A Table in the Tarn: Living, Eating and Cooking in Rural France [Hardcover]

Orlando Murrin (Author), Jonathan Buckley (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

Who among us has not dreamed of leaving the rat race behind to follow our heart's desire--and who among us has actually taken that leap of faith? Orlando Murrin, a former journalist and cook, did exactly that when he gave up his life in London to open a gourmet bed-and-breakfast with his partner in southwestern France.

 

A Table in the Tarn is Murrin's intimate account of how he painstakingly transformed the simple 19th-century Manoir de Raynaudes into a celebrated gastronomic destination. Beautifully written and photographed, this cookbook and food memoir includes more than 80 recipes for the Anglo-French dishes that have brought the Manoir acclaim, along with tales of the extraordinary people and gorgeous countryside of the unspoiled Tarn Valley.

 

A feast for food lovers and Francophiles alike, A Table in the Tarn is a truly evocative story of life in a rural paradise.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Orlando Murrin was the editor of BBC Good Food Magazine, launched the English magazine Olive, and was a writer for Cosmopolitan. He is the author of numerous cookbooks, including the bestseller No Cook Cookbook. He lives in the Tarn Valley and runs the Manoir de Raynaudes.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang; 1st Printing edition (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584797622
• ISBN-13: 978-1584797623
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #352,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Bones, March 22, 2009

By 

Sue Aran (Ayzieu, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Table in the Tarn: Living, Eating and Cooking in Rural France (Hardcover)

I didn't realize A Table in the Tarn was solely about Le Manoir de Raynaudes, and the "lining, eating and cooking" revolved around this particular establishment in rural France, so I was somewhat disappointed, my mistake. That being said, I thought the presentation was very well done, the photography lovely and the recipes, a few of which I've tried already are superb. I would have preferred more meat on the bones to satisfy my tastes. I have read just about every book I can get my hands on about living, eating and cooking in rural France because I have spent the last 4 years renovating a house in rural France and plan to move there next year. I would definitely recommend this book for the recipes, but not for any insight into real day to day living.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Would love to stay, July 1, 2009

By 

Laura Ellis (Dothan, Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Table in the Tarn: Living, Eating and Cooking in Rural France (Hardcover)

A Table in the Tarn is a lovely book about how a couple of British gentlemen bought a farmhouse and transformed it into a gourmand's getaway. The text of that procedure is good, though not terribly inspiring. The recipes, too, are servicable but not great.

I was hoping for something more lively, personable, and found the text somewhat aloof and stand-offish.

The photographs are good, and the place looks inviting. I'd love to go and stay there. But then I'd love to go anywhere in southern France!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love this book, July 17, 2009

By 

S. Larson (San Rafael, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Table in the Tarn: Living, Eating and Cooking in Rural France (Hardcover)

I have really been enjoying this book. It is well written and I have had a chance to make several recipes, all of which I would repeat. The granola recipe will probably become my go to for my everyday stash. The pictures and text are inspiring, make you really want to hop on a plane. I didn't give it 5 stars because the author seems to be an advocate of the microwave, there are a lot of recipes that call for its use, and I am not. I suppose this may be a necessity in a semi-professional kitchen, but this was a very slight turn off for me.Otherwise, a fantastic book I would recommend buying.