A Kitchen in France

As I'm sure you've noticed from my last post I'm extremely fond of French cooking, so when "A Kitchen in France" popped on my list of cookbooks to review I jumped at the chance.

To review a bit about myself I'm a university student, which presents some limitations to my culinary budget, as well as to the amount of time I can spend cooking.

Whenever I review a cookbook there are several things I look for; commonly available ingredients, detailed-but-not -too-detailed instructions, pictures of the final product (I'm a visual person so I like having an idea of the end goal in mind) and a variety of dishes (especially when the cookbook represents a specific cuisine).

Mimi Thorrison's "A Kitchen in France" nailed them all. First off, the cookbook itself is a piece of art (indicative of the author's French heritage). All though the Mimi introduces herself and talks about her life, it's not the focus. She has a wide variety of dishes arranged by season, which varies from the haut cuisine of French socialite culture to the hearty peasant food typical of the French countryside. The melange of simple dishes and complex meals makes this cookbook something I know I'll be able to constantly use, not just the occasional reference to the offbeat-somewhat forgotten recipe.

Matt and I like to host supper for our friends, and we're looking to have a pie night this coming weekend, our last left something to be desired (although apparently no one else noticed our difficulties in the kitchen). For dessert we're planning to test out Mimi's Chocolate Torte, which looks absolutely decadent. I'll upload pictures and a review once we've made it.

My overall thoughts on "A Kitchen in France": If you've ever wanted a French cookbook THIS IS THE ONE. The variety of recipes is a phenomenal introduction to French cuisine for the newbie, as well as a great way to diversify you're repertoire if you've a bit more experience. I usually don't give raving reviews, but I'm doing one for this book. Again, the holidays are coming so if you have a francophile in your family, this IS the perfect gift. Or you've a relative that likes to cook, or...you get the point.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. However, all the opinions are entirely my own.