The Provence Cookbook: A James Beard Award Winning Cookbook

The recipe for cauliflower gratin alone is worth the purchase of this book. It is one of the most delicious vegetable dishes I have come across. My family loves it and dinner guests practically swoon over it (especially those who are low-carbing it). I am a big fan of Wells - I highly recommend her Bistro Cooking and Trattoria books as well.

I enjoy cookbooks not only for their recipes but for the stories behind them. The Provence Cookbook is that and more, and you will never get tired reading it from cover to cover. Inside you'll find a guide to markets, shops and restaurants as well as personal insights that introduce you to a Provence full of flavor and culinary creation. True cooks will enjoy delightful recipes that are divided into chapters with selections ranging from appetizers to salads, soups to fish, poultry and rabbit. And of course, no meal is complete without wine, so the thoughtful wine suggestions were appreciated and reminded me of wonderful meals when I lived in France! -EV/Cruising Cuisine-

I was so impressed with The Paris Cookbook that I bought this one as soon as I saw it. It is similar in look and feel to the Paris cookbook, but each has its own spirit. The Paris cookbook focuses on the use of produce and meat from city markets as well as recipes from chefs with whom Wells has worked. The Provence cookbook has recipes that highlight fresh food taken directly from the land, simply prepared. I will rely heavily on it this summer, especially for preparation of fresh vegetables from the garden.

It seems as though there wouldn't be much left to say regarding the cuisine of southern France. Scores of volumes have covered the territory but that has not stopped Patricia Wells from venturing yet again into the cooking of Provence. And for that we can be thankful, for no one writes more lovingly about the people, ingredients and techniques of Provence than she.Among the best recipes included in this volume are those that Wells admits she made up on the spur of the moment using whatever fresh ingredients were available at the time. In the text accompanying the recipe for roasted cherry tomatoes she notes that she was seeking something to fill space in the oven, noticed that her cherry tomatoes were ripening wildly and created a recipe right then that has since become a favorite. There is no better lesson in the spirit of Provencal cooking than this - use what is around, treat it well and you will be well fed. Perhaps more fun that the recipes themselves, if possible, are the profiles of Wells' favorite producers, vendors and restaurantors. These are the people who inspire Wells herself - the farmers and fisherman, the cooks and the market stal owners. Her nod to their dedication and professionalism is lovely and shows the many strands that are woven together to eat well in the classical sense. Technically, the book is well organized and the instructions are clear. Wells also includes source and contact information for those lucky enough to visit Wells' territory in person. Definitely recommended for anyone who enjoys true, fresh flavors cooked simply in season. That Patricia Wells has managed to cover new ground is a wonder, but she has, in fact, done it again!

The cookbooks of `cuisine Provence' just keep coming. The latest is the new book by Patricia Wells, whose credentials for doing a cookbook on a cuisine of France are impeccable, as she has already written seven (7), including an earlier book on Provence entitled `Patricia Wells at Home in Provence'. I made a point of reviewing the earlier book (as well as four (4) of Wells' other books) when I saw the notice of the new book's being published.Madame Wells gives no clue in this book to distinguish it from the earlier title. She does indicate that it marks the occasion of her living at the farmhouse, Chanteduc, with her husband for the last twenty years. My biggest question about the current volume is, after all the books which have already been published, what new can be said about the cuisine of this singularly fecund culinary terroir? The answer in this book is `A lot'.Like Wells' earlier Provence book, this book does not dwell on standards such as Bouillabaisse or Salad Nicoise. It presents recipes of local restaurants and bistros and recipes invented by the author herself. There are still lots of references to friends and acquaintances such as Joel Robuchon who happens to be great French chef, but the emphasis in this book, unlike the earlier title, is much more on the restaurants and food producers and vendors of her neighborhood in Provence than it is about Madame Wells and her contacts to the greats of French cuisine. This concentration on contacts in Provence sometimes seems a bit absurd to 99% of Madame Wells' potential audience. What reader / cook in Duluth will have any interest whatsoever in the telephone and fax numbers of `Restaurant Le Mimosa' just outside of Montpellier in Provence? Only that reader who will happen to be traveling to Provence within the next year, I gather. This doesn't mean there are no such contacts of value to the general reader. There are names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses (of course) to many local vintners, truffle merchants, and olive oil producers. I'm certain that if someone were absolutely determined to obtain a bottle of primo olive oil from Provence, they could use this information to track down a source. Note that the references to these merchants is certainly not an afterthought. The subtitle of the book states that it is a book of both recipes and a guide to markets, shops, and restaurants. I will chalk this up as a plus, as 175 good recipes for a list price of less than $30 is a bargain. Throw in first rate intelligence on Provencal merchants and I think the interested buyer will be getting their money's worth.In addition to addresses and other contacts to Provencal restaurants, the book contains a three-page presentation of major market days in Provence, by day and by department. The end of the book also has three solid pages of sources gathered from the body of the book.Regarding the recipes, I will not verify that she did not duplicate any recipes from the earlier book othe