Culinaria France: A Celebration of Food and Tradition, edited by André Dominé, features the regional cuisine of France along with the background of the people, culture, and development of local ingredients. A few highlights include Raviolis au Brocciu (Brocciu-filled ravioli), Quiche Lorraine (Lorraine bacon pie), Mousse au Chocolat (Chocolate mousse), and Civet de Sanglier (Ragoût of wild boar). I will also be sharing a recipe for Pistou (Provençal Basil Paste) following the review.
Disclosure: I received this book from H. F. Ullmann Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Looking for more in the Culinaria series?
Find my reviews here:
- Pumpkin Tarts and Culinaria Greece
- Túrós Pogácsa (Hungarian Quark Pogácsa) and Culinaria Hungary
- Rieslingsabayon (German Riesling Zabaglione) and Culinaria Germany
- Sorbete de la Rioja (Rioja Wine Sorbet) and Culinaria Spain
- Coconut Pudding and Culinaria China
- Strascinati con la Mollica (Italian Pasta with Breadcrumbs) and Culinaria Italy
Culinaria France
Like the other books in the Culinaria series, Culinaria France is so much more than just a cookbook. Each chapter begins with an overview of the region. I love the interesting facts and cultural tidbits that make the individual areas unique.
The chapters are divided based on region: Paris/Île-de-France, Nord-Pas-de-Calais/Picardie/Normandie Bretagne, Champagne/Lorraine/Alsace, Bourgogne/Franche-Comté, Lyon/Rhône-Alpes, Provence/Côte d’Azur, La Corse, Roussillon/Languedoc/Les Cévennes, Toulousain/Quercy/Aveyron/Auvergne, Bordeaux/Périgord/Gascogne/Pays Basque, Poitou-Charentes/Limousin, and Pays de la Loire/Centre.
You also will learn more about the background and local ingredients including the development of the baguette, the incredible variety of grapes and wine, the herbs of Provence, chestnut blossom honey from Cévennes, and the introduction of couscous from Algeria.
The beautiful photography is by Günter Beer. In addition to photos of the finished dish for many of the recipes, there are hundreds of the scenery, people, and food. A few step-by-step photos show certain techniques such as how to prepare a globe artichoke, blend Aïoli, or carve a chicken.
Visual guides are scattered throughout the pages showcasing bread specialties, Jewish treats, cheese, sea fish, smoked specialties of Franche-Comté, and French cuts of beef. The name of each dish is written in French (or local dialect) and English. The measurements are provided in US Customary and Metric.
Pistou (Provençal Basil Paste)
The Provençal Pistou is a pounded basil garlic paste served alongside fish, lamb, and added to Soupe au Pistou- a popular white bean vegetable soup. It was a great way to use up the last of the basil from the garden.
The biggest difference between this sauce and the Italian pesto is the lack of pine nuts- making it a wonderful alternative for those who avoid the ingredient. Traditionally, garlic cloves are pounded by hand in a mortar with thinly sliced basil, Parmesan cheese (a more modern addition), and olive oil until a sauce is created. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle available, you can cheat with the help of a food processor.
Other Dishes
I also made Gratin des Halles (Onion Soup topped with Cheese), Flammkueche (Bacon and Onion Pie), Tomates Confites (Baked Tomatoes), and Mel i Mato à notre façon (Mel i Mato in our own style).
Gratinée des Halles (French Onion Soup) is prepared by caramelizing onions and simmering them in seasoned beef stock. The soup is divided among serving bowls, topped with baguette slices and Gruyere, and toasted until bubbly. This soup is always a favorite of mine and the recipe definitely did not disappoint.
Flammkueche is an Alsatian flat pie with bacon and onions. A pizza-like dough is stretched out and topped with quark and crème fraîche before sprinkling with bacon and onions. The pie is then baked until golden and bubbly.
Tomates Confites are Corsican baked tomatoes topped simply with garlic, parsley, and olive oil. It was an easy side dish to prepare and the perfect accompaniment for a salad with slices of white bread.
Mel i Mato is a rich Catalan cheese dessert. In this adaptation, cream cheese and goat cheese are beaten until smooth with sugar, lemon, and water. The mixture is frozen until sorbet-like in consistency. It is served cold with a drizzle of honey and sprinkling of walnuts.
Culinaria France is a great pick for those wanting a closer look at French cuisine. Recipes range from simple one-pot meals to the more intricate perfect for entertaining. Having a background in French techniques will be helpful in executing some of the more difficult recipes. Seafood, organ meats, and game are particularly prominent. There are also plenty of appetizers, soups, vegetables, and sweets.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in the average American grocery store, but a few may require a trip to a specialty cheese shop or market (orange blossom water, game meat, sweetbreads, seafood, brocciu, ceps, truffles, smoked meats, juniper berries, crème fraîche, snails, and a few other specialty ingredients).
Pistou (Provençal Basil Paste) Recipe
Adapted from Culinaria France
Pistou (Provençal Basil Paste)
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- Sea salt
- 2 large bunches fresh basil
- 1 cup (100 grams) freshly grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Place the garlic in a mortar, sprinkle with salt to taste, and pound into a smooth paste.
- Thinly slice the basil and pound into the basil until well combined, then mix in the parmesan and pepper.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pounding the mixture until the ingredients and evenly combined and smooth.
Platter Talk
Your Pistou is stunning. I’d love to smear that on some fresh Italian or French bread.
Heidy L. McCallum
I love how fresh and vibrant your Pistou looks—I am a big fan of vibrant color and like Dan said I could totally see enjoying this on crusty bread as well as adding it to simmering soup. This cookbook sounds like a great find and I would love to hear more about the recipes in it. Hope you’ll share more in the future.
Dahn @savor the Best
This sounds like a great cookbook, I love that it is divided by regions and gives information on the regions and cultural insight.
I make pesto all the time and have not tried it without the pine nuts, now I will have to try this version
Noel Lizotte
I love reading cookbooks that share tidbits of information about an area, culture or ingredient that teach me something! This sounds like a great read, not just a collection of recipes.
I’ve also been investigating recipes to use with fresh herbs, this pistou might have to be one I test.
Lisa | Garlic + Zest
Your photos are magnificent — and I definitely want this cookbook in my kitchen!
lk529
Perfect for my dad! Those tomatoes look good, too.
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy
pesto is one of my STAPLES in my freezer…don’t know what I’d do without it! I love all the different types you can make also! This cookbook sounds wonderful!