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My Little French Kitchen: Over 100 Recipes from the Mountains, Market Squares, and Shores of France
The world fell in love with Rachel Khoo through her cookbook and television show The Little Paris Kitchen, and immediately began to covet her Parisian lifestyle, fashion sense, and delicious recipes. In My Little French Kitchen, Rachel leaves Paris and travels to the mountains, villages, and shores of France, sampling regional specialties and translating them into more than 100 recipes. With more than 100 photographs, as well as dozens of Rachel's own hand-drawn illustrations, this is the perfect gift for young foodies and Francophiles as well as fans of The Little Paris Kitchen hungry for more fresh takes on French classics.
547 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
135 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Khoo
15 books83 followersRachel’s unconventional food background has helped formulate her unique culinary touch. She graduated with a Bachelors degree in Art & Design from the renowned Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Thereafter she worked for a luxury fashion brand, doing PR and e-marketing. Ultimately, her passion for pâtisserie lured her to Paris, where she studied at Le Cordon Bleu and obtained a pastry diploma.
She put her skills to excellent use at the delightful Paris culinary bookstore and tea salon, La Cocotte. There Rachel concocted delicious sweet treats, regularly providing catering for culinary book launches and hosting cookery classes on site. Following the success of her edible endeavours at La Cocotte, she now works on culinary projects throughout the world. Her role as an international food creative has spanned six-course dinners and workshops in places as far-flung as London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Melbourne, Sydney and Buenos Aires.
She is also a food writer with books “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” and “Pâtes à tartiner” published by Marabout. “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” has also been published in Dutch, Italian and most recently in English – “Pâtes à tartiner” has also been published in English. Her third cookbook (her first English book) “The Little Paris Kitchen” was published by Penguin on March the 15th 2012. This book has also been translated into Dutch, French, Italian, German, Danish, Japanese, Latvian, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Taiwanese, Korean and Norwegian. The book has also been published in the USA, by Chronicle Books.
Her first cookery show “The Little Paris Kitchen” was aired on BBC 2 from the 19th March 2012 for six weeks and has since been shown around the world. The show has aired all over the world, from Australia to Brazil, Canada to Finland, the USA to Hong Kong and many more.
Rachel’s fourth book “My Little French Kitchen” was published by Michael Joseph in Autumn 2013. Foreign editions have been published in the following territories: Germany, Holland, Taiwan, US, Japan and Poland.
Rachel’s TV show for BBC World Wide, ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London’ and ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Cosmopolitan Cook’ aired around the globe in 2013. Rachel’s fifth book “Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook”, featuring all the recipes from the show plus many more was published by Michael Joseph in February 2015 in the UK – it’s been published in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Netherlands and the United States too. It is available to order from Amazon now.
A six-part series ‘A Cook Abroad’ was aired on BBC2 and BBC2 HD in the UK in February 2015 – Rachel is one of the featured cooks in this fun series which sees cooks journey to places which inspire them. In her episode, Rachel journeys to Malaysia to explore part of her culinary heritage. Watch the trailer here.
Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Melbourne aired in Australia on SBS in July 2015 and is currently airing around the world. In February 2016, Rachel appeared as a guest judge on the popular Australian competitive cooking show, My Kitchen Rules. She co-hosted Zumbo’s Just Desserts show on Channel 7 in Australia which aired in the Summer 2016. And is currently airing on Netflix and around the world.
She has regularly written recipes for the London Evening Standard, The Times, The Guardian and various other media outlets. Aswell as consulting for hotels, restaurants and blue chip clients, most recently for the launch of the Soho house x Sydell group hotel in London, The Ned.
In 2015 Rachel launched, Khoollect. Khoollect is a creative studio based in London aswell as an online community celebrating inspiration found in unlikely places.
She put her skills to excellent use at the delightful Paris culinary bookstore and tea salon, La Cocotte. There Rachel concocted delicious sweet treats, regularly providing catering for culinary book launches and hosting cookery classes on site. Following the success of her edible endeavours at La Cocotte, she now works on culinary projects throughout the world. Her role as an international food creative has spanned six-course dinners and workshops in places as far-flung as London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Melbourne, Sydney and Buenos Aires.
She is also a food writer with books “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” and “Pâtes à tartiner” published by Marabout. “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” has also been published in Dutch, Italian and most recently in English – “Pâtes à tartiner” has also been published in English. Her third cookbook (her first English book) “The Little Paris Kitchen” was published by Penguin on March the 15th 2012. This book has also been translated into Dutch, French, Italian, German, Danish, Japanese, Latvian, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Taiwanese, Korean and Norwegian. The book has also been published in the USA, by Chronicle Books.
