French Country Cooking: Authentic Recipes from Every Region

by Françoise Branget, Jeannette Seaver (Translator)

Here are 180 recipes of traditional French appetizers, entrees, and desserts that members of the French National Assembly, representing the myriad regions of their native country, have decided to share with the world. From a challenging slow-cooked hare recipe that predates the French Revolution to the simplest bread, The Cuisine of the French Republic is both wittily political and warmly personal. It comes with fascinating legends of La France profonde, historical information, and a great deal of Gallic charm.None of the recipes are chic, trendy, minimalist, or Nouvelle Cuisine. Here is the real thing.The diversity and originality of these recipes are representative of France’s rich culinary heritage. The Cuisine of the French Republic offers a unique chance of entering La France profonde that no, or few tourists ever penetrate. This comprehensive cultural and gastronomic insider view into private kitchens, farms, replete with ancestral recipes passed on through generations will enchant the armchair traveler as well as inspire to visit the many different regions of France—a country so rich, with many cuisines. “Cooking is our soul,” Branget says, “but political life, politics intrude. These recipes are testimony to our small pleasures, our contribution to history.”

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, France

479 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2012

Reviews

[Sarah Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it turns out, I'm not a big fan of french food.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading this, and I wish I could find half the ingredients here (the negative of living in the US means that you probably have to travel a lot to find the cuts of meat used), but you could use alternatives. I wished they mentioned potential alternatives here, although I’m sure that’s not the target audience they’re looking for.

[Skye Brasher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had this cook book for a long time and read it when I first got it, but haven’t used it or looked at it in years. When I first got it, a lot of the recipes seemed unapproachable, but I’ve cooked a lot more since then and I feel like I could handle more of them. The charm of the book is the recipes and antidotes from each deputy from each department. However, most of them are not chefs so their instructions can be a little difficult to decipher. A lot of the recipes include obscure ingredients and/or ingredients that can only be found in France. Mains include duck, rabbit, and various offal recipes. As a cookbook that allows a home cook to try out recipes from all over France, it’s a bit impractical. For a Francophile who wants to dream of traveling all over the country and trying out regional dishes, it’s a nice little journey.

[Shanelle P. Mayfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loaded!

This book is loaded with so many mouth-watering, authentic, and ancient French recipes, some of which I could swear I saw Bourdain enjoying on "Parts Unknown." The seven day rabbit recipe is one of them, and the first I will try.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

a wide range of recipes - which use a wide range of styles, ingredients and techniques.
as a book it did not feel well organized. there were some very interesting recipes but few that I felt compelled to make although there was the first rabit recipe and the blue cake that caught my attention.

[Sandra Noel · Rating 3 out of 5]

French Country Cooking is such an interesting cookbook. It's divided by region, not by recipe type, so if you're looking for something specific, the index is your friend. The recipes reflect the "country" aspect with recipes such as Lamb's Feet and Stomach Parcels (which has two recipes from two different regions), Beef Stew in Beer, Boulogne Fisherman's Chowder, and Alsation One-Pot Baked Dinner where the ingredients (which include pigs feet and tails) are sealed into the earthenware casserole by a layer of dough around the rim which seals it well. You can also find more decadent recipes such as Fondue in a Fourme de Montbrison which is a fondue made from and in a whole 4 lb wheel of Fourme de Montbrison cheese, Gratin of White Asparagus or Filet Mignon with Brie.

I've heard of Breton Apple Cake and couldn't wait to try it. Unfortunately, it did NOT turn out well at all. It had to cook nearly twice as long as called for, and the texture was...interesting. I read the recipe repeatedly to make sure I had not missed any ingredients or steps, but I followed it perfectly. The Gougeres (Cheese Puffs), however, were amazing!! They were a huge hit with the entire family and they are clamoring for me to make them again soon!

There is much to love in this book, and some things that are interesting but will never be cooked. The fact that they're at least interesting, though, says much about the book. If you're looking for classic, French country cooking, I think this could be a good book for you.

I received a copy of this book from Arcade Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book, high quality paper. Plenty of high definition photos of delicious meals. I think I gained 10 pounds just for looking at the pictures. I am not really going to try to fix any of those dishes -too complicated for me- but I now know what to ask for in a fancy french restaurant if I ever visit one.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the theme of the book as somebody who is both interested in the culinary arts and French politics, but was even more pleased upon trying several of the recipes and discovering that they're legitimately solid. Apparently those French parliamentarians know their stuff.