Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen

by Clotilde Dusoulier

Clotilde Dusoulier is a twenty-seven-year-old Parisian who adores sharing her love of all things food-related—recipes, inspirations, restaurant experiences, and above all the pleasure of cooking with the fresh ingredients found in her local Montmartre shops. But her infatuation with food was born not in her mother’s Parisian kitchen, but in San Francisco, where she moved after college and discovered a new world of tastes. When she returned to her beloved France, her culinary exploits inspired her popular and critically acclaimed blog, ChocolateandZucchini.com .

In her first book, Dusoulier provides a glimpse into the life of a young Parisian as she savors all that the city has to offer and shares her cooking philosophy in the form of more than 75 recipes that call for healthy ingredients (such as zucchini) and more indulgent tastes (such as chocolate). The Los Angeles Times calls her recipes "simple, charming, and fun."

Appetizers such as Cumin Cheese Puffs, sandwiches and tarts like Tomato Tatin, soups like Chestnut and Mushroom, main dishes including Mustard Chicken Stew, and desserts like Chocolate and Caramel Tart can all be found alongside menus for entertaining, as well as tips for throwing cocktail or dinner parties with French flair. Chocolate & Zucchini is the book for anyone who has journeyed to Paris and can still recall the delicious flavors and aromas—or for those of us who only dream about them.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, France, Food Writing, Reference

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2007

About the author

Clotilde Dusoulier is a Parisian author and blogger who lives in Montmartre and shares her passion for all things food-related -- thoughts, recipes, musings, cookbook acquisitions, quirky ingredients, nifty tools, restaurant experiences, ideas, and inspirations.

Reviews

[Tod Dimmick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not all that often that I come across a cookbook that speaks directly to me, so when my friend Marcia gave us this slim volume, I was a bit skeptical.

But Clotilde Dusoulier's Chocolate and Zucchini is just such a book. It's not just the recipes, based on straightforward combinations of a limited number of fresh local vegetables, nor the methods, which are generally simple (4 or 5 steps). It's that Dusoulier also brings her passion for the story: What's behind each ingredient, and each recipe, informs her, and our, appreciation of flavors and textures. If hers was a book about wine, I'd suggest she was describing terroir, the cherished French concept of the cumulative role that soil, air, and climate plays in the character of each wine (or in this case, each recipe) to give it a unique personality, and makes a Tarte Tatin a la Tomate much more than the sum of its parts (You might think that it's simply pastry, tomatoes, and goat cheese). This is the soul of a good cookbook. Many are about the mechanics. Not so Chocolate and Zucchini. Here, the back story is just as important as following the directions (and, by the way, just as important to the fun).

It doesn't hurt that the title of the book, which sets forth two ingredients as proxy for Dusoulier's favorite culinary themes (zucchini for fresh, seasonal, local produce, and chocolate for indulgence) just happen to be favorites of mine also. And yes, she even brings them both together in her own version of Chocolate Zucchini Cake, a delightfully surprising combination that I have worked with myself (http://powissetfarm.blogspot.com/2012...).

For the full review, including a recipe, go to http://powissetfarm.blogspot.com/2015...

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd been reading the author's cooking blog for quite awhile before discovering that her recently published cookbook was available at the library. She's a Parisian woman in her late 20's who spent some time living in the U.S.; her recipes give U.S. measurements and contain ingredients easy to find here. Her blog contains some great recipes (I like the lentils with tofu, cumin & apples.) I think she's written a delightful small book, with little stories provided before each recipe, lots of great pictures, and lots of suggestions for substitutions or embellishments to the recipes given. The recipes aren't classical french. I'd describe them more as simple french home cooking recipes with inspired dashes of flair. I tried a dozen of them in the book over the past week including the chocolate-caramel tart (divine), chiorizo-pistachio bread (beautiful & unusual), grilled polenta triangles (so-so, but pretty),cumin cheese puffs (yum, but I'd prefer a stronger flavored cheese), and yogurt cake (with rum - delicious.) I'm not sure yet if I'll have to buy this for my kitchen or not, but am very tempted!

