Provencal Light

I've traveled in Provence, and own many Provencal cookbooks (some, I admit, just for the beautiful pictures!) but this is my favorite. It may be because I attended a cooking class taught by Martha and really got hooked on her approach, which aims at keeping authentic flavors while cutting back on some of the outrageous amounts of fat that are in some of the original recipes. She succeeds at this in almost all of her recipes. Try her green bean and potato salad, redolant of wonderful south France flavors, or her fabulous cherry clafouti, sparked with kirsch, and lightened a little with the addition of yoghurt. If you can only buy one Provencal cookbook and can forego the pictures, get this one.

Martha Rose Shulman truly is a delight. She has written a book that is as fun to sit down and read... as it is to pull out and plan a menu. With each page and each chapter it is obvious to the reader the care and passion the author has towards preserving the essence of Provencal cuisine. Balance this with a healthful approach of minimizing fat without sacrificing flavour and you have the perfect book to add to any healthy gourmand's collection. Unlike many "light" cookbooks, which equate healthy with "fat-free," resulting in tasteless food, Shulman takes the wise approach of moderation. In many recipes, if your diet allows it, you can even add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to further enhance the flavour. A true student of gastronomy and culinary tradition, the author has thoughtfully sluethed, interviewed, practiced and refined plates and recipes from an assortment of kitchens and chefs. The result: a thoughtful and diverse cookbook of flavours that are respectful to their authenticity but balanced with healthful influences. Such approach has garnered her praise from some of the "toughest" food critics, including the hilarious Jeffrey Steingarten in his wonderful "The Man who Ate Everything" (another must-read). Particularly inviting are the recipes for tartes and gratins, rabbit and fish, and an assortment of different takes on clafouti. The tomato and rice soup is delightful with a garden salad for a light dinner... the eggplant and tomato gratin excellent as a side dish at dinner. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book in the few weeks I have had it... and anticipate making it dog-eared in the years to come.