What I'm Reading: French Country Cooking

While browsing the New Release section the other day, French Country Cooking:  Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards caught my eye.

 

"Amid Mrs. Thorisson's recipes are stories of the home's past, as told to her by previous owners and village old-timers.  Readers will learn tales of multiple generations of cooks together in the French country kitchen."  Wall Street Journal
 

I'm only about a quarter of the way into this book and so far I'm in love...  with the author's house!  In the first few pages she describes the home, its history, the antiques she found hidden away, and... cue jealousy!  It's my dream to live in a huge old house and to spend my days hunting for antiques to fill it with.  But I digress...

I'm also loving the recipes of course!  It was my unfamiliarity of French cooking that caused me to grab this book off the shelf in the first place.  Each recipe is preceded by a story or some history (which I love) and many of the recipes are familiar and more simple than I expected.  Note that I said "many of the recipes".  Not all.  Take Everyday Pear Cake for example.  Both familiar and simple.  Far Breton?  Simple but not familiar.  (It's a custard cake with rum and prunes.)  Cassoulet?  Sounds familiar but definitely not simple.  (Do the French typically have goose fat on hand?)

The photography is beautiful:

Everyday Pear Cake

 

Comte, Ham, and Walnut Feuillite

Pain D'Epices

 

I intend to read through the rest of the recipes and then settle on a couple of the unfamiliar but simple ones to test out first!  Happy cooking!