Author: Olney, Richard
Title: French Menu Cookbook : A Revised & Updated Edition of a Culinary Classic
Publisher: David R. Godine
Place: Boston
Date: (1970,1985)
Edition: Revised & updated
ISBN: 0879235799
Pages: 313
Binding: Hardback
Condition: NEAR FINE near fine dj
Illustrator: Judith Eldridge
Book Id: MAIN006725I
Details: Introduction, index
Dj: A revised and updated edition of a culinary classic. Substantially rewritten and completely redesigned, The French Menu Cookbook is an essential addition to the library of any serious cook.
When the first edition of this book was published in 1970, it was immediately hailed as both revolutionary and a classic. Here was not only a master cook at work, one whose genius for original recipes and lucid writing was indisputable, but also sensible and sensitive solutions to the problems of arranging a cookbook as well as a meal.
In this completely revised edition, Olney takes us on his personal gastronomic tour. He describes the food and wines, herbs and sauces appropriate to each of the four seasons. But in addition to discussing the ingredients and providing individual recipes, he goes one step further: he combines these into elegant, unforgettable, and consistently surprising menus, menus that are brilliant in their simplicity and sophistication. They reflect the current emphasis on fresh ingredients and fine but less costly wines. They demonstrate how the palate can be continually reawakened and refreshed.
This is a book for the sophisticated cook, because Olney himself is a sophisticated cook. But although some basic knowledge is assumed, the author's instructions are always clear, his reasoning precise, and his prejudices (which are considerable) convincing. He is, above all, an artist, and he approaches food and wine just as a painter approaches his paints and canvas with enormous respect for the materials, an exacting and refined technique, and a clear perception of the desired results.
We are confident that anyone who uses The French Menu Cookbook will be grateful for its thoroughness, seduced by its originality, and refreshed by its no-nonsense practicality.
About the author: Richard Olney was born in Marathon, Iowa, in 1927. He settled in France in 1961, and now lives near Toulon. One of our most respected food writers, he is also the author of Simple French Food (1974), and conceived and edited the celebrated Time-Life series The Good Cook.