Roger Vergé's Vegetables in the French Style [Hardcover]

Roger Vergé (Author), Bernard Touillon (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 1994

Roger VergT's first memories were of the tiny spring vegetables grown by his father. Former proprietor of the world famous Moulin de Mougins in the south of France near Cannes, a restaurant with two stars in the Michelin guide, he was not content to leave vegetables where they are so often consigned by classical French cuisine--as a garnish to accompany meats or fish--but explored all their culinary possibilities.

The result is Roger VergT's Vegetables in the French Style, a tribute to his love affair with vegetables. It contains 150 recipes for sauces, soups, salads, gratins, terrines, and other ways of bringing out the natural goodness of high-quality produce. Recipe headnotes and sidebars add scores of exciting cooking and serving ideas, encouraging improvisation. Section introductions provide important advice on how to choose the best vegetables in the market. An extensive appendix details the classic methods of vegetable cookery--poaching, sweating, braising, frying, and baking--as well as today's favored methods--steaming, stir-frying, and grilling. One hundred color photographs show elegant and simple finished dishes as well as succulent fresh vegetables.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Verge, founder of the Moulin de Mougins restaurant in the South of France, brings an infectious enthusiasm for vegetable cookery to this book. The recipes reflect his fondness for his adopted home in Provence in their use of olive oil, anchovies and, of course, vegetables. Whether vegetarian, health-conscious or simply looking for new recipes, you'll find something of interest here. In addition to individual vegetables, Verge also provides recipes for vegetable medleys such as three-vegetable quiche with thyme and all-vegetable menus. A very useful chapter on sauces and coulis that enhance and complement the different vegetable flavors also is included. Verge provides strict instructions on how to pick the freshest and best vegetables and which wines complement his creations. Although the recipes are well-written and the comments helpful, inexperienced cooks might be confused by such instructions as "throw in a handful of salt." Likewise, anyone unsure of how to sweat a vegetable had better study Verge's chapter on techniques. Cooks will find that Verge strives to enhance delicate flavors and combine pleasing or intriguing tastes and textures in spinach-coconut flan and glazed pearl onions with dried currants. One caveat: though recipes primarily contain vegetables, many cannot be considered low-fat, as they use butter or olive oil in preparation.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This beautiful book is the result of French master chef Verge's passion for vegetables. He begins with an entire chapter devoted to sauces specifically for vegetables and then moves on to Sun-Drenched Vegetables, Vegetables of the Earth, Vegetables from Afar, and more. Some of the 150 recipes, many illustrated with full-page color photographs, are Verge's version of classic French, particularly Provencal, dishes; others are homey, grandmere-style food; and still others are unusual and innovative dishes, such as stylish Turnip Cakes with Cardamom. Recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Artisan (January 9, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885183046
• ISBN-13: 978-1885183040
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best vegetable cook book that i have, and i have alot, May 24, 2000

By 

srf "reggae fan" (dc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roger Vergé's Vegetables in the French Style (Hardcover)

this book is excellent. the recipies range from simple to complex and each one tastes wonderful once compleeted. there are recipies for almost every vegtable imaginable as well as information about the tast, texture and how to select that particular ingreedient. i have and have read many, many cook books, vegitatian and non and this is by far one of the most comprehensive and interesting around. it is easy to use and the results are fantastic.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creme de la creme, September 18, 2004

By 

Gina Kruml - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Roger Vergé's Vegetables in the French Style (Hardcover)

There is no better book out there about cooking vegetables. From beginning to end Verge communicates his love and knowledge of vegetables. From the very simple to the technically challenging, the recipes herein contained are not to be out done. So good in fact are these recipes that I was inspired to travel to France just to eat in Verge's restaurant. Sound stupid? If you make even 10 of the recipes in this book you might not think so.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Merci Monsieur Verge, April 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Roger Vergé's Vegetables in the French Style (Hardcover)

If I could write a letter to Monsieur Verge I would thank him for sharing his passion for vegetables and transporting me to France each time I open this beautiful book. The recipes are outstanding and although some may intimidate the novice cook, I urge you to try them. The results will delight and you will find they are not as difficult as you may have thought. A favorite book and a pleasure to look at with a nice glass of Chardonnay. But not for long...you'll soon be back in the kitchen!