Book description
In years gone by, the traveller in France could rely on coming across
a restaurant where the tables were ready-laid with heavy cotton
napkins, a carafe of wine and a basket of freshly baked bread, and
where the ensuing meal would encompass recipes of remarkable local
dishes handed down from generation to generation. But no longer.
In an inspiring quest for this rapidly disappearing traditional
cuisine and culture, Mirabel Osler travels the length and breadth of
France, focusing on individual chefs and restaurants, exploring
producers and suppliers such the travelling butchers and bakers, and
the local markets where much of the produce is bought. It is an
enticing and evocative picture of a way of life which is fast being
eroded by the modern world, but also an affirmation that, for some,
the old traditions will always survive.
Mirabel Osler writes regularly for the garden magazine Hortus and
is also the author of A Gentle Plea for Chaos, The Garden Wall, The
Garden Bench, In the Eye of the Garden, The Secret Gardens of France
and A Breath From Elsewhere.
Simon Dorrell is best known for his work as Art Editor and in-house
illustrator for Hortus. His work also appears regularly in Country
Life and he has provided illustrations for a number of books.
Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hill has been cooking for twenty-five
years, and is currently chef-patron at the Merchant House, Ludlow. In
1993 he won Egon Ronay Chef of the Year, and a Catey award at the
catering industry's Oscars. He is also a research fellow in Ancient
Greek at Exeter University.
