Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World: Paris: Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World (Hardcover)

by Marlena Spieler (Author) "The Parisii, a reportedly wild and greedy Celtic tribe, settled on what is now the île de la Cité, in the heart of Paris, in..." (more)
Key Phrases: fromage blanc, duck legs, Les Halles, Loire Valley, Place de la Madeleine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An insider’s guide to the recipes, ingredients, and traditions that define international city cuisine, the Foods of the World series is the definitive cookbook collection for anyone passionate about food and travel. Richly photographed, with over 45 authentic recipes and in-depth culinary features, each book brings readers closer to the best eating experiences each city has to offer from a culinary authority Americans trust.

Paris, the culinary heart of France, is renowned for its markets, bakeries, and cafés. Traditional and innovative dishes such as Boeuf en Daube, Frisée Salad with Bacon, and Strawberry Soup exemplify the city’s remarkable cuisine.

Key Features:

* Learn to make the perfect steak frites or Crème Brûlée, fit for a Parisian bistro

* Go behind the scenes to see how Brie and Champagne are made

* Read about the bistros, brasseries, restaurants, and specialty shops that make Paris one of the most renowned culinary destinations in the world

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Oxmoor House; First Edition edition (October 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0848728548
• ISBN-13: 978-0848728540
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,966 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More reference than cookbook, January 24, 2005

By	foodlover (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews

This cookbook was an enjoyable read, but more as a reference work on the food of Paris than a comprehensive cookbook of Parisian dishes. The pictures are gorgeous and inspiring, but the recipes limited in number. It covers in great detail the everyday foods that make Paris so wonderful --- the different types of cheese, bread, coffee, etc.

As a cookbook, it's quite limited and far from comprehensive. It is, however, quite refreshing to have a cookbook with such detailed information on the regional background of Paris to whet your appetite for the recipes.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Combo of armchair travel with good recipes, December 1, 2005

By	Esther Schindler (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a great book, but it's a little hard to quantify. It has only 45 recipes, so it's not an extensive overview of Parisian cooking.

The recipes are a little on the simplistic side, but in this case that's a good thing. I can easily contemplate making this beef stewed in red wine (boeuf en daube) for an ordinary family dinner, rather than making a big deal out of authenticity (and putting off the experience until I had a spare weekend in which to do it). Like many Williams Sonoma recipes, these are non-intimidating and *very* tasty versions of much more complex dishes. I've had good luck with their recipes before, and these give me no reason to doubt their quality.

The choice of recipes are very nice, too. They're all evocative of Paris: frisee salad with bacon, sauteed chicken with riesling, warm lentils with vinaigrette, apple tarte tatin. Every one has a photo, too. It's impossible to read through them without checking on the price of flights to France.

Half the book is given over to a foodie's overview of the city, with photos and text about La Boulangerie, Le Vin, Le Chocolat. It wouldn't exactly be a guidebook; this is more inspiration for what you might find as you wander the streets of Paris, in search of a perfect cheese, or to get a sense of the scope of French winemaking. It has lots and lots of lovely photos... and I've had to wipe the drool off more than a few.

I'm sure to make several of these recipes, over the next few months. But I think I'll spend more time looking at the pictures.

If you're looking for an introduction to French cooking that captures the mood as well as the recipes, this is a great choice. Or if you're stuck for a holiday gift for someone who likes exotic cuisine, this would be really wonderful.

Personally, I'm going to look for the other books in this Williams Sonoma series; I like it a lot.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Paris Overview from a Purely Culinary Eye, July 27, 2006

By	Ed Uyeshima (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I've enjoyed and successfully used the recipes from the San Francisco volume for nearly two years now, so I decided to branch out and get the Paris one. The Williams-Sonoma collection of cookbooks is always well-designed and executed, and the set focused on the world's culinary capitals appears to be no exception. Author Marlene Spieler, a UK-based American food columnist and cookbook author, certainly knows Paris as she starts in the third century B.C. and moves right along chronologically to nouvelle and contemporary cuisine. She acutely describes the priority the French has put on food and even conveys the nuances in the flavors to be found within each of the city's twenty arrondissements (districts). There is an essential "Best of Paris" section that breaks down the culinary dimensions in neat categories - la boulangerie (bakery); le café (coffee); la charcuteries (butcher shop); la fromage (cheese); specialty shops focused on oils, caviar and truffles among other necessities; le vin (wines); la pâtisserie (pastry) and le chocolat.

The context provides a nice leaping-off point to the recipes, which actually don't begin until page 74, but the 47 selections all look tasty and not overly complex to prepare. There are simple basic dishes like an herb omelet to heartier fare such as Roast Duck Legs with Savoy Cabbage and Steak with Shallot Sauce. There are foolproof recipes for French Onion Soup and Pomme Frites (French fries) that basically go with any of the entrees. Unsurprisingly, the desserts are tantalizing but not overly fussy, the most complicated probably being the Charlotte aux Framboises (raspberry charlotte). The most luscious-looking one, in my opinion, is the Tarte Tatin (upside-down apple tart). Speaking of which, the book has an abundance of Willaims-Sonoma's sharp color photography courtesy of Jean-Blaise Hall, who did similar honors with the San Francisco volume. Chuck Williams has yet again done justice to a city renowned for its food by providing this evocative culinary guide. It is certainly not the most comprehensive one compiled, but it is perfect for the home chef and armchair traveler.