In November, I’m reading Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France by Peter Mayle. Having recently visited New Orleans and driven throughout Quebec this past year, I’ve found that I’m devouring books about France and French culture. Although of course the French culture in North America is vastly different than that in actual […]
France
The Year In Books: September with French Lessons by Peter Mayle
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle chronicles the culinary adventures of an English writer living in Provence. While eating across the country with his friends, Mayle finds out how the French stress the importance of local and seasonal foods. One such example is how the chicken farmers of Bresse mark each bird […]
Duck Fat Potatoes
Ducks are waterfowl and capable of flying, which in turn means they have a lot of fat on their bodies. Duck fat itself has a somewhat mealy texture and a delicious, umami, savoury flavour. It has a high smoke point, which means it doesn’t burn easily, so it’s great for frying foods like potatoes, asparagus, […]
The Year in Books: March with The Basque History Of The World by Mark Kurlanksy
Basque History Of The World by Mark Kurlanksy, 1999 “Nomansland, the territory of the Basques, is in a region called Cornucopia, where the vines are tied up with sausages. And in those parts there was a mountain made entirely of grated Parmesan cheese on whose slopes there were people who spent their whole time making […]
The Year in Books: January with My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz, 2014. David Lebovitz says himself that he likes reading the stories behind the recipes, and this is how his new cookbook is formatted. I can read through this cookbook like a novel, and the tales about friends, food vendors, provinces in France, and treasured ingredients are even […]