Book description
Alex Mackay is the chef who runs Delia Smith's renowned cookery school
in Norwich; a man she has described as having a 'rare and special gift'
for cookery. After working with Raymond Blanc, first as a sous-chef at
Le Manoir au Quat' Saisions then as Director of Blanc's cookery school,
in 2000, Alex and photographer Peter Knab opened Le Baou d'Infer, a
cookery school in the heart of the Provencal countryside.
Cooking in Provence
is a collection of recipes born out of this experience - dishes cooked
by Alex and his students and inspired by their love not just of the
intoxicating flavours and food of the region, but its way of life. The
recipes reflect the changing seasons, from refreshing summer dishes such
as Salade Niçoise and Pissaladiere to the warming comfort of Daube en
Boeuf and Bouillabaisse, authentically evoking the region's unique
identity. Peter Knab's stunning photographs sit alongside Alex's vivid
descriptions of the scenery, markets and people. Together they conjure a
vision of Provence and the food integral to the region - from the fish
caught along its beautiful coastline, to the aromatic herbs and
vegetables harvested from its fields and the fruit grown in its
orchards. This book provides not just a wonderful collection of
mouthwatering dishes, but a slice of the warmth and beauty of Provence
itself.
Alex Mackay combines a love of food with a passion for
teaching. At the age of nineteen he left his native New Zealand for
France where he worked in three Michelin-starred kitchens. He visited
Provence at every opportunity. In 1992, Alex came to Britain to become
the sous-chef at Raymond Blanc's world-famous Le Manoir aux Quat'
Saisons. He subsequently became the director of Le Manoir's cookery
school before setting up Le Baou d'Infer and then going on to head up
Delia Smith's cookery workshops in Norwich.
Peter Knab studied photography in Germany, specialising in
fashion and advertising. When he and his wife Diana decided to look
for a holiday retreat in France, they discovered Le Baou d'Infer in
Provence, originally an old working farmhouse. Peter was the
photographer for his lifelong friend Delia Smith's Summer and
Winter Collection cookbooks in the 1990s.
