Book Review

Title: Country Cooking Of France

Author: Anne Willan

Photographer: France Ruffenach

Publisher: Chronicle Books/Raincoast Books

ISBN-10: 0-8118-4646-6

ISBN-13: 978-0-8118-4646-2

$50.00 US/ $59.95 Canada 

5 Stars 

Reviewed By: The British Chef 

Anne Willan is a treasured chef that other chefs have the tendency to respect. Although Willan may not be a household name, nor does she have quite the international fame of a Ramsey or Puck, she is of the old school, classic culinary palate that reminds those who have read her books or watched her on her own syndicated show Look and Cook, just how wonderful food can truly be transformed into. 

Willan has over thirty published cookbooks to her name, and opened the esteemed La Varenne cooking school with Julia Child and James Beard in 1973; so when Willan publishes a book called Country Cooking Of France, it is well worth the appetizing look through. What the reader is welcomed to is a cornucopia of visual and penned delicacies.  

Country Cooking of France is divided up into seventeen chapters, all brimming with information. Recipes showcasing the range of what can be done with French cooking as your guide to the likes of soups, fromage, seafood, poultry, pork, meats, sausages, escargot, legumes, breads, pastries and the ever affiliated Frogs Legs.  

French cooks are famous for using everything, and being mindful of wastefulness, so it does not surprise me to see a section on cooking ‘Innards and Extremities.’ Before turning your nose up at this section, it might be more delightful then you expect as Willan explains uses for kidneys, the heart and tripe that end up being simply mouth-watering. In a society of pro-waste, this is a valued and practical section that will have true cooks eager to experiment with.   

All the recipes and methods are very detailed, and sections on techniques and equipment is also a great asset to Country Cooking of France. This is truly an excellent book based in practicality; it’s very comprehensive and perfect for either a beginner, or a great addition to a Chef de Cuisine’s library. 

On the flip side, Country Cooking Of France is an aesthetic enchantment abundant in visual excellence. Not merely a cookbook with recipes and correlating images for reference, Willan’s book takes the reader along the French countryside as if it were a gentle stroll after a dining experience well-enjoyed. Stunning photos by France Ruffenach show people in everyday French living, healthy and beautiful animals set beside a backdrop of natural habitat of green pastures, and on top of all of that, wonderfully presented and appetizing dishes are showcased as well. 

In between recipes, and stunning images are nestled informative articles on such things as salt, farm life in France, foie gras and mustards for example. Willan gets the reader into the culinary lifestyles of the French with her stories; which is both informative and compelling to read. At $50.00 US, this might be a high price tag for the mildly interested connoisseur; however, for someone truly wanting to learn more about international cuisine, this is an investment piece that you will refer to on many occasions. Opening Country Cooking Of France is like having an exquisite holiday in France!