Glorious French Food: A Fresh Approach to the Classics - Hardcover

Peterson, James K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471442763 ISBN 13: 9780471442769

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2002

Synopsis

From the James Beard award--winning author of Sauces-a new classic on French cuisine for today's cook His award-winning books have won the praise of The New York Times and Gourmet magazine as well as such culinary luminaries as chefs Daniel Boulud, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Waters. Now James Peterson brings his tremendous stores of culinary knowledge, energy, and imagination to this fresh and inspiring look at the classic dishes of French cuisine. With a refreshing, broadminded approach that embraces different French cooking styles-from fine dining to bistro-style cooking, from hearty regional fare to nouvelle cuisine-Peterson uses fifty "foundation" French dishes as the springboard to preparing a variety of related dishes. In his inventive hands, the classic Moules a la mariniere inspires the delightful Miniature Servings of Mussels with Sea Urchin Sauce and Mussel Soup with Garlic Puree and Saffron, while the timeless Duck a l'orange gives rise to the subtle Salad of Sauteed or Grilled Duck Breasts and Sauteed Duck Breasts with Classic Orange Sauce. Through these recipes, Peterson reveals the underlying principles and connections in French cooking that liberate readers to devise and prepare new dishes on their own. With hundreds recipes and dazzling color photography throughout, Glorious French Food gives everyone who enjoys cooking access to essential French cooking traditions and techniques and helps them give free reign to the intuition and spontaneity that lie in the heart-and stomach-of every good cook. It will take its place on the shelf right next to Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

About this title

About the Author

James Peterson has taught professional and home cooks at The French Culinary Institute and Peter Kump's New York Cooking School (now called The Institute of Culinary Education). A French-trained chef and former owner of a highly acclaimed French restaurant in New York, he is also the award-winning author of: SAUCES (Winner, 1992 James Beard Foundation); SPLENDID SOUPS (Nominee, 1994 James Beard Foundation); FISH AND SHELLFISH (Winner, 1997 International Association of Culinary Professionals); VEGETABLES (Winner, 1999 James Beard Foundation); ESSENTIALS OF COOKING (Nominee, 2000 International Association of Culinary Professionals and Nominee, 2000 James Beard Foundation); SIMPLY SALMON; SWEET WINE.

From the Back Cover

"The work of James Peterson brilliantly reexamines the great French classics and, in so doing, invites us to rediscover the recipes that have made the tradition of France."
Paul Bocuse, Executive Chef and Owner, Le restaurant de Paul Bocuse

"James Peterson has done an amazing job reviving classics and making them accessible for the home cook. French cuisine has never sounded so exciting!"
Eric Ripert, Executive Chef, Le Bernardin

"An authoritative encyclopedia and a fascinating geography of French food. It not only makes me want to cook, it makes me want to hurry back to France. . . . a treasury of slow-cooking recipes."
Sara Moulton, Executive Chef, Gourmet magazine; and Host, Food Network's Sara's Secrets

"James Peterson knows his topic-and it certainly shows in his newest book, Glorious French Food. This cookbook will become a must in the culinary library of any serious home cook."
Daniel Boulud, Chef and Owner, Daniel, Café Boulud, and db bistro moderne

From the Inside Flap

James Peterson's books have won enthusiastic acclaim, from the pages of the New York Times to the accolades of leading chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Jeremiah Tower, and Alice Waters. Now this James Beard Award-winning author and teacher shares his passion for the flavors of France with a completely original and inspiring new approach to the classic dishes of French cuisine.

In Glorious French Food, Peterson explores the essential ingredients, techniques, and recipes of French cooking to uncover the underlying principles and connections that have helped define its unique culinary traditions. Through this broadened perspective, he shows cooks how to move beyond recipes and bring the spirit and techniques of French cuisine to their own special dishes. Comprehensive in scope and scale, Glorious French Food can help everyone acquire a deeper understanding of French food-and become a better cook in the process.

Peterson begins with classic French recipes that embrace the full range of French cooking styles, from cuisine classique to bistro cooking to nouvelle cuisine. He "gets inside" each basic recipe to reveal the essence of the dish through its history, evolution, ingredients, and preparation techniques. Then he shows how to use this knowledge to create delicious new dishes that are faithful to the spirit of the original recipe, but also distinctive and fresh.

In Peterson's hands, timeless Duck à l'Orange gives rise to the subtle Salad of Sautéed or Grilled Duck Breasts and Sautéed Duck Breasts with Classic Orange Sauce, while traditional Cheese Soufflé blossoms into stunning Individual Goat Cheese Soufflés and Twice-Baked Mushroom Soufflés with Morel Sauce. He also charms sweet tooths with such delightful desserts as Ginger Pôts-de-Crème and Orange-Flavored Crème Caramel, both derived from classic Crème Brulée.

Infused with Peterson's characteristic wit, warmth, and easy conversational style, Glorious French Food is as delicious to read as it is to cook from. Filled with exciting recipes and ideas, it is an irresistible resource for everyone who enjoys French cooking at its glorious best.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471442763
• ISBN 13: 9780471442769
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 768