By Annerin Long
For Francophones and Francophiles worldwide, March is le Mois de la Francophonie, a month of celebrating the language and cultures of the French-speaking world. Here in Jackson, the local Alliance Française (AFJ) chapter is a great connection to all things French in our area, and this month we’re looking forward to sharing some of our favorite books from French authors and about French culture with Lemuria readers.
Few conversations about traveling in France or French culture will go far before the subject of food comes up, so we will start here with a few favorites for both recipes and about the food scene and personalities.
Because I believe in desserts first to be sure I’m not too full for the sweets, I’ll begin with Ladurée: The Sweet Recipes, a collection from the famous Paris (now worldwide) pâtisserie. Baking isn’t my strength in the kitchen, but my sweet tooth makes this little book one of my favorites to flip through and recall the beautiful windows full of small cakes and tarts found all around Paris. The instructions are clearly written and shortcomings in my attempts with the recipes have more to do with a lack of patience on my part; everything always tastes great and as it should, but just isn’t put together in picture-perfect form. The Sweet Recipes features not only the macarons that Ladurée is so well known for, but also other classic French pastries such as madeleines, savarins, crème brúlée, oeufs à la neige (eggs in snow, or meringues in custard), and tarts, along with other small cakes, cookies, and ice cream.
Hungry for France by Alexander Lobrano is a book for food lovers as much as cooks. Lobrano takes readers around France, exploring the restaurants and food traditions of the different regions, introducing readers to the chefs, and sharing a selection of recipes from each region. A word of warning: the beautiful photography of food, restaurants, and countryside in Hungry for France may leave you wishing you could catch a flight to France the next day.
Julia Child’s objective in writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking was to introduce an American audience to French cooking. This classic deserves a place on every home chef’s shelf for its direct instructions and information for preparing classic French food. Child herself is an interesting and entertaining subject, and AFJ member Carl Cerco recommends her biography My Life in France for a look at the years that were to have such a big impact on the rest of her life.
Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France by Michael Steinberger is an interesting look at the crisis the food industry in France has been facing in more recent years, and for me was an eye-opener on the stresses and pressures restaurants face in having a once sought-after Michelin star.
In The Paris Cookbook, Patricia Wells draws on her friendships with well-known chefs around the city for a collection that will bring a French restaurant dinner into your own kitchen. The scallops with warm vinaigrette from la Cagouille is my go-to recipe when I want a simple but special dinner.
It’s difficult to narrow a list of books of French food, so in addition to other books by the authors already mentioned, a few more for consideration are:
- French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards by Mimi Thorisson
- My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories by David Lebovitz
- On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town by Susan Hermann Loomis
- Escoffier by Auguste Escoffier
Bon appétit!
About the Alliance Française de Jackson
The Alliance Française de Jackson is a non-profit organization with the mission of promoting French language and culture in the Metro Jackson area. This is done through language classes and other educational programs, cultural programming, and special events centered around French celebrations. Many of our members speak French, but it is not a requirement, and we welcome all who love the language and cultures of the Francophone world.
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