France
 Pierre Gagnaire: Reinventing French Cuisine
Pierre Gagnaire
Not just anyone can get away with such a book title, but Gagnaire is not like everyone else. Adventurous, iconoclastic, innovative, artistic are but a few of the adjectives used to describe his culinary talents. This book traces a forty year culinary journey from his beginnings as an apprentice in the north of France in 1966 to present day international restaurateur in 2006. Hardcover, 199 pp, $72.00.
 Country Cooking of France
Anne Willan
There can never be too many books on the glory that is French cooking. And this book from Anne Willan is particularly glorious. Filled with photographs of both food and the land, it is a feast for the eyes. However, a book from Willan, much praised as a cooking teacher, is always about more than appearance: her lucid instructions allow even the middling cook to recreate her gilded pleasures e.g. truffade, the cheese-laden potato cake from the Auvergne. Any Francophile will treasure this book. Hardcover, 390 pp. $59.95.
  French Food at Home
Laura Calder
When the Food Network show of the same name aired people finally "discovered" Laura Calder, even though the book had been out for some time. A Maritimer, Calder brings a down to earth approach to a cuisine that can intimidate. Spending much of her time in her kitchen in France also helps in translating the nuances of French cuisine for those who have not taken a Cordon Bleu course!Softcover, 229 pages. $19.95.
 My Vue
Shannon Bennett
Now chef/owner of Melbourne’s Vue de Monde, Shannon Bennett’s interpretation of modern French cooking was shaped by the likes of Albert Roux and Marco Pierre White. This book is a primer in classic French culinary building blocks - stocks and fine ingredients from flour to caviar. Poached oysters with scrambled duck eggs, potato confit, and foie gras baked in brioche are among the recipes. Colour photos and drawings. Softcover, 420 pp. $45.00.
 Modern French Cooking
Andreas Antona
This is modern French cooking as interpreted via a British-born Greek Cypriot trained by the Swiss-born Anton Mossiman amongst others. Note that the title says “modern” rather than “contemporary” for the dishes are more representative of the French cuisine that came into vogue in the late 1970s and 1980s. Thus you will find pave of salmon with potato “scales” and caviar sauce and a classic lemon tart with almond pastry and brulee surface. Colour photos. Import, hardcover, 190 pp. $59.95.
 Chez Jacques
Jacques Pepin
Truffle and pistachio sausage, pate of pheasant and roast chicken are a few of the “favorite things” which Jacques Pepin celebrates in a memoir- cum- distillation of his culinary philosophy. Complimented by gorgeous colour photos and reproductions of Pepin’s artwork, a book which might have been totally self-indulgent combines charm with a reservoir of knowledge from which cooks, amateur or professional may benefit. Hardcover, 271 pp. $54.00, or a boxed limited edition with an original piece of art, $180.00.
 Chocolate & Zucchini
Clotilde Dusoulier
The genesis of this book is rooted in the reverse of the classic California girl goes to France and falls in love with food story. This time the Parisian girl went to California. Her food affair begat a popular blog and now an absolutely enchanting book. Though diminutive, it is packed with pleasure: for the joy the author finds in her subject; for her tips for the contemporary cook; and finally, for the recipes, some of them seldom seen in other books (pasta cooked like risotto) and others that offer a new interpretation of standards (tomato and sardine club sandwich). Perhaps not so luscious as Nigella Lawson, Clotilde Dusoulier, nonetheless, brings the same sensibility to French food that Nigella has applied so successfully to British and Mediterranean food. Colour photos. Paper, 244pp, $24.95.
 A Pig in Provence
Georgeanne Brennan
What a pleasure it is to read the writing of someone who is not fixated on the harm food can do to you and/or to the environment! A winner of awards from both the James Beard Foundation and the IACP, Brennan writes of the seasonal rhythms of Provence where she has spent part of the last 30 years. Along with her enticing descriptions, there is a selection of Provencal classics such soupe au pistou, le grand aioli, and gigot d’agneau. Alas, no photos. Hardcover, 223 pp. $32.95.
 Flavors of Provence
Clare Ferguson
The genius of Provencal cooking is that it can both cool you in the summer and warm you in the weather. The prolific Clare Ferguson has written an appealing book with both luscious recipes and essays on various aspects of life and cuisine in Provence. Classics include sea bass grilled over dried fennel twigs, salad nicoise and pan bagnat, and lavender creams with scented syrup. Colour photos. Hardcover, 159 pp. $32.95.