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

2010 - It´s a little book, and I actually think the recipes in her blog are even better, but it´s very good! I like her writing style very much, clear instructions and a nice strong voice, and the food she cooks is the sort I want to eat and cook.

2022 - I have picked it up again, and OMG the styling is so dated. But the writing is still so likeable and clear, and the recipes, the food, still things I would want to eat and cook. Still a favorite, though the typesetting, decor is screaming around 2010 (apparently it is now a style I can recognize. Due for a comeback, I am sure, one of these days..)

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her blog. I love to read recipes and the ones in this cookbook are making me want to get into the kitchen and start cooking. Actually they are making me want to move to either Paris or somewhere on the continent where I can find a year round farmer's marker and people who appreciate cooking according to the seasons. I am anxious to try the pasta recipe with cacao nibs in it.

[Livia Frossard · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely book. Simple, straightforward recipes. Delightful flavors. The author just makes you want to be her best friend so you can both cook together.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a few of these French market type cookbooks. They have few recipes but with endless variants available. Most come with stories and this one is no different. Whenever I pick them up, there are always a few classics that I go back to and work over again. Sometimes there are those classics that I have yet to try. On my list this time are the following:

Pate brisee - a crust I like to make but I would like to try quiche because I hate quiche.
Pate choux - looks so easy but I keep forgetting about this cooked dough
Souffle - It has been a while and they are so good.
Gateau sale - savoury cakes. I usually make savoury bread pudding. I forget about this when I haven't made any for a while...
Gateau chocolat framboise - mixing fruit in the batter. Hunh. New to me
pate Sablee - I have done this but never thought about using it for fruit tarts

If you are going to own this type of cookbook, this is a good one. Also, follow her blog.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful recipes.

[M.E. Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun read, with do-able recipes

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly liked the introductory information about how the Parisian author stocks her pantry and shops for supplies as well as her party planning techniques.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I'd never heard of Dusoulier's blog/website until I saw this book in my neighborhood faux French shop. So, I borrowed it from the library, was hooked, and immediately bought a copy to keep.

The recipes are not the type I would usually make - due to various food hang-ups I have, for example, I would never eat a peaches and hazelnut chicken salad. I would eat each separately, but not mixed together. Other recipes I would not try simply because I will not eat raw steak, trout roe, or chicken liver and fig terrine. Maybe some day, but right now, my palate isn't refined enough to handle such rich dishes.

But...the dishes I have made were very tasty, especially the apple broccoli quiche and the chicken mustard stew. I made my own beef version of lamb and prune meatballs, since lamb is yet another food I won't touch.

Dusoulier's writing is very informal and familiar, and it made me feel like she was a new friend I was getting to know better. I'd like to think that she's a nice girl in real life.

I also bought her second book, Clotilde's Edible Adventures, which is about Dusoulier's favorite places in Paris. I've skimmed it, but haven't really read it because I need to plan a trip to Paris (ah....someday....) before I dive in. Otherwise, I'll get too jealous!

[Jojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not normally just sit around reading cookbooks, and I did not intend to read this one. I just picked it up to glance through it and see what recipes there were, but before I knew it I had just sat there and finished the whole thing. And it was delightful! Which was expected, as I'm familiar with her blog and have been delighted by it in the past (two recipes from there make regular appearances in my cooking repertoire, and countless others have been bookmarked or jotted down or printed out for when I am feeling adventurous).

It is a lovely little book with lovely little anecdotes and lovely pictures. It made me very hungry to read it and made me think that I really should make more of an effort in my cooking. And she is so friendly about it all!

I would have given it five stars, but I am afraid I was forced to take one off because of all the recipes contained in the book that I would not want to make or have offered to me. I liked reading about them though anyway! And there were plenty of others that looked delicious. Well worth the purchase!

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quelle merveille ton curry! Does Frenchness get better than this? Charming patter introduces each section of simple and unpretentious recipes, mostly made with readily available ingredients. The instructions for each recipe are chatty and very helpful; and if you need nice photos of the end result, they are all here, taken by the author's own camera.

