We’re in the thick of Summer, which means a lot of us are enjoying a much deserved vacation. So, what better time to indulge in new reads, and take some time to try out new recipes in the kitchen than now?
If you’re in need of a little more inspiration, here is a list of some of my new favorite French or French-themed cookbooks, published in 2020, or late 2019. Most of them are in English, two in French, and the last two aren’t cookbooks, but fantastic reads for any Francophile. Enjoy this selection, and please feel free to comment below this post to share some of your other favorite cookbooks from this year.
DAVID LEBOVITZ
Drinking French
Bestselling cookbook author, memoirist, and popular blogger David Lebovitz delves into the drinking culture of France in Drinking French. This beautifully photographed collection features 160 recipes for everything from coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to Kir and regional apĂ©ritifs, classic and modern cocktails (…). And because the French can’t imagine drinking without having something to eat alongside, David includes crispy, salty snacks to serve with your concoctions.
Miss Maggie’s Kitchen
HĂ©loĂŻse Brion from the French blog Miss Maggie’s Kitchen shares in her debut cookbook more than eighty laid-back recipes for every occasion, including her beautiful table settings that are festive and welcoming. Her simple, authentic, and tasty cuisine includes winter squash soup with porcini crostini, cherry tomato pizza, veal stew, clementine and pistachio cake, and a rosemary-rhubarb cooler. Brion’s husband, photographer Christophe RouĂ©, captures the charm of Miss Maggie’s Kitchen, where retro and modern culminate in the ultimate comfortable elegance.
MELISSA CLARK
Dinner in French
New York Times star food writer Melissa Clark breaks down the new French classics with 150 recipes that reflect a modern yet distinctly French sensibility. (…) Melissa updates classic French techniques and dishes to reflect how we cook, shop, and eat today. With recipes such as Salade Nicoise with Haricot Vert, Cornmeal and Harissa SoufflĂ©, Scalloped Potato Gratin, Lamb Shank Cassoulet, Ratatouille Sheet-Pan Chicken, Campari Olive Oil Cake, and Apricot Tarte Tatin (to name a few), Dinner in French will quickly become a go-to resource and endure as an indispensable classic.
FRANCOIS DE M
French Cooking for Beginners
Author François de MĂ©logue breaks down classic French cookbook dishes like Duck Confit with Crispy Potatoes, Bouillabaisse, and Coq au Vin into easy-to-follow steps perfect for the newcomer. Along the way, you”ll learn how to put together a cheese board any Parisian would be proud of, fry the perfect pommes frites, and pair food and wine like a pro.
JEAN IMBERT
Merci Mamie Pour Les Recettes
In his latest book, popular French Chef Jean Imbert pays tribute to his “mamie” (grand-mother) and shares 70 nostalgia-filled recipes given to him, from her. The recipes are humble, comforting and classically French at its best, including family staples like Ratatouille, Blanquette de Veau, Tomatoes Farcies and Quatre-Quarts.
The book is in French, but the recipes and vocabulary are simple enough to make it accessible to most with a basic French understanding.
GISELLE COURTEAU
Duchess At Home
A cookbook of delectable, comforting, French-inspired fare for home cooks and Francophiles everywhere, from Giselle Courteau, the bestselling author of Duchess Bake Shop. Giselle draws on her French and French Canadian heritage to share the food she loves to make most for her family at home.
CYRIL LIGNAC
Fait Maison
Renowned French Chef Cyril Lignac shares 45 quick, simple and succulent everyday recipes to make in your own kitchen. “Fait Maison” (translated to “Homemade”) is an unpretentious little cookbook filled with practical recipes to make from scratch for your family and friends (or just for yourself), including some easy French staples like the classic Croque Monsieur. Tarte aux Fraises, or Vanilla Cream Petits Pots.
The book is in French, but the recipes and vocabulary are simple enough to make it accessible to most with a basic French understanding.
BILL BUFORD
Dirt
In Dirt, Bill Buford–author of the best-selling, now-classic, Heat–moves his attention from Italian cuisine to the food of France. Baffled by the language, determined that he can master the art of French cooking–or at least get to the bottom of why it is so revered–Buford begins what will become a five-year odyssey by shadowing the revered French chef Michel Richard in Washington, D.C. He soon realizes, however, that a stage in France is necessary, and so he goes… (…).
LINDSAY TRAMUTA
The New Parisienne
In a follow-up to the popular The New Paris, Lindsey Tramuta explores the impact that the women of Paris are having on the rapidly evolving culture of their city. The New Parisienne focuses on one of the city’s most dynamic features: its women. Lifting the veil on the mythologized Parisian woman—white, lithe, ever fashionable—Lindsey Tramuta demystifies this oversimplified archetype and recasts the women of Paris as they truly are, in all their complexity. Featuring more than 40 activists, creators, educators, visionaries, and disruptors, the book reveals Paris as a blossoming cultural center of feminine power.
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2 comments
Thank you very much for sharing these new titles with us. The titles alone make my mouth water.
Thank you, and enjoy this selection! So many great recipes to try in there 🙂