 Markets of Paris
Dixon and Ruthanne Long
Sometimes one wants a little less North American sensibility, sometimes more detail where there is little. Nonetheless, this is a delightful guide to the Paris of its inhabitants rather than the Paris of tourists. Besides food, there are great markets for books, antiques, textiles, and more. Photos scattered throughout enhance the locals-going-about their-lives atmosphere. Paper, 255 pp, $21.95.
 The Festive Food of France
Marie-Pierre Moine
French culture is, perhaps more than in any other country, invariably associated with food. Unsurprisingly, every holiday, festival, regional fair, and local feast day has its own culinary tradition and many are centered around local crops and specialties. Get to know them with this lovingly written ode to the special occasions that mark the French calendar. Similar titles are available for Italy, Spain, China, Thailand, and India & Pakistan. Colour photos. Hardcover, 92 pp. $12.95.
 Gourmet Bistros and Restaurants of Paris
Pierre Rival
A mouthwatering guide to the best bistros and restaurants of Paris,
just in case you weren't aware of the thriving food scene. This
compilation of tried and true establishments is wonderful even
of you never step foot in France. With photography of suptuous
interiors, and stories on the esteemed history many of these places
are steeped in, this is perfect for the armchair traveller. For
those headed to the continent each listing includes complete contact
information.Hardcover, 167 pp. $54.00.
 Gourmet Shops of Paris
Pierre Rival
Lovely book cataloguing the best food shops in Paris, including patisseries,
coffee and tea merchants, wine cellars, and butcher shops. Emphasizing
depth over breadth this a great guide for foody francophiles. Beautiful
colour photographs throughout, with interesting store descriptions
and histories. Hardcover, 165 pp. $55.00.
French
Damien Pignolet
Beautifully produced, updated classics from this Australian chef. The recipes
are easy to prepare with maximum results both visually and on the taste buds,
eg. Pistachio Saffron Cake. Hardcover, 403 pp, $60.00.
 The
Bistros, Brasseries and Wine Bars of Paris
Daniel Young
While there may be endless arguments over the differences between the three
types of establishments, who can deny the pleasure of classics like onion soup
gratinee,
piperade, and warm apple tart. B & W photos. Hardcover, 214 pp, $32.95.
 French
Cheese
Kazuko Masui
Alphabetically ordered profiles and colour photos of more than 350 cheeses make
this the perfect companion for your trip to the cheese shop. Each entry lists
region, method of production, season, appearance, taste and aroma. General information
- wine affinities, storage methods, sources - is also included. Softcover, 288
pp, $27.00 .
 Cooking
of Southwest France
(completely updated)
Paula Wolfert
Long a favourite amongst our staff, a new edition with sixty more
recipes -- half of them new, the others previously published
in other Wolfert works,is cause for celebration. Duck and duck
confit, lamb and beans are all important staples in this hearty
cuisine.
As with other Wolfert books,these are not recipes to be whipped
up in a few minutes after work; they require an investment of
time for which the flavour rewards are great. Colour photos.
Hardcover, 455 pp, $48.99.
 My
Cookbook
Gerard Depardieu
Depardieu always seems to enjoy his food and wine so much so he
has his own vineyard and restaurant. A cookbook is the next logical
step. With his head chef he has created 135 recipes for this book
and they look good! Hardcover, 207 pp, $49.95.
 The
Food of France
Maria Villegas and Sarah Randall
With step-by-step pictures and a dash of travelogue, this collection
of French classics (crepes, quiche, escargots with garlic butter…)
is a good choice for the inexperienced cook. Colour photos. Softcover,
296 pp, $34.95.
 Time
Out Paris: Eating & Drinking
This is the guide you will eat if you want to eat Afghan, Polish
or Korean food in Paris. It also points you to the places with
the best beer lists or the ones that will welcome you and all your
best
buddies. Maps and colour photos. Seventh edition. Softcover, 336
pp, $29.00.
Gourmet
Shops of Paris
Pierre Rival and Christian Sarramon
Laden with colour photos, this book will transport you to the culinary
hotspots of Paris without leaving your armchair. For those visiting
Paris, the appendix serves up all the addresses you will need to know.
Hardcover, 159pp, $55.00
Come to the Table
Louise Luiggi
The co-owner of the Nottingham shop/restaurant, French Living,
Louise Luiggi chronicles her love affair with the French way of
life from her youthful experience as an au pair. She includes
recipes for
many of the French classics such as l 'échalote and mousse
au chocolat. Hardcover, 291 pp, $29.95.
