Elizabeth David's classic cookbook French Provincial Cooking (1960) has more in common with the quaint homemaker's cookbooks of the 19th century than the lush, sexy coffee-table cookbooks spewed forth by contemporary chefs. Practical and encyclopedic, French Provincial Cooking documents in loving detail the traditional foods of the country. The book includes an extensive bibliography of 18th, 19th, and 20th century French cookbooks and 100 pages at the beginning explaining the nuanced cuisines of the different regions of France, important ingredients, units of measure and their translation, cooking terms and processes, and kitchen implements. It is an essential cookbook for every serious cook's collection. My copy, from the 1983 edition, has several amusing introductions from Elizabeth David, including one in which she warns of the coming flattening of all cuisine due to the scourge of the Cuisinart/Robot Coupe. Twenty-four years later I can happily report that the food processor has not destroyed cooking.
Elizabeth David, a Brit who discovered French cuisine during two years of homestay with a French family while she was studying at La Sorbonne, was one of the pre-eminent food writers of the mid-20th century and set the stage for Julia Child, whose own cookbooks are legend. Before her death in 1992, David published 7 cookbooks, all remarkable for their attention to detail and adherence to authenticity.
I purchased this book when I was an intern at a French country restaurant in Boston, MA. It helped me understand what we were doing and the basic principles behind our menu. Though I haven't used it much since, it is a great reference when fresh vegetables are in season and inspiration is at a premium. Almost continuously in print since its publication, this cookbook is easy to find and isn't pricey. Sure you won't want to leave it out on your coffee table, but you'll actually be using this one, and isn't that what cookbooks are for?
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