The Soups of France

The French didn't invent soup (though the word "restaurant" refers to soup and is a French word.) But they sure embrace soup as an important food. Personally, I love soup and think it is indeed a restorative; easy to digest, good on cold days and soothing to sip slowly. A well-made soup may be humble, like bean soup, or insanely complex and elegant like a crab or lobster bisque. The Soups of France is more or less organized by French "Department" or area of the country. The accompanying photographs are excellent quality and show the beautiful and varied French countryside. There are 84 different soups, from cabbage, bean, the inevitable Potage Crecy (cream of carrot) to game soup and rabbit soup. The only soup missing is the ubiquitous no-name soup that is to be found in every cafe or inn no matter where you are in France--it's a puree of (leftover?) vegetables in a veal broth base with cream and you usually find it on the menu as the soupe du jour. It's delicious and I hope someday someone will provide a recipe for it (maybe with the stock used) as it's a fine homey thing and one you can make when the family forgets to finish all the rutabagas and parsnips. The book is in a large, square format and is a must for any Francophile or cooking afficionado. Interesting reading, pretty with nice recipes. A great gift for the foody in your family.

With all the scenery and none of the rude people, this book is better (and certainly much more affordable) than a trip to France. For those of us who remember--and sorely miss--the Rotherts' restaurant, "DuJour" in Fort Wayne, the recipes are a godsend. Let's hope Lois sells many many many copies and uses the royalties to publish a companion cookbook ... of Larsh's bread recipes!

I urge you to buy this book or at least look at it. It is a beautiful book. Charming in style with beautiful images. But the best part is that it is not just a rehash of old recipes, or recipes congured up to be different. When you eat one of these soups, there is a depth to the flavor, and you could think you were in France. I commend the author for preserving these old soups.