Her first cookery show “The Little Paris Kitchen” was aired on BBC 2 from the 19th March 2012 for six weeks and has since been shown around the world. The show has aired all over the world, from Australia to Brazil, Canada to Finland, the USA to Hong Kong and many more.
Rachel’s fourth book “My Little French Kitchen” was published by Michael Joseph in Autumn 2013. Foreign editions have been published in the following territories: Germany, Holland, Taiwan, US, Japan and Poland.
Rachel’s TV show for BBC World Wide, ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London’ and ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Cosmopolitan Cook’ aired around the globe in 2013. Rachel’s fifth book “Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook”, featuring all the recipes from the show plus many more was published by Michael Joseph in February 2015 in the UK – it’s been published in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Netherlands and the United States too. It is available to order from Amazon now.
A six-part series ‘A Cook Abroad’ was aired on BBC2 and BBC2 HD in the UK in February 2015 – Rachel is one of the featured cooks in this fun series which sees cooks journey to places which inspire them. In her episode, Rachel journeys to Malaysia to explore part of her culinary heritage. Watch the trailer here.
Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Melbourne aired in Australia on SBS in July 2015 and is currently airing around the world. In February 2016, Rachel appeared as a guest judge on the popular Australian competitive cooking show, My Kitchen Rules. She co-hosted Zumbo’s Just Desserts show on Channel 7 in Australia which aired in the Summer 2016. And is currently airing on Netflix and around the world.
She has regularly written recipes for the London Evening Standard, The Times, The Guardian and various other media outlets. Aswell as consulting for hotels, restaurants and blue chip clients, most recently for the launch of the Soho house x Sydell group hotel in London, The Ned.
In 2015 Rachel launched, Khoollect. Khoollect is a creative studio based in London aswell as an online community celebrating inspiration found in unlikely places.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 15, 2020
I like Rachel Khoo. There are a lot of photos of her hanging out with her amis in this book in beautiful full skirts. Having said that, I like her, so I am not too troubled. You may feel differently. But the recipes are clear and distinct, and I find it a good spotlight on regional French Cuisine, about which I know essentially nothing. Khoo's interest in adding flavours from Southeast Asia into French dishes with some regularity is also very appealing to me, as I can find some rarefied "French" dishes a bit bland and rich without something to pep them up. I also really like the food styling in this. The chicken in a pot with rice is a particular fave.
February 6, 2014
For a long time, I’ve wanted to visit France. I remember sitting in my high school French class daydreaming of what it would be like to travel there, trying out my few words on the locals. Years have passed, my limited vocabulary is long gone and my dream remains unfulfilled — that is, until now. Through Rachel Khoo’s My Little French Kitchen, I have finally travelled to France, all without ever leaving my kitchen. With the help of scrumptious recipes, beautiful photography, and fun accounts of the different places Khoo toured while putting this book together, I felt like I experienced the trip with her — an expedition that is far from over.
While I’ve only just begun trying out the delicious recipes packed between the pages, I have so thoroughly enjoyed them that I’ve either made them more than once or have the ingredients lined up to do so. Here are some the dishes that have captured both my family and my palate.
CARAMEL AU BEURRE SALÉ (Salted Butter Carmel) —This sugary treat has gained nothing but fans in my house. I made two batches: one plain and the other spiced. While some prefer the first and others the second (I lean toward the second, but then I love anything with cinnamon), there is no denying we all love it.
COURT BOUILLON BRETON (Brittany Bouillon) —I love making things from scratch, so when I saw this homemade, healthier substitute for salty bouillon cubes, I knew it would be one of the first recipes I would try. We’ve used it in several meals and were so happy with the results that I’ve already made another batch of it. After trying this, reverting to the store-bought versions won’t sound so appealing.
BROCHETTES DE BOEF AVEC PETITS PAIN PLATS (Beef Koftas with Herby Flatbreads) — I loved this recipe, and I think everyone else did too because the food disappeared. All of it was great, the meat, the flatbreads, the yogurt sauce. The lemon, garlic, and spices gave the beef such a nice flavor that it’s made me want to try the combination in other meals too; e.g., in hamburgers. I imagine it would be a great way to give them a nice little kick.
