My first book on the cooking of rural France is graced with a preface by M.F.K. Fisher, the legendary American food writer. Already the Ardéchois village of Saint Montan had become our summer home, and as I cooked alongside my French friends and neighbours they provided many recipes and anecdotes from this beautiful yet little-known region. Chapters are devoted to the ingredients such as chestnuts, olives, local cheeses, and wild mushrooms, that shape the cooking of this area of the Languedoc. And as I travelled around the departement, I found that the love and regard for traditional recipes remains as steadfast as ever in this part of the south of France.
Geraldene Holt combines unobtrusive erudition with an artist’s eye. A delightful book. The ‘feel’ of the places and people is conveyed with unassuming skill. Strongly recommended….Her style is unpretentious but skilful; all the recipes are placed in context, and there is a charming companionable air about her work. Outstandingly readable.” Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food.
GERALDENE HOLT 