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Rating: 
Summary: Unique and Beautiful
Review: This cookbook features very imaginative vegetable recipes, although they are neither completely vegetarian nor low fat. Josephine Araldo, who "influenced a generation of American chefs," was born in Brittany, studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and, in 1924, moved to San Francisco. The book is divided into three sections reflecting her work and influences from these settings. One simple and tasty recipe is for "Green Beans From the Brittany Coast" ("Haricots Verts Cotes de Bretagne"); it combines blanched string beans, new potatoes, scallions, garlic, butter, parsley, and seasoning. Directions are clear but brief; for example, there is no instruction on how to "blanch" vegetables. This is probably a very simple procedure, but the author, Robert Reynolds (friend and student of Ms. Araldo) assumes you know the technique. (Caution: Vegetarians and Bugs Bunny fans may also be turned off by the suggested accompaniment of braised rabbit.)It's interesting to contrast the regional and perhaps historical differences among recipes for a particular vegetable; for example, "Cabbage and Rutabaga with Almonds" from Brittany (you may want to skip the two tablespoons of goose or duck fat), "Red Cabbage and Pears" from Paris, and "Cabbage with Apples and Gooseberries" (good with poached salmon) from her San Francisco days. Collated by her friend, Chef Robert Reynolds ("Le Trou Restaurant Francais," San Francisco), who also wrote fascinating regional and biographical notes for each section. No nutritional information, but excellent brief comments on each recipe, an index, and some black and white reproductions of watercolors, and clear uncrowded typeset on thick luminous paper: Overall, a beautifully produced book.
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