The author took the slightest interest in food only after moving to the United States; upon return to Paris, she started food blogging, and the book deals came in. The reader goes in reverse: read this book, occasionally furrow through her blog (available in English and French), cooking all the while, in whichever country you call home. I never imagined I would cook such traditional dishes as blanc-manger or curry-turkey sandwich, but apparently the ingredients for them were always waiting in my cupboard.

Final shout-out to Mlle Dusoulier for showing how to make pastry dough without a food processor. Not even Martha Stewart deigns to teach the old-school method!

[Shantiwallah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been following Clotilde's blog for about a year when her first book was released and I ordered it from Amazon to be delivered to me in Japan. Living in Asia, part of the fascination was undoubtedly just the craving of non-Japanese food in any form. Had I been in any other country, I'm not sure if I would have followed the blog for so long, or indeed have ordered the book.

But, I do like the style of the book. If I ever write my cookbook, this is exactly how I'd planned to do it...with stories. I really feel that food is one of the many threads that we weave our social lives with and don't see any separation between food and our personal culture. What we eat is an expression of who we are. How could it be otherwise?

The reason that I gave it only 4 out of 5 stars is that there are quite a few meat-based recipes in here that I most like, won't use. Otherwise, my partner and I have already made about half a dozen of the recipes and they have all come out nicely.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say anything yet about the efficacy of the recipes because I haven't tried any out. I've marked at least a dozen that look interesting to me. But this book is not entirely successful as an accessible collection. I like it better when the photographs accompany the recipes and don't come in a bunch pages later. Also the photographs also aren't as flattering as they might be, I'm sorry to say. They look a little sterile and arranged, studio-like instead of real-life. And the pages are too busy-looking, with three colors of different fonts. It's not impossible to follow, but it's a little distracting. I just think it could have been made simpler-looking. All of which is to say I don't think there's anything wrong with this book, but it's just not my taste. Her blog is full of useful information and links and I've started to look at it regularly. She's a Parisian woman who has lived in San Francisco.
http://chocolateandzucchini.com

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started with a bag of fresh-picked apples from Bishop's Orchard and the desire to make a dessert. Sitting there shyly amid my other few cookbooks was this gem, a gift I hadn't spent much time with. How could I have overlooked that half the cookbook offered recipes for dessert? And not just any desserts, French desserts, that turn out to be delicious and easy to make. I started with the gateau de maman, the tarte tatin, the tomate tarte. The book has taught me how easy and good it is to make my own crusts, and everything I have ventured from it has turned out amazing--just ask the others who have enjoyed these adventures with me. I hesitate to mention and rate it only in the interest of keeping its magic for myself, for all those meals when I can use its magic to dazzle, delight and sweeten.

[Sabrina Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new all-time favorite cookbook by a 27-year-old Parisian with the wonderful name Clothilde. Reading her notes and recipes is like standing in the kitchen chatting with your best friend. She tells story after story from her very real-sounding life in Paris and her prose lacks the snub artificiality of her celebrity chef counterparts. No, Clotilde is just a regular old gal who happens to love food and cooking. She also has a great sense of humor. As for the recipes, they are fantastic with top Moser family favorites so far being the zucchini fig crumble and the roasted red pepper tart. I have also made the yoghurt cake, an onion quiche and a tarte tatin of tomatoes, all of which I can warmly recommend. This is French cooking for a younger generation, light and innard free!

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook wasn't as tickle-your-tastebuds amazing as I thought it would be, but it is good. I love the insights into real French cooking (not all of them are gourmets). Clotilde Dusoulier's writing is entertaining, and the recipes are super easy to follow ... in fact, what I like best about this cookbook is that most of the recipes are simple. And they are adaptable, so if you don't have one kind of ingredient you can always substitute another. This is a fun, and even practical, cookbook to have on hand ... not all of it is incredible or innovating, but it's sweet and simple and worth a good read.

