Book Review of French Classics Made Easy

image courtesy of Workman Publishing

Having been trained in the French classics, I was excited to see a cookbook that has a modern take on the grand cuisine.  Traditional French cooking in today’s world seems too heavy – lots of cream and butter and not enough freshness in the approach to vegetables and fruits – and definitely too fussy to prepare.  While I still enjoy many of the intricacies of French cooking, the majority of the population are not willing to suffer such exacting requirements.

Richard Grausman has just the right approach to the classics in his revised and updated French Classics Made Easy (Workman Press, 2011).  He has simplified and made the classics accessible to every interested cook from those just starting out to the experienced that are looking for ideas to make life simpler.  For those just starting out there are excellent technique sketches to show you how to truss a bird and use a pastry bag, for example.

For anyone who has used and liked the Silver Palate Cookbooks or Steven Raichlen’s BBQ book series, you will find yourself on familiar ground.  These books, also produced by the Workman publishing house, all have that consistent, easy, approachable style.  The font choices and call-out boxes for additional detail are engaging and de-clutter the page.  I find the recipes in these books easy to follow with the exception of frequent references to other recipes in the book one must look up to complete a dish.

My friend, Holly, and me in Chateauneuf du Pape

For those of us who know French cooking but no longer have the luxury of time due to living the frantic modern lifestyle, the recipes are lovely reminders of those great French dishes.  The recipe for Grausman’s Potato Puffs (Pommes de Terre Dauphine) brought back a fond memory of a dinner in Chateauneuf du Pape in southern France this past summer.  It was a fine summer evening spent with friends out on a terraced restaurant just above the city after climbing around some ruins that were even further above the city.  We had the most divine pommes de terre dauphine.  These savory morsels melted in the mouth with a hint of potatoes, billowy insides and a slightly crunchy exterior.   We could have demolished plate after plateful of them on that warm summer evening.

At the time we did not know we were eating pommes de terre dauphine, but Grausman’s recipe caught my eye and I knew it had to be it.  Excitement had struck.  It’s taken me an entire long week to get the opportunity to try out Grausman’s recipe to resurrect the memories of that fine evening in southern France.  The recipe was simple to follow and only referenced one other recipe in the book. The results were marvelous!  Indeed, I had found the recipe that will remind us of eating beautiful meals on flagstone patios under starry nights with good friends and good wine.

In conclusion, if you are looking for French recipes without all the fuss and fewer calories this cookbook is worth checking out.