"This beautiful French cookbook is by Beatrice Peltre, blog author of LaTartineGourmande.com. She has written articles or recipes for Saveur, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post. I heard about the cookbook from Dorie Greenspan (one of my favorite cookbook writers) on her blog, and was further tempted by the gorgeous food styling.
The Potato, Jerusalem Artichoke, Spinach and Asparagus Frittata (p. 96) is delicious and it was one of the first recipes I tried ever since discovering Jerusalem Artichokes (they have the texture of potatoes, but they are more flavorful and savory) last year. The Brown Butter Pistachio and Poppy Financiers (p. 263) are likewise delicious and a unusual take on financiers, which are usually made with almonds.
Also, this information is nowhere on the cover, but all the recipes are entirely GLUTEN-FREE. It's the first time I've seen this (a gluten-free cookbook not openly promoted as such), and publisher must have felt confident that the book and recipes were strong enough that they would appeal to everyone, regardless of special diet needs. I concur!"
Publisher Roost Books
Publication Date 2012-02-07
Section Cooking / All Staff Suggestions / Jen C.
Format Hardcover
ISBN 9781590307625
What could be sweeter than a life with friendship and food at its center? For Béatrice Peltre, author of the award-winning blog LaTartineGourmande.com, to cook is to delight in the best of what life has to offer—the people and places we love. Welcome to a world where flavors are collected as souvenirs and shared as heirlooms, and where the dishes we create are expressions of our joie de vivre.
With nearly 100 recipes and charming anecdotes, La Tartine Gourmande takes you on a journey, not only through the meals of the day but around the world, as Béa revisits her inspiration for each dish. Though her style is largely inspired by her native France, you’ll find a wide array of influences as she brings creative twists to classic recipes—all while remaining effortlessly healthful and balanced. The gluten-free recipes use whole grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and nut flours, lending surprising depth of flavor and nutrients, even to desserts. You’ll taste the best of her adventures abroad from Denmark to New Zealand, her childhood in the French countryside, and the simple wholesomeness of her charmed life at home in Boston.
Your mouth will water as Béa recalls the oeufs en cocotte (“baked eggs”) that she ate as a child after collecting fresh eggs from her grandmother’s hen house. Her recipe for this classic dish now includes leeks, spinach, smoked salmon, and cumin. Or try the buttermilk, lemon, and poppyseed pancakes she made every morning in Crete when she was pregnant—they’re now her little daughter Lulu’s favorite. Warm up with a bowl of celeriac, white sweet potato, and apple soup, a dish inspired by a chilly day of horseback riding in New Zealand. You’ll love sharing the saffron-flavored crab and watercress soufflé, a delicious homage to one of her mother’s best-loved Christmas traditions. And since most would agree that “a meal without dessert is like wearing only one shoe,” try the apple, rhubarb, and strawberry nutty crumble, served with vanilla-flavored custard, just the way her husband’s Irish grandfather preferred.
Lush styling and photography combined with sweet stories, foodie tidbits, and fresh and original recipes make La Tartine Gourmande perfect for those who love food and the way our lives play around it. This is not just a book about cooking, but a warm invitation to share in the beauty and simple pleasures of a life with food at the heart of it.