[Kristen Northrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel a little guilty rating a cookbook without actually testing the recipes first, but it was a really nice read. And beautifully designed. I've never read the blog, although I'd heard of it. I loved the idea of a French person being uninterested in cuisine until moving to the U.S. -- it seems so upside-down. Really enjoyed the irreverent writing (and that's supposed to be very hard to pull off in a second language). So many recipes are so simple, and don't require anything exotic. Best of all, there are many variations and substitution ideas provided, for when you either lack a component or don't care for it. Should be particularly handy when summer returns.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hubby and I have fallen in love. Ouef cocotte, hazelnut and thyme matchsticks, apple and broccoli quiche, tomato tarte tatin, the beouf bourgingon with chocolate? All wonderful. Only one dish fell flat, the zucchini and cocoa nib pasta. There's plenty more to discover, but we've gained loads of keepers from this slim volume.

Update: I attempted the apple cake. It's delicious, but barely holds together. I'm thinking there's a difference in the flour that's not conveyed in the conversions for an American kitchen.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook reads much differently than most. Dusoulier includes stories and tips that also give her blog its unique character. While reading Chocolate and Zucchini, I found myself actually imagining/smelling/hearing the cooking process, the physical properties of the ingredients coming together. I especially enjoy Dusoulier's combination of traditional French cuisine and whimsical experimental creations. What a wonderful book - I'm excited for her next one!

[Emma Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. Dusoulier has a writing style similar to Amanda Hesser, food writer from the New York Times. This is particularly well written considering her native language is French.

Dusoulier's book is based on her blog that chronicles her return to France/Paris from San Francisco where she fell in love with food. The foods that she cooks are interesting and original - not your run of the mill fare.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Food blogger first, author second just like Molly Winzenberg. Yet, this is quite different from Molly's A Homemade Life. Where Molly's feels like personal essays introducing you to important events in her life, with the food serving as a unifying theme or in support of the event, Clotilde's reads more like a cookbook with short insights into the technique or ingredient. Not bad; just different. I am looking forward to trying a few of her recipes and promise to report back.

[Hester · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my favorite cookbooks. not big, not exhaustive, ostensibly nothing revolutionary here. but i turn to it all the time. elegant and easy dishes that always turn out tasty. as with every cookbook, it has to fit your aesthetic--in this case, french(ish) food (for the most part)--but it's deceptively versatile and everything is good. best parts? aperitifs and sides. some outstanding savory baking!!!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fun read. Although I probably won't be tackling Chicken Liver and Fig Tartine, I love Clotide's spirit and ambition for her recipes. And I love that she's convinced that I will love Chicken Liver and Fig Tartine. I am excited to try the Apricot and Lavender Compote which I'm sure will be heavenly.

[melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. At first I thought I was in love. The culinary adventures of a 20-something Parisenne who fell in love with food while living in San Francisco. Turns out to be a collection of mediocre recipes, the likes of which could probably be found, and much more expertly created, in the Les Halles cookbook. The author has a blog as well but I've yet to check it out.

[Emira Mears · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful in practically every way. Filled with simple recipes that profile fresh tasty ingredients rather than a lot of unnecessary schmanciness. The only things that hold me back from a full on five star review are:

1. Too much meat for a veggie like me, but that's not really her fault now is it?
2. Makes me wish I lived in Paris. Again, not her fault.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back in my foodblogging days, I'd meant to read this ages ago, so when I found it at Brum Central, it was an omen. Or fortuitous. Or something.

That said, I really wish this had less recipes and more writing--Dusoulier's passion for food comes out in her stories and explanations, and this book could stand to contain more. I know that's why I go to food blogs in the first place.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for this to be more like a Homemade Life with stories as the heart of the book. Instead, it's more focused on recipes--and very Parisian ones at that--that I wasn't too interested in. Just wasn't what I was looking for, though I do find it cute how both books were written by bloggers who love food and Paris.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was turned on to this book by my friend, Erin, who helped test out some of the recipes! I enjoyed the stories, easy cooking talk, and overall "I can do it!" sense that I got from reading her marvelous work.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Clotilde's blog (http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archi...) and asked for this book for Christmas. I enjoyed reading it - it made me hungry - and I hope I will be able to create some dishes based on the recipes!