French Food at Home at Chef2Chef

Almost all of Calder's recipes are barely a page long, and that's only because of those frank and funny introductions. Her recipes for dishes such as Camembert Salmon, Scallops in Velvet, and The Lemon Tart of My Dreams, are simple, approachable, and manageable. The ingredients are easy to find, and she's always suggesting options. Calder's is a sunny and welcome addition to the list of French cookbooks already out there, and happily, chefs of any skill level will enjoy her company in the kitchen. --Leora Y. Bloom --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Proving that French cooking can be liberating and accessible, the Paris-based correspondent for Vogue Entertaining and Travel presents more than 100 recipes she developed. Some are inspired by the work of French restaurateurs, and most are easy to prepare. To accompany aperitifs, Calder suggests Frenchified Popcorn flavored with garlic, herbes de Provence and celery salt, or Hot Mussels, which start out like Moules Mariniere and end up being quickly broiled on the half-shell with a dollop of butter, garlic and parsley. Pea Green Soup is nothing more than cooked frozen peas, cream, salt and pepper. An easy dinner is Bacon Cod, fillets topped with lemon slices, bay leaves and thyme sprigs and wrapped with pieces of bacon before being slipped into the oven. Tarragon Chicken is a simplified version of a dish often gussied up by others. On the other hand, Filo Fish in Red Wine Sauce requires a bit of dexterity, and Holiday Hen glorifies a boned guinea hen (Calder supplies deboning instructions). A few of the recipes are off-the-wall, such as Hay Ham, a smoked ham actually simmered in pot with two large wads of fresh hay. Desserts are relatively easy, such as Flambeed Bananas or Parmesan and Pink Pepper Strawberries, fresh berries wedded to those unusual tastes. Highly engaging headnotes explain each recipe and offer alternative techniques or ingredients.Forecast: This is not a book for those looking to perfect their Gallic expertise, but it will appeal to cooks with a yen to master uncomplicated dishes with a certain French flair. Many of the savory meals are served up with a quite effortless sauce of reduced juices fortified with a dab of butter.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: French Food at Home (Hardcover) I really loved this book for the most part - it is well written and her recipes are not complicated. She makes french food seem less intimidating. I have made the Salmon Camembert (delicious), Wine Sausages (easy and rich), Beet Stacks (impressive - a burst of different, complex flavors and very gorgeous to look at); as well as the Potato Gratin and The Lemon Tart Of My Dreams. The last two recipes have some minor problems - both were rather runny - especially the tart. The tart had the best flavor of any lemon tart I have ever had, but I was disappointed with the texture. It might either need to be cooked a little longer than the directions, it may need a thickener of some sort - or it may simply need to rest overnight in the refrigerator. I am not sure which is the best way to correct this. I will try it again and try to perfect this thing. The taste alone is worth the effort! Other than those minor problems, everything in this book is doable and I will certainly be trying more! Comment | (Report this)