French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards: A Cookbook

I'm a huge fan of Mimi Thorisson's blog and I also own her first cookbook. I preordered this second one the day I found out about it and after waiting several months finally received it last week. The book, as expected, is gorgeous; the pictures, the writing, the fantasy of the life they live.

However, Mimi's books need to be approached as "coffee table cookbooks" rather than everyday cooking books. What I mean is that while they are perfect to look at, not all recipes on her blog or in her books are flawless.

Some of the recipes become inaccessible because of the ingredients required (I don't live in a place where I can get dried vines for using as grilling wood, or have foie gras handy in my fridge, or have a butcher who can get me some black-footed pig chops), some of the recipes fall flat because the ingredients in France are often of a higher quality than elsewhere (I tried some of her recipes when I lived in France and they turned out delicious & tried them again back in the US and something just didn't work), and lastly because some of them are just too complicated for an average home cook.

Having said that, if you approach this book as a beautiful food journal with some recipes to try and most others to dream of, then you will find yourself super happy!

There are the three telltale signs of a 'trophy' cookbook here: (i) the weight of the volume is in inverse relationship to the size of the typeface [tiny]; (ii) sumptuous food photos --- but not of every recipe; thus, the Poule-au-Pot recipe [p 188] is illustrated with a tiny photo of a raw chicken thrown into a pot, in contrast to full page spreads of photogenic raw ingredients, ideally with a small puppy or dog staring you in the face (p 148, p225), not to speak of double page spreads of a field (pp 180-181) and (iii) a generous dose of lifestyle pictures which focus on attractive people, clothing, interiors and animals.

If that is what you seek, this book is five stars. If recipes and culinary expertise are your interests, this book is one star.

I have made about 7 things out of this book already and all have come out wonderfully. Yes, not all of the ingredients are readily available. But you'd be surprised how easily it is to google substitutes and still end up with a delicious meal. I don't think this is a book for picky eaters or for timid cooks. And if you're not fond of baking or good at following the recipe to the letter, some of the desserts might be a little advanced. But most of the dinners I've made have taken 30 minutes or less; the rest still clocked in at under an hour.

It's a beautiful book both in writing and in photography. And if you're adventurous, in cooking or in eating, I think you'll enjoy the recipes as well.

The books is fine, but I had the misfortune of trying to do business with the author. She hosts cooking workshops, and I booked one that was more than a year away - sending her a very large deposit. She failed to confirm that she got my money. After she ignored my emails for weeks, I tell her that I'm not longer going - and that's when she finally confirms she got my money. For another six weeks, I tried to get my money back but she ignored all my emails. I posted on Facebook, she blocked me. She finally tells me the deposit was non-refundable (which she didn't mention before) but agreed to send me back 70%. She did not. I'm been struggling with her for over three months now and finally filed an official consumer complaint. If you want to get the book, I'm sure Amazon will kindly send it to you. But if you try to do business with her directly, expect unscrupulous behavior.

Having grown up in rural Germany many years ago with a garden and chickens, goats and a pig which vanished when it got cold and came back as hams and sausages, and a mother who turned a lump of butter, a hand full of flour and some eggs in to the most delightful deserts for her girls this book is a trip back to very happy times.

We may not be able to get some of the ingredients but we can improvise and we can learn to execute our tasks with ease and grace and bask in the happiness we spread to those around us.

Just a warning: you will fall in love with the cookware, the mismatched flatware, all the vintage dishes and especially the black enameled cast iron cookware from STAUB Mimi is so fond off. Amazon has lots of it at great prices and with Prime shipping is fast and free, an important factor with heavy cast iron. Life is good.

I've had a hard time deciding on how to rate this book. It's a gorgeous book and a great read: you'll be hooked as soon as you start the prologue which introduces the colorful history of a house the author discovers in the Médoc. If you are looking for a fascinating little tale of an old house in the Bordeaux region and exquisite photographs accompanying both the story and the recipes, this book is for you. My problem with the book is different....it's about the vetting of the recipes.

Let me give you two examples.

First, there was something very suspicious about the recipe for the Wise Guy Chicken on page 222. The idea that you could cook 6 large chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on) for 5 minutes on each side and then transfer to a baking dish and cook with a tomato sauce for "about 15 minutes" raised a red flag. Admittedly, there will be some differences as to what constitutes a "large" bone-in, skin-on chicken breast but I couldn't get this recipe to work after 15 minutes in the oven. I needed more like 40 minutes for the breasts to be cooked through. The end result was tasty, but what seemed like sloppy editing/vetting of the recipe left a bad taste in my mouth.

