Pedaling Through Provence Cookbook

Rating:
Summary: Our "most-oft-used" cookbook
Review: Bottom line: this is absolutely worth having.

If you look at the food stains on all our cookbooks, this one will have the most food stains on it -- meaning it's the one we refer to the most. The recipes are very provencal, emphasizing fresh ingredients, well matched and well prepared.

But there are some pleasant contrasts to many other provencal cookbooks. Chase doesn't go overboard on obscure meats that you can't easily find in the US (or can't make for finicky dinner guests). Though not in any way designed to be a "health cookbook," the recipes are mostly all just fine when it comes to the health component. Like Jacques Pepin, it's light on saturated fats, but doesn't unnecessarily work to eliminate lovely things like olive oil & butter when needed to make things taste good.

Plus, it's the kind of cookbook that is full of little things that add huge amounts. Example: I have a dozen recipes in other books for Pissaladiere. But in Chase's, she adds a anchoiade spread under the onion topping that makes all the difference, and gets guests asking "What's that flavor in this? It's so good!"

The only time I read the prose (about biking) was when I bought the book. Lovely to read, nice context in which to place a cookbook. But in the end, buy this for the cooking contents.

Rating:
Summary: Our "most-oft-used" cookbook
Review: Bottom line: this is absolutely worth having.

If you look at the food stains on all our cookbooks, this one will have the most food stains on it -- meaning it's the one we refer to the most. The recipes are very provencal, emphasizing fresh ingredients, well matched and well prepared.

But there are some pleasant contrasts to many other provencal cookbooks. Chase doesn't go overboard on obscure meats that you can't easily find in the US (or can't make for finicky dinner guests). Though not in any way designed to be a "health cookbook," the recipes are mostly all just fine when it comes to the health component. Like Jacques Pepin, it's light on saturated fats, but doesn't unnecessarily work to eliminate lovely things like olive oil & butter when needed to make things taste good.

Plus, it's the kind of cookbook that is full of little things that add huge amounts. Example: I have a dozen recipes in other books for Pissaladiere. But in Chase's, she adds a anchoiade spread under the onion topping that makes all the difference, and gets guests asking "What's that flavor in this? It's so good!"

The only time I read the prose (about biking) was when I bought the book. Lovely to read, nice context in which to place a cookbook. But in the end, buy this for the cooking contents.

Rating:
Summary: Pedaling Through Provence Cookbook
Review: I have made many of the recipes in this book and have been delighted every time! Her anecdotes bring back my own memories of this lovely area. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful prose, but sometimes short on directions
Review: What a beautiful book, for beautiful cuisine. I have tried many of the recipes, and although they taste good, I have found a few 'glitches' -- for instance, everything sticks to the pan, or the recipe calls for ingredients but then the directions never say when to use them!

I am now living in Maussane - one of the towns mentioned in the book - it is nice to have the names of the restaurants so I can taste first-hand without having to cook!