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| French Country Cooking, A Cookbook |
France has always seemed magical to me. The Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral towers and the Louvre Museum are all popular attractions. I can imagine myself sitting in an outdoor café sipping a latte and nibbling on a freshly made croissant or enjoying a simple herb omelet with a glass of white wine for dinner. Everyone around me would have a lovely accent and the streets would be full of tourist. The architecture of the buildings are beautiful and ornate and you can see remnants of history everywhere. A truly romantic place that I have always wanted to explore.
“
French Country Cooking” a cookbook by Mimi Thorisson is a beautiful collection of French classic and “grandma style” recipes. The cover is gorgeous; front and back, there is a ribbon page marker and the photography is spot on. There is a generosity to her writing and her stories are very compelling. Mimi’s story began with the purchase a 100 year old home with an exciting history. The building first started out as a wine making chateau, then became a hotel and restaurant and now a home. After some renovations they opened a month long summer pop-up restaurant. Mimi also writes a popular blog,
Manger where she writes about her life and shares recipes from the Médoc region of France.
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| Comté, Ham and Walnut Feuilleté |
The first recipe I prepared was the Comté, Ham and Walnut Feuilleté. Feuilleté is a puff pastry with a sweet or savory filling. In this case the filling was a simple béchamel, with pan-fried shallots, walnuts, ham and cheese. The pastry was brushed lightly with 2 kinds of mustard and the ingredients are layered and then baked. This is a classic French combination that looks quite impressive and taste wonderful. I had this recipe prepped and ready to go in the oven in about 20 minutes which goes to show that not all French cooking is difficult, in fact quite the opposite. The recipes in this cookbook, “
French Country Cooking” are for all levels of cooks and would make an excellent gift.
"I received this book from
Blogging for Books for this review."
Yes, her life looks like it was out of a fairy tale! Always love her dogs but her food looks great too! Must check this out further!
ReplyDeleteYes her life does seem to be fairy-tale like, but how wonderful to live where she does. Thanks Abbe!
DeleteShe lives in a stunning region of France and I love the puppy on the cover. This is going into my list.
ReplyDeleteThanks Abbe, it is a treasure for sure.
DeleteSometimes you can simply judge a book by its cook, can't you? The book looks like a keeper. And that savoury pastry looks glorious, Cheri.
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie, it was pretty easy to prepare too!
DeleteI second your recommendation! This is one of the best cookbooks I've encountered in a while. As you said, I love the writing and the story that unfolds about the house and the food. The photos are great and there's this feeling of stepping into another time and space when I'm reading it. I've loved the 2 sweet recipes I've tried so far. It's a keeper!
ReplyDeleteHi Monica, yes and yes, this is a keeper. I loved the 2 sweet recipes you prepared, they looked amazing.
DeleteThis sounds like such a lovely lunch or dinner. I always love exploring new cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteme too Laura, you can never have enough.
DeleteThe golden pastry looks delicious! I love when something that doesn't take very long to make looks so impressive.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have a couple of recipes like this up your sleeve for sure, thanks Lisa!
DeleteLooks spectacular Cherie. I was smitten with her first cookbook A Kitchen in France which I certainly read from cover to cover, the photography is delightful, one of those special books that just make me happy. Looking forward to checking out the latest of Mimi Thorisson.
ReplyDeleteHi Peggy, yes she is like an artist in the kitchen. The stories are wonderful in this book too.
DeleteThe pastry looks so delicious. The book looks like a keeper.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kushi, it really is a keeper.
DeleteOh lucky you! I love her blog and her recipes - I bet this is worth a read. Your 20 minute meal looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tricia, it really is a great book, right now it's on the nightstand.
DeleteThank you for bringing this cookbook to our attention, Cheri. It looks divine.
ReplyDeleteIt's a keeper for sure Dena, take care!!
Deletea mighty cute cover on that cookbook. :)
ReplyDeleteI know, love the adorable little dog. Thanks Theresa!
DeleteI have been to Paris and Nice a couple of times. I just love France, specially the food and The Eiffel Tower. Mimi is a lucky girl, I must say. The pastry looks so yummy and that cookbook sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteHi Anu, yes I think so too!
DeleteI went to Paris this past February, just for a short 2 days, but I was able to experience some good food - definitely will check this book out.
ReplyDeleteLucky you Phi!!!
DeleteFrance, truly is a magical place to be, unlike anywhere else on earth. Love your Feuilleté, the combination sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris, someday I'll get there.
DeleteThis cookbook sounds perfect to me - I love French country cuisine, as you know, and collect all sorts of French cookbooks. This makes me even more excited to be in Paris for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteParis for Christmas!!! oh how wonderful, can't wait to see pics.
DeleteLooks to be a lovely cookbook indeed...Love grandma style comfort food =) Walking in Paris is like walking in a postcard =)
ReplyDeleteHope to visit someday soon Kim!
DeleteI love the front cover photo! So elegant. French cooking runs the gamut from very easy to complicated, and I usually lean to the "easy" side. The recipe you made sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteme too Beth, I love to cook but not spend all day in the kitchen.
DeleteOh! This feuilleté looks so good! With a green salad, it's a perfect dish:) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Zaza, I was surprised it was so easy to prepare.
DeleteMimi is a beautiful young woman and her husband is an excellent photographer! He has some great subjects to shoot with a lovely wife and beautiful children and dogs too :) I love the simple yet sophisticated flavors in this recipe, Cheri!
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan, yes they do seem pretty perfect, someday I will travel to France.
DeleteWow!! that's nice .. you can try different French recipes..
ReplyDeletePlease visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com
Thanks Krishna, yes and she has some really fantastic ones too
DeleteThis book would take me back to my trip to France I think! I went so many years ago and would love to go back. I love the sound of this book!
ReplyDeleteHi Marcie, it is a great cookbook with beautiful inspiring pics. Take care!
DeleteOh I could dive headfirst into that pastry! What a great book.
ReplyDeleteThanks Caroline, it was pretty darn good.
DeleteThe cover is gorgeous♥ Have a great week, Cheri ♥
ReplyDeleteThanks Summer, it is a wonderful cookbook.
DeleteIt sounds like a delightful cookbook to have in your collection.
ReplyDeleteIt is Karen, the pictures alone are stunning.
DeleteLooks like a beautiful cookbook. The Feuilleté looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I have never read much on French cooking, because I did believe that it was to complicated or time consuming for me. I am glad you shared this. I learned something new, and you just may have opened something new for me to explore!
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