 Great
French Chefs and their Recipes
Jean-Louis Andre and Jean-Francois
Mallet
For some the route to the kitchen was by culinary dynasty—Anne-Sophie Pic,
Marc Haeberlin, For others, it was more circuitous—Olivier Roellinger from
chemistry, Matthieu Viannay from accounting. From the raw tuna sashimi of Bocuse
to Viannay’s pineapple sautéed in vanilla butter with passion-fruit
crisps, these recipes assure the world that France is still a culinary force
with which to reckon. Colour and B & W photos. Hardcover, 256 pp, $60.00.
Guy Savoy
Subtitled Simple French Recipes for the Home Cook, this collection, though
from a master of haute cuisine, is heavy on hearty stews—beef stew
with carrots, rabbit stew with creamy polenta—which are indeed manageable
for amateurs. Great rich rice pudding. Foreword by Patricia Wells. Colour,
b & w photos. Hardcover, 191 pp, $55.00.
A Chef in Provence
Edouard Loubet
The provençal cooking of Edouard Loubet is more rural, more reliant on
fresh herbs—and not just thyme or rosemary either—than what North
Americans have come to expect in books from the south of France. Instead expect
dishes like seared pigeon and whey flavoured with rocket, fried morels with liquorice
root and acacia fritters and ice cream with woodruff. Infusions include cherry
stalks and roasted acorns, angelica, lovage, and rose and lilac. Preface by neighbour
Peter Mayle. Colour photos. Hardcover, 191 pp, $39.95.
 Fast
Food My Way
Jacques Pépin
Pépin shows that with a few well-chosen ingredients, and perhaps a pressure
cooker, good meals can be ours any day of the week. Colour photos. Hardcover,
240 pp, $45.00.
 Barefoot
in Paris
Ina Garten
The Barefoot Contessa took her show in the road and came back with
some of the most popular French recipes -- boeuf bourguignon, endive,
pear and Roquefort salad, and île flottante. Garten’s
mini essays, particularly on Patricia Wells and her cooking school,
are a treat. Photos. Hardcover, 240 pp, $50.00.
 Bistro
Cooking At Home
Gordon Hammersley
The author that has brought French bistro cooking to the American
consciousness has produced an earthy, satisfying volume of recipes.
Honest writing and beautiful colour photos. Hardcover, 334pp.,
$50.00.
 Made in Marseille
Daniel Young
Wonderful anecdotes and black-and-white photos from this great
city dot the pages of Daniel Young's newest book.. The recipes build on
the flavours found along the
Mediterranean coast “ olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, almonds,
figs and honey to name a few. You must try the Warm Baklava of Herbed Goat
Cheese (p.
78) and the Salt Cod Bouillabaisse
(p. 142). Hardcover, 272 pp., $44.95.
 Le Gavroche Cookbook
Michel Roux, Jr.
The son and nephew of the famous Roux brothers, Michel jr. apprenticed
with Alain Chapel before taking charge of Le Gavroche in 1994.
In the family tradition, his
food is of the haute comfort variety with dishes like foie gras
in spiced crumbs and lamb shanks in Madeira with gratin dauphinois
and creamed spinach. Colour photos.
$59.95.
 The Paris Cookbook
Patricia Wells
As usual, Wells manages to adapt for the home cook recipes from
both three-star restaurants and simple neighbourhood bistros. Black
and white photos. $44.95. Recipe: Les
Allobroges's Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic.
Bistro Cooking
Patricia Wells
$21.95.
French Chefs Cooking
Michael Buller
One might have wished for more Bernard Loiseau and some of the others who have not
previously published in English - and rather less Bocuse and Verge. Most of the recipes
are labour intensive and not for the fat phobic. Hardcover. $38.00.
French Culinary Institute's Salute to Healthy Cooking
Alain Sailhac, Jacques Pepin, Andre Soltner, Jacques Torres and the French Culinary
Institute
Classic French concepts without all the cream. Low fat has rarely been this good.
We've had great feedback from our customers on the recipes in this book. $39.99.
Simple French Desserts
Jill O'Connor
Any book with a lemon tart on the cover grabs our attention. From the basics up,
the Cordon Bleu trained former pastry chef of the Golden Door Spa will have the home
cook whipping up patisserie like a pro. Colour photos $26.95.
Cook and the Gardener
Amanda Hesser
Subtitled A Year of Recipes and Writings from the French Countryside, this
is the gift for the enthusiastic cook/armchair gardener. From spring's first tiny
radishes to the brussels sprouts of deepest winter, there is something to stir both
the soul and the palate $46.99.
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Belgian
Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook
Ruth Van Waerebeek
$24.95.
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