French Roots
Two Cooks, Two Countries, and the Beautiful Food along the Way [A Cookbook]
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A narratively rich cookbook of French and Californian recipes from longtime Chez Panisse executive chef Jean-Pierre Moulle and his wife, Denise Moulle.
Jean-Pierre and Denise Moullé met on a street corner in Berkeley, California, in 1980; six months later they were married. French Roots is the story of their lives told through the food they cook, beginning with the dishes of old-world France--the couple’s birthplace--and focusing on the simple, pared-down preparations of French food common in the postwar period. The story then travels to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s, where Jean-Pierre was appointed executive chef at Chez Panisse when California cuisine was just emerging as a distinctive and important style, and where Denise began importing French wine. Finally, the journey follows the couple to their homes in Sonoma, California, and Bordeaux to revisit the classic dishes of the Moullés’ native country and hone the forgotten skills of foraging, hunting, and preserving.
Exquisitely written, with recipes that are innovative and timeless, insights on cooking and thinking like a chef, and an insider’s guide to the wines of Bordeaux, French Roots is much more than a cookbook—it’s a guide to living the good life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When French-born Chez Panisse executive chef Jean-Pierre Moull and Denise Lurton of the Bourdeaux wine-exporting family connected in 1970s Berkeley during the Bay Area food revolution, they united the groundbreaking food culture of California with the culinary traditions of their native France. These "restless rule breakers" describe their lifelong journey between two continents and offer up 100 distinctively French-inspired recipes, which reflect a love of both innovation and tradition. They describe how "country lives" in two countries connect them to seasonal rhythms and local food sources and inspire their respect for ingredients, self-sufficiency, flexibility, and simplicity in cooking. The Moull s take readers to kitchens of their childhood, Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Denise's Bordeaux kitchen, and list recipes both inspired: grilled duck breast with black currants and cassis; warm foie gras with onion confit; and ratatouille tart. Desserts include claufoutis; gateau au chocolat with ganache; and lemon verbena ice cream. There's a section on aperitifs, toasts, wine pairings and history. The Moull s serve up inspiration for living and eating well.