PAD ALSACIEN (Alsacian Noodles) — The honey and wine mixture provided this meal with an incredible flavor. Toss in the crisp vegetables and the deal was sealed for me.
SAUCE XIPISTER (Xipister Sauce) — Sauces have the power to make or break a dish, and this one definitely doesn’t break it. The lemon, herbs, and hot pepper added a nice flavor to the oil and vinegar that in turn spices up anything it’s poured on, be it meats, salads, etc.
POULET ROTI AU VEN ROUGE (Roast Red Wine Chicken) — I want to begin this one with a disclaimer, I didn’t have a chicken on hand so I used turkey instead. This was a very quick and tasty meal to put together. The red wine, tomato paste, vinegar, and herbs made a mouth-watering marinade that had everyone grabbing their bread and dipping it into the mixture. It was one of those rare meals where no one complained, which in a family of seven is quite a feat!
Needless to say, not only have I so far enjoyed all of the recipes that I’ve tried, they’ve also been pretty high up on the enjoyment scale, and like I said before, I’m just getting started. I have my eyes on several others that look just as incredible.
I strongly recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves cooking — especially French cooking. One can’t go wrong with this book. There is something for everyone.
Review copy provided by publisher. Thanks!
While I’ve only just begun trying out the delicious recipes packed between the pages, I have so thoroughly enjoyed them that I’ve either made them more than once or have the ingredients lined up to do so. Here are some the dishes that have captured both my family and my palate.
CARAMEL AU BEURRE SALÉ (Salted Butter Carmel) —This sugary treat has gained nothing but fans in my house. I made two batches: one plain and the other spiced. While some prefer the first and others the second (I lean toward the second, but then I love anything with cinnamon), there is no denying we all love it.
COURT BOUILLON BRETON (Brittany Bouillon) —I love making things from scratch, so when I saw this homemade, healthier substitute for salty bouillon cubes, I knew it would be one of the first recipes I would try. We’ve used it in several meals and were so happy with the results that I’ve already made another batch of it. After trying this, reverting to the store-bought versions won’t sound so appealing.
BROCHETTES DE BOEF AVEC PETITS PAIN PLATS (Beef Koftas with Herby Flatbreads) — I loved this recipe, and I think everyone else did too because the food disappeared. All of it was great, the meat, the flatbreads, the yogurt sauce. The lemon, garlic, and spices gave the beef such a nice flavor that it’s made me want to try the combination in other meals too; e.g., in hamburgers. I imagine it would be a great way to give them a nice little kick.
PAD ALSACIEN (Alsacian Noodles) — The honey and wine mixture provided this meal with an incredible flavor. Toss in the crisp vegetables and the deal was sealed for me.
SAUCE XIPISTER (Xipister Sauce) — Sauces have the power to make or break a dish, and this one definitely doesn’t break it. The lemon, herbs, and hot pepper added a nice flavor to the oil and vinegar that in turn spices up anything it’s poured on, be it meats, salads, etc.
POULET ROTI AU VEN ROUGE (Roast Red Wine Chicken) — I want to begin this one with a disclaimer, I didn’t have a chicken on hand so I used turkey instead. This was a very quick and tasty meal to put together. The red wine, tomato paste, vinegar, and herbs made a mouth-watering marinade that had everyone grabbing their bread and dipping it into the mixture. It was one of those rare meals where no one complained, which in a family of seven is quite a feat!
Needless to say, not only have I so far enjoyed all of the recipes that I’ve tried, they’ve also been pretty high up on the enjoyment scale, and like I said before, I’m just getting started. I have my eyes on several others that look just as incredible.
I strongly recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves cooking — especially French cooking. One can’t go wrong with this book. There is something for everyone.
Review copy provided by publisher. Thanks!
September 10, 2015
can honestly say i was never bored with this one. some of it sounded kind of weird (crab/kiwi tartare, a seafood crumble done how you might a fruit crumble, a blood sausage and apple pie), some of it sounded interesting (carrot tarte tatin, a charlotte filled with canteloupe folded into fromage blanc and topped with crystallized flowers), and some of it got bookmarked and saved immediately (cannelloni nicoise, bread roll fondue, chocolate eggs).
i liked the balance of personal anecdotes (at the beginning of the chapters, each of which was focused on a specific french region; this organization worked for me) and factual/historical bits (in the recipe headnotes).
there's plenty of pics, might i even say too many. because while it seems like more is better in cookbooks, i don't care about khoo enough to see her 50+ (okay, i didn't actually count but i'm guessing). but that's my only real gripe about this one so far.
will revise rating once i test some of her recipes.
i liked the balance of personal anecdotes (at the beginning of the chapters, each of which was focused on a specific french region; this organization worked for me) and factual/historical bits (in the recipe headnotes).
there's plenty of pics, might i even say too many. because while it seems like more is better in cookbooks, i don't care about khoo enough to see her 50+ (okay, i didn't actually count but i'm guessing). but that's my only real gripe about this one so far.
will revise rating once i test some of her recipes.