After that I tried the Orange Blossom Cake on page 298. The cake was very dense and not to my liking, especially the bitterness from the orange flower water that I used. Maybe it's just me and a matter of taste. But once again, something seemed odd about the recipe. Look at the frosting: after using an electrical mixer to beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, you are told to add heavy cream and "beat until .... silky smooth." Beware. If you don't get "silky smooth" soon you might be in for a surprise. Keep beating and that cream will begin to transform itself into butter. Want to avoid that? Here's what I did the second time around: whip the cream separately, set aside and then add once your butter and sugar mixture is light and fluffy. Seems like a simple enough way to avoid a mishap; not sure why the author didn't explain.

Finally, about 20% of all (glowing) reviews come from Blogging from Books. My copy came from the library.

French Country Cooking may have been the first cookbook... and I have many... that I read cover to cover. Not only are the photos gorgeous but the story behind every recipe is given and Mimi Thorisson is not only an excellent cook but an equally good writer.

Okay, we can all take a minute and dislike her because she is also beautiful and lives in a fairy tale chateau but I have a feeling if we were at her table, we would be won over by her kindness as well as her good food.

First, what this book is not. It isn't a step by step instructional book for French cooking. Leave that to Julia Child and others. It also is not a cookbook for beginners although there are easy recipes in it. I'd say one should have at least a couple of years of cooking under their belt to feel comfortable with most of the recipes.

This is a cookbook for those who love to read as well as cook from a book. Having said that, it is full of recipes for various tastes and skill levels (past beginner). It contains recipes from their pop up restaurant, recipes made for family, plenty of recipes for side dishes for which I have a few bookmarks already, desserts, classic French dishes, and what the author refers to off and on as "Grandmother recipes" passed down by friends and family.

This book would make a lovely gift for someone who loves to cook or a splurge for yourself. You will be happy you purchased it when on a Winter's evening with a candle burning and perhaps a glass of wine (or in my case, a cup of tea) you have this beautiful book to peruse and then to cook from. Highly recommended!

French Country Cooking was provided by Blogging For Books but the opinions are my own.

Mimi's books are a joy. The photography is beautiful. I would say they are lifestyle and cooking books....and very inspiring. The food is consistently traditional. I grew up on many of these dishes, and they remain true to form. Her coq au vin is superb, and I have about 20 French cookbooks. I was looking for a great chicken recipe and stumbled upon her blog Manger. The pirate chicken is on constant rotation now, and every dish, however humble or sophisticated, has turned out. The girl can cook. I was a bit worried as many blogger cookbooks seem to be a bit too style focused and less substance. Not so here. This is becoming a favorite.

After checking this book out from my local library a few times I decided it needed to be in my kitchen library. I'm no professional chef but I do love new cooking adventures. I've tried about a third of the recipes in the book so far; some dishes my family has enjoyed several times already (Chou Farci, Poulet Chasseur, Comte & Ham Feuillete, Fennel & Sausage.) Sounds fancy but recipes feature simple ingredients, albeit good quality, and one should enjoy the process.
Aside from flavorful food & wine pairing suggestions, the author is a talented writer & the photos of the food and region are gorgeous. Recipes are given in U.S. measurement and alternative suggestions for occasionally hard to find ingredients (e.g. Rabelais) are provided. Did I mention desserts? I'll never make Rice Pudding any other way again. After trying several recipes in this book, I also bought her older book and having fun with it too. I really enjoy leafing through the book and fixing post-its to recipe pages I'll make next. Although she has shared many of the recipes on her website, she deserves to be paid for her books and I'm pleased to have them in my kitchen.

Mimi Thorisson has done it again, maybe even better, in her new cookbook. Her recipes are authentic French cuisine, exactly what you want to eat -or hope to eat - in a homey bistro or a Chez Louis. It is French Counry cooking, indeed.. If you follow her online, as I do, you get everything you want in this book from the Manger blog; exquisite photography, pointers and discussion about wine, and a look at a very privileged life that you are warmly invited to share.

I have cooked a few of the recipes so I can say that they make for a beautiful presentation, and are very satisfying.. I plunged right in, putting on my French playlist and serving Pumpkin Quiche with Bacon (Kuri squash, actually), Wise Guy Chicken, an amazing Swiss Chard grain that had everyone swooning. I am planning to serve some others during the holidays, they are perfect for everything from an intimate dinner with my husband to a house full of family and friends.

II loved the stories she told about the life of her house, from the original proprietress (interesting story) to the house today. Ms. Thorisson weaves her house through the book and the recipes, ending with a vision of her family enjoying and cooking there for generations to come. It's a lovely visit to France as well as a fabulous cookbook, and it is the intimacy and love she has for her family and for food that elevates this cookbook above an ordinary recipe book. I was a little disappointed, to be honest, with the onion soup recipe, but it's not really a complaint. In fact, I bought a copy for a friend who also entertains in an old New England home with a fabulous garden as a Christmas gift. I hope we can cook together from it this summer.

Bottom line: I love both of Mimi Thorrison's cookbooks and if you know someone who wants to cook authentic French cuisine, this is the book for you.