This is a great book. A modern and exciting book about cooking. It is not very "glamor" to the current taste very focused on fashion and appearance: you will not find nor illustrations nor side "trend" or "fooding" nor pretend tips out of TV ads . No revenue excessively luxurious (although the noble products are not ignored), no extravagant new or dramatic presentations. However there is everything else. Food principles, organization of the kitchen, the most varied products, and countless recipes, of infinite variety, daily meals and festive dishes, classics and originals or revisited in sense of relief, simplicity, respect of the product. The author went to get the best sources, in different countries, particularly in friends enthusiasts like him, the simplest and most authentic versions of classic dishes, making room for alternatives or a personal or modernized key. The mass of knowledge available to the player is phenomenal, but fortunately not too indigestible because if the purpose is serious, he is also curious, varied and practical. The products are described with exhaustive but alive scholarship and full of interest, whether mundane or rare, modest or luxurious, our soils or very exotic, known or esoteric, fashionable or forgotten. I had the satisfaction of seeing clearly expressed by the author some a little confused thoughts that crossed my mind: such as the Boston Clam Chowder (creamed soup with clams and seafood) seems to derive (the recipe like the name) of the Vendée chowder. Or that it is unfortunate that we have lost the use verjuice, the sour grape juice once interesting alternative to vinegar ... It's one of the merits of this scholarly work than calling to revive some forgotten products ... and improve others.
Other pleasure from this author who is also a great doctor is that his advice is tinged with so much kindness and modesty, which he justified by the elegance of the weak and the great certainties ignorance of dietary science. It reserves its claws, sharp it is true, a few pathetic and pretentious products of the food industry or "crooks gurus" who lose weight ... portfolio!
A book enjoyable to go as useful bedside book as a source of timely and sharp tips.
