will be getting their money's worth.

In addition to addresses and other contacts to Provencal restaurants, the book contains a three-page presentation of major market days in Provence, by day and by department. The end of the book also has three solid pages of sources gathered from the body of the book.

Regarding the recipes, I will not verify that she did not duplicate any recipes from the earlier book other than recipes for aioli, vinaigrettes, stocks, and pistu. Actually, I did check and find that Mme. Wells does not even duplicate her aioli or pistu recipes. That doesn't mean aioli and pistu are not used in the book. They are so ubiquitous that they even appear together in the `Spaghetti a l'Aioli au Pistou' dish. There are chicken stock recipes in both books and they are very similar, yet the one in the current volume is `homemade' and somewhat simpler than the earlier recipe.

The older and newer books are almost exactly the same length. The older book has eleven very traditional chapters. The newer book has thirteen chapters. It has the same eleven titles as the older book plus chapters on `Potatoes' and `Eggs and Cheese'.

I compared the recipes in the `Breads' chapter and found no overlap. Both books contained recipes for Fougasse (French focaccia-like flatbread), but the older book's treatment was a general treatment of this type of bread while the newer book deals only with a single recipe incorporating black olives. Treatment of bread in the older book more thorough in general.

I compared the salad recipes in the two books and found one overlapping title for a `winter salad', yet the two recipes were for two different winter salads.

I compared the potato recipes from the index of the older book to the potato recipes in the new book and again found no overlap. I did, however, find support for Madame Wells' statement in her introduction that her cooking has gotten simpler over the years. As interesting and diverse as the potato recipes are, they are all utterly simple, but not without a clever technique to two. The placing of a bay leaf in a thin slit in new potatoes is certainly new to me.

This book includes wine recommendations for every dish where a recommendation seems appropriate. As with all of her earlier books, the wine recommendations can be pretty arcane and may only be for very general guidance. No apology is made for the obscure references. If wine is not your thing, just ignore them. If you are as fond of wine as are the fictional Drs. Crane, then enjoy yourself.

If you are a fan of Provencal cooking, then you want both books. If you feel the need for at least one book on Provencal cooking and don't want to spring for Richard Olney's oversize tome, then get this newer volume. It's index and table of contents are superior to the earlier book and I do believe the recipes are simpler. If you are traveling to Provence, this book is a terrific find.

Highly recommended. Many simple recipes (not necessarily fast) and lots of panache.

In lieu of a Paula Wolfert book on Provence, for which I've long waited, I settled for Wells', and am more or less content with it. I am wholeheartedly devoted to Richard Olney's books on the cooking of the region, and I have to admit that my opinions about Provencal food have become rather ossified orthodoxies under his cantankerous influence. Nonetheless, many of Wells' recipes are so simple in ingredients and preparation compared to Olney's more archly traditional recipes that I have had to approach them with reservations, even trepidation. Is this cookbook for impatient, taste-blind American "ten-minute gourmets"? Well, not really. But I do believe it cuts too many corners. Even some of Wells' more complex recipes lack many refinements of ingredients and technique that make Provencal food what it is: bright, fresh, subtle, and surprisingly nuanced. For example, her recipe for Soupe au Pistou, that mainstay of the Sothern French summer table, lacks six ingredients listed in Richard Olney's transcription of Lulu Peyraud's recipe. Having followed both recipes, the omissions feel serious: Lulu's recipe produces a light, summery soup that is also velvety and complex. Wells' recipe is nice enough, but the results are rather too herby, and the broth is watery and acidic. There isn't nearly enough olive oil, there's too much tomato, and the results just don't taste Provencal to me. But maybe I'm whining. Let me say something nice.

I think Wells hits her stride with the meats. Her recipe for the red wine-marinated leg of lamb is truly great, and her recipe for a simple red wine daube is very good. I did not like the results of her recipe for pork daube with sweet and hot peppers. It would have been far better, I think, had it called for a fattier cut than the tenderloin [my least favorite part of the pig] and if the olive oil were doubled or tripled. Anyway, the short stretch of meat recipes is the high point of the book for me.

But my favorite feature is the wine notes that accompany most of the recipes. They are well conceived, well written, and constitute a clear window on a little-known wine region. Provencal wine is food wine, first and last, and Wells does a very nice job as matchmaker and inspiring partisan. Grand Aioli with Domaine Tempier Rose... THIS is Provence, and should be the touchstone of any cookbook on the region.

I was so impressed with The Paris Cookbook that I bought this one as soon as I saw it. It is similar in look and feel to the Paris cookbook, but each has its own spirit. The Paris cookbook focuses on the use of produce and meat from city markets as well as recipes from chefs with whom Wells has worked. The Provence cookbook has recipes that highlight fresh food taken directly from the land, simply prepared. I will rely heavily on it this summer, especially for preparation of fresh vegetables from the garden.

It seems as though there wouldn't be much left to say regarding the cuisine of southern France. Scores of volumes have covered the territory but that has not stopped Patricia Wells from venturing yet again into the cooking of Provence. And for that we can be thankful, for no one writes more lovingly about the people, ingredients and techniques of Provence than she.

Among the best recipes included in this volume are those that Wells admits she made up on the spur of the moment using whatever fresh ingredients were available at the time. In the text accompanying the recipe for roasted cherry tomatoes she notes that she was seeking something to fill space in the oven, noticed that her cherry tomatoes were ripening wildly and created a recipe right then that has since become a favorite. There is no better lesson in the spirit of Provencal cooking than this - use what is around, treat it well and you will be well fed.