June 26, 2023
To była wspaniała przygoda móc podrożować razem z autorką po całej Francji, wybierając z każdego regionu najciekawsze przepisy. Rachel Khoo nie tylko ma świetne pomysły na przystawki, obiady i desery, ale również świetnie pisze i rysuje. Wszystko to zostało okraszone przepięknymi fotografiami dań, kraju i samej Rachel. Poza drobnymi nieścisłościami w kilku przepisach, jestem zachwycona tą pozycją.
October 11, 2013
My flatmate bought this yesterday. It's divided into sections by region of France, and there are quite a lot of photos of Rachel 'experiencing' each area... So far pretty much everything looks delicious - especially Daube Provencale au rose (veal stew - p148), Jambonneau a la biere (p241) & Terrine aux cerise's noires (p128). This will be updated when we've cooked some of the recipes!
February 7, 2015
I am utterly and totally obsessed with this book! It is so much more than a cookbook. It's like you get to go and live in each little town the recipes are from. This may sound strange but even the texture of the paper is amazing. If I could give this book ten stars I so so would.
Read
July 9, 2014RACHEL Khoo’s latest cookbook follows on from her bestseller The Little Paris Kitchen.
In My Little French Kitchen, the British chef travels France and gets to the heart of local dishes and ingredients. From the “snow-topped mountains and spice-laden Christmas markets of Alsace to the winemaking region of Bordeaux, the dreamy vistas and sun-drenched vegetable dishes of Provence and the well-stocked larders and coastlines of Brittany and Normandy”.
Khoo’s mission was to travel France and unearth long forgotten recipes “stuffed in the back of a drawer, made by regional French grandmas”. But she also wanted to see what the country looked like today and how the younger generation was eating.
Khoo lovingly introduces each region she visits by describing its history, location, people, food, scenery, her stay and discoveries. This is also where the art and design graduate uses her own drawings to illustrate a map of the region complete with all the areas foodie quirks.
The recipe book is filled with stunning pics of the food, locations and the beautiful Khoo. Throughout the book she gives tips – les petites astuces – and advice to get ahead – faire en avance. Each recipe also features its own introduction – a somewhat personal love letter to the reader.
Whether you’re in love with France, or simply Khoo, this tome is bound to inspire.
In My Little French Kitchen, the British chef travels France and gets to the heart of local dishes and ingredients. From the “snow-topped mountains and spice-laden Christmas markets of Alsace to the winemaking region of Bordeaux, the dreamy vistas and sun-drenched vegetable dishes of Provence and the well-stocked larders and coastlines of Brittany and Normandy”.
Khoo’s mission was to travel France and unearth long forgotten recipes “stuffed in the back of a drawer, made by regional French grandmas”. But she also wanted to see what the country looked like today and how the younger generation was eating.
Khoo lovingly introduces each region she visits by describing its history, location, people, food, scenery, her stay and discoveries. This is also where the art and design graduate uses her own drawings to illustrate a map of the region complete with all the areas foodie quirks.
The recipe book is filled with stunning pics of the food, locations and the beautiful Khoo. Throughout the book she gives tips – les petites astuces – and advice to get ahead – faire en avance. Each recipe also features its own introduction – a somewhat personal love letter to the reader.
Whether you’re in love with France, or simply Khoo, this tome is bound to inspire.
May 7, 2015
Luscious culinary armchair trip through France
Rachel Khoo has enabled me to visit the different regions and cuisines of France. Her twists on traditional French recipes seem accessible to the home cook. The pictures and illustrations were beautiful.
If you are interested in cookbooks, this may be one that you would like to add to your collection. This is not a good book for gluten intolerant, dairy intolerant, or vegetarians. Also if you do not eat pork, you might want to avoid this book.
Rachel Khoo has enabled me to visit the different regions and cuisines of France. Her twists on traditional French recipes seem accessible to the home cook. The pictures and illustrations were beautiful.
