Author: Deighton, Len
Title: ABC Of French Food
Publisher: Bantam Books
Place: New York
Date: (1989)
Edition: first ed
ISBN-10: 05553057596
ISBN-13: 9780553057591
Pages: 272
Binding: Hardback
Condition: VERY GOOD very good dj
Illustrator: the author
Book Id: MAIN007003I
Details: Introduction by Jacques Pepin, index
About the book: Few know the mysterious world of French cooking as well as Len Deighton; the internationally renowned master of suspense has long been a devoted enthusiast of French cuisine and the brilliant culinary artists who create it. For years he's traveled, dabbled, sampled, savored, feasted-and kept colorful, captivating notes along the way Now Len Deighton gives you a delightful insider's look at the fabulous foods, superlative wines, and esteemed chefs of the world's undisputed gastronomic capital.
ABC of French Food is not a cookbook, nor is it an expert's guide. Culled from the pages of Deighton's chatty, provocative and informative "fan's notes," here is an alphabetical stroll, from abricot to zabaglione, featuring outrageous opinions and sumptuous descriptions:

• FOODS: Before nouvelle cuisine, coq au vin was often prepared at the table-side, finished with brandy and flamed. Forget it! Order coq au vin today and you'll get a mouthful of battery hen plonked upon a puddle of sauce and delivered on a big floral plate.
• WINES: One wine expert told me that he'd never had a poor quality pink champagne: it was a guarantee of reliability.
• CHEFS: Paul Bocuse scorns cuisine minceur such dietetic meals are, he says, like opera without the orchestra. Give him a chicken from the yard and a leek from the garden, he says, and he'll produce a fine meal.
• TRADITIONS: For most French children and many adults too, chocolate is hardly worth eating unless it's accompanied by a piece of dry bread. For anyone who has not sampled this unlikely sounding combination I recommend it highly.
• RECIPES: It's delicious, but cheese is not an ingredient of an authentic quiche lorraine.

Deighton's entries range from startling observations to rich, mouth-watering details: under beurre, for instance, you'll find seven different varieties of butter-and discover how each is used in different recipes to create the most unforgettable sauces. Deighton offers hundreds of other insights, from his most enjoyable meals in France's most memorable restaurants to the proper method of selecting a quality cut of meat at the houcherie. Also included is a wealth of helpful food preparation tips based on Deighton's own experiences working with the masters: All chefs have their own knives and you soon learn that taking a colleague's knife without permission can bring immediate and sometimes violent retribution. Buy yourself some fine knives and look after them.
Highlighted with Len Deighton's own charming illustrations, ABC of French Food is as rich and rewarding as a ten-course feast. Here is a subject- and a tantalizing book- on which both the armchair gourmet and the seasoned connoisseur will agree: C'est magnifique!
About the author: Len Deighton is the author of The Ipcress File, XPD, Spy Hook, Winter and many other international best-selling novels. He is also an expert cook, specializing in French cuisine, and the author of a popular collection of French recipes, Basic French Cooking.