Perhaps more fun that the recipes themselves, if possible, are the profiles of Wells' favorite producers, vendors and restaurantors. These are the people who inspire Wells herself - the farmers and fisherman, the cooks and the market stal owners. Her nod to their dedication and professionalism is lovely and shows the many strands that are woven together to eat well in the classical sense.

Technically, the book is well organized and the instructions are clear. Wells also includes source and contact information for those lucky enough to visit Wells' territory in person. Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys true, fresh flavors cooked simply in season. That Patricia Wells has managed to cover new ground is a wonder, but she has, in fact, done it again!

The recipe for cauliflower gratin alone is worth the purchase of this book. It is one of the most delicious vegetable dishes I have come across. My family loves it and dinner guests practically swoon over it (especially those who are low-carbing it). I am a big fan of Wells - I highly recommend her Bistro Cooking and Trattoria books as well.

The recipes are simple and almost foolproof. I regularly make the Light Basil Sauce which I find far superior to your regular basil pesto. Make the spaghetti recipe with it, it's fast food that takes about as long as the pasta needs to cook. I would highly recommend making the Roasted Chicken stuffed with Figs and Rice (that may not be the exact title). It's truly delicious. The instructions for roasting are the best that I've come across thus far. Now I can roast a chicken that is evenly cooked and golden brown. The stuffing is fabulous, so haven't changed a thing. While recipe uses a ~5lb chicken, I've made it with 3-4 lb birds and just froze the remaining stuffing in the freeze for the next time that I make this recipe. All the recipes are relatively short and the directions are quite clear. Can't wait to try some of the lamb recipes.

I enjoy cookbooks not only for their recipes but for the stories behind them. The Provence Cookbook is that and more, and you will never get tired reading it from cover to cover. Inside you'll find a guide to markets, shops and restaurants as well as personal insights that introduce you to a Provence full of flavor and culinary creation. True cooks will enjoy delightful recipes that are divided into chapters with selections ranging from appetizers to salads, soups to fish, poultry and rabbit. And of course, no meal is complete without wine, so the thoughtful wine suggestions were appreciated and reminded me of wonderful meals when I lived in France!

-EV/Cruising Cuisine-

Even if I never make one recipe from this cookbook, the notes, side stories, and information are well worth the price. It's a wonderful book that makes me feel like I have been transported to Provence listening to cicadas, smelling lavender, and eating fine and healthy food. It's a wonderful book. Life should always be so simple and sweet.

While the format of this book could have been better, I would have liked glossier pages and some full-color photos of the actual food being prepared, the contents as well as Ms. Wells enthusiasm for her subject spills out from its pages like a breeze heavy with summer scents of fresh-mown grass and bright flowers.

Wells covers all things Provencal: bread, cheese, wine, olives, olive oil, truffles, tapenades -- you name it! Think about southern France until your mouth waters with culinary expectation and then turn to any page in this book for a perfectly lovely explanation or recipe of the gastronomical treats that await you. Wells covers a variety of topics that more than amply seduce the reader to discover each and every one of them individually and in the only way possible -- by visiting France and enjoying its simple pleasures first-hand or by enrolling in one of Ms. Wells' cooking adventures as advertised on her informative website.

The 300+ page book presents a smorgasbord of earthy Mediterrean food that ranges from appetizers, salads, and soups to fish, poultry, rabbit and meat with sides of pasta, rice, grains, vegetables, potatoes, eggs, cheese, bread and finishes with dessert. Each recipe is prefaced or enhanced by a one of Wells' personal stories, a recount of a Provencal tradition, the history of a merchant or restauranteur or the background of a particular wine or herb. A wine suggestion follows complete with information about the wine and its availability.

For sure, the ideas in this book are meant to be executed with only the finest ingredients and complimented with an array of local wines. Unfortunately, for an American audience with limited access to such luxuries as butcher shop meat/poultry selections, market fresh vegetables and fruit, truffles or Moulin-Cornille huile d'olive, the results may not be the burst of simple flavor that stresses the taste of the food itself that Wells intends. Inferior produce, lackluster condiments and grocery store meat cuts may need that extra zing of a complicated preparation to be more fully satisfying.

However, if you find yourself planning a trip to the Midi and new food experiences rate high on your to-do list, utilize the restaurant and merchant names, addresses and telephone numbers and marketplace schedules to formulate a gastronomically elite itinerary that will surely live forever in your taste bud's memory. Wells' infectious attitude and obvious love of what she does can only serve to make you more aware of what is truely good in life.

I pulled this cookbook out in the middle of the nastiest winter we've had here in years. We've been using Wells' other books for a long time--especially the French and Italian bistro books--but had overlooked this book with the Provencal focus a while. Well, what a revelation. It's chocabloc full of great summertime food that we have ingredients for (more or less) even in darkest January. Best of all for our household, it's got a lot of great vegetarian recipes. Carrots oso buco style; lentils with capers, walnuts, walnut oil and mint; white bean ragout with lemon grass, asparagus flan; golden zucchini galette and braised fennel and tomatos are all new favorites for us.

This book has been well and favorably reviewed already, so I can't add much else. But if you want to pull some summer into your drab winter AND, especially if you are into lemons and tomatoes, this is a book that you ought to have. One of Wells' best, in my opinion.