If you are interested in cookbooks, this may be one that you would like to add to your collection. This is not a good book for gluten intolerant, dairy intolerant, or vegetarians. Also if you do not eat pork, you might want to avoid this book.
December 15, 2014
this is probably ideal for someone who likes seafood or various veggie combos that are normally on the plain ole shelf in the fruits and veggie sections but, i am not one of those people i am not a seafood fan not at all and that is what 97% of the protein was in this cookbook. and the food combos were not that delicious sounding for me. it was not my cup of tea so to speak but for someone who enjoys that type of food this would be a great resource.
February 6, 2015
This cook book has a lovely and light feeling. It's evocative of summer (even though there's a stop in winter wonderland Alsace at the end of her tour around France). Taken altogether, this is a collection recipes that I loved reading about and am actually going to be preparing and eating.
June 8, 2015
Mouthwatering
The food isn't really what we think of as French, but is food she designed while living in France and using local ingredients. Even though it's not true French the recipes are still mouthwatering and extremely tempting.
The food isn't really what we think of as French, but is food she designed while living in France and using local ingredients. Even though it's not true French the recipes are still mouthwatering and extremely tempting.
June 16, 2016
Bought this just for the canele recipe.
Haven't had a chance to cook anything yet, but I love Little Paris Kitchen, and the visible kitchen abuse will attest to that, so I suspect this one will get used a lot too.
Haven't had a chance to cook anything yet, but I love Little Paris Kitchen, and the visible kitchen abuse will attest to that, so I suspect this one will get used a lot too.
December 24, 2014
Lovely stories and French Inspired recipes.
November 1, 2015
A fun cookbook filled with some lovely regional French recipes.
March 27, 2015
Great book! Especially the canele recipe.
May 17, 2015
Rachel takes you from the streets of Paris to all over France, exploring so many amazing areas deep in food culture.
December 28, 2019
I love Rachel Khoi for her effortlessness and wonderful ideas.
November 8, 2017
Rachel Khoo's adaptations of recipes from different regions of France, with some French history and personal anecdotes, so that you can visualize the regions from which the recipes are derived. Accessible, not overly-complicated, with a lot of seafood and vegetable dishes (two of the reasons I wanted to read this book), and all prepared without a lot of fancy equipment or specialty pans or appliances. Great photos of the dishes as well.
December 12, 2022
Simple, delious french cooking. Everything is here is exampled well. Easy instructions. I did find that some ingredients could be difficult to find. Such as Calvados, a brandy from France. There was also cheeses that might be hard for people to find with no substitute. This would be a great book for someone looking to dip their toe into French cuisine at home!
December 19, 2017
Very new to french cuisine.. not able to find the ingredient in Asia.. but will still love to explore.. like the outdoor cooking session... wishing can do one like this in Asia, Malaysia
September 3, 2020
My Little French Kitchen
by Rachel Khoo
Love this recipe book read it all the time for inspiration
by Rachel Khoo
Love this recipe book read it all the time for inspiration
March 8, 2017
If you are into cookbooks and like anecdotal stories by the author, you will enjoy this one. Probably won't make a lot of the recipes, but they all look and sound wonderful.
June 7, 2017
I fell in love with Rachel Khoo and her recipes in her book Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook.
So when I found this book smashed between two cooking books, with the cover torn and some pages damaged, I didn't care, it was the last one and I really wanted a copy; it would have been lovely to have a brand new one but still this babe is mine!
The book has over 100 recipes from france, from Brittany, Bordeaux, Basque, Provence, Lyon, and Alsace. The recipes are unique and oh so French!
I loved the photography and illustrations of the little maps, this is also a food and trip diary through France. Such a great book!
So when I found this book smashed between two cooking books, with the cover torn and some pages damaged, I didn't care, it was the last one and I really wanted a copy; it would have been lovely to have a brand new one but still this babe is mine!
The book has over 100 recipes from france, from Brittany, Bordeaux, Basque, Provence, Lyon, and Alsace. The recipes are unique and oh so French!
I loved the photography and illustrations of the little maps, this is also a food and trip diary through France. Such a great book!
September 2, 2016
Lovely cookbook filled with stories and recipes of Rachel Khoo as she travels around France finding the best produce to prepare delicious French food.
November 26, 2016
Easily would have been 4 stars if I ate seafood as so much of this was seafood heavy. The good photography was really impressive.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews