The French Menu Cookbook: The Food and Wine of France--Season by Delicious Season--in Beautifully Composed Menus for American Dining and Entertaining by an American Living in Paris...

by Richard Olney, Paul Bertolli (Introduction)

Overview

As those who knew him will attest, Francophile and food writer Richard Olney was one of a kind-a writerly cook who had a tremendous influence on American cooking via his well-worn cottage on a hillside in Provence. Born in the Midwest in 1927 and drawn to France at the tender age of twenty-four, Olney was unapologetically attracted to the style, flavors, and tastes of French cooking when most Americans were smitten by the wonders of the new prepared foods in their markets. With unrelenting passion and precision, Olney studied and explored the cuisine, carefully documenting all he had learned for future generations of chefs, cooks, and food lovers. His first of several landmark works, THE FRENCH MENU COOKBOOK, was well ahead of its time with its authentic French recipes and then-unheard-of seasonal approach to cooking. Little did we know then that THE FRENCH MENU COOKBOOK would provide inspiration for Alice Waters and her compatriots as they built the groundwork for a culinary revolution in America. Brimming with the honest and enlightening explanations of how the French really cook and the 150-plus authentic recipes, this book is a masterful resource that is a must for every serious cook.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607740155
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	03/29/2011
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

RICHARD OLNEY was born and raised in Iowa, one of eight children in a quintessential American family. After relocating to a Parisian suburb in 1951 and then buying a run-down property in Provence, Olney settled in France permanently. The author of eight books, Olney passed away at his Proven?ɬÅal home in the summer of 1999.

Editorial Reviews

Earlier this year, OFM's expert panel voted this the best cookbook of all time. Only problem was it was out of print. But it has been reissued, so now everyone can delight in Olney's passionate, idiosyncratic rendering of French cuisine.”
—The Observer Food Monthly, 25 Best Cookbooks of 2010, 11/14/10


FROM THE HARDCOVER EDITION:

"Here's a blessing . . . and it's not in disguise."
—Newark Star Ledger

"The writer to whom Olney immediately demands comparison is Elizabeth David. The prose of each is characterized by an aesthetic sensibility enmeshed in the stabilizing regimen of a strictly imposed self-discipline."
—John Thorne, author of Pot on the Fire

"Richard Olney is someone who truly lives what he believes-cooking simply from the garden and drinking wonderful wines from the cellar. His FRENCH MENU COOKBOOK is an inspiration, giving a lasting insight into a special way of life."
—Alice Waters

From the Publisher