Flavors of Provence

Rating:
Summary: A Few Great Recipes plus Nice Pictures.
Review: This book, `The Flavors of Provence' by chef Jean-Andre Charial and illustrator Isabelle De Borchgrave, belongs to a rare genre of cookbook which specifically combines recipes with artistic illustrations done for the sake of art rather than for the sake of illustrating the dishes. The third and smallest component of the book, on which the title is based, is thumbnail sketches of the classic Provencal ingredients such as olive oil, lavender, basil, truffles, and herbes de Provence.

The recipes by the chef / owner of two star Provencal restaurant and hotel l'Oustau de Baumaniere are certainly true to Provencal tastes, but with five or six recipes in each of the six culinary chapters, the recipes don't even come close to covering the field of classic Provencal recipes. But, this is actually typical of Provencal cookbooks. Unlike the three books of Roman cuisine I have reviewed, the five books of Provencal cuisine simply do not repeat themselves. The range of dishes seems so broad that while the Roman books overlap dishes by over 50%, Provencal books have no true duplicates except perhaps the occasional pistu and ratatouille recipes.

Like so many other cookbooks, this one includes a paean to the fact that the chef uses the freshest ingredients, often from their own garden. That's great for the people who visit the restaurant, but it adds nothing to the quality of the book. The irony is that while the recipes include a lot of classic Provencal ingredients, such as turbot and fresh beans, it finds that it must provide more readily available substitutions for these `fresh' ingredients.

While many books of Provencal recipes such as those by Patricia Wells are excellent sources of quick dishes, these recipes are definitely not for quick cooking. All the recipes are primarily best suited for entertaining, but do not make them cold for a house full of guests. All the recipes require a fair amount of skill. And, a working knowledge of basic French techniques for sauce making will be a big help. Many dishes include the preparation of a veloute sauce, some with pretty unusual ingredients for a creamy sauce such as pistachios.

The very typical chapter topics are Soups, Appetizers, Fish, Meat, Vegetables, and Desserts. These contain the expected mousses, gratins, sautés, roasts, and sauces. Surprisingly, there are no braises or daubs. Fowl is grouped under meats, and four (4) out of seven (7) meat recipes are for poultry and two (2) of the remaining three (3) are for lamb. All recipes represent new tastes based on familiar ingredients and techniques.

With about fifty recipes, the culinary content seems a bit thin for a book with a list price of about $30. The balance of the value is contributed by de Borchgrave's illustrations which appear to my artistically naïve eye to be oils or acrylics on colored paper. The style is very modern, with just enough spiritedness to the brushstrokes to make one have to look carefully to figure out what it is that is being pictured in many cases. Oddly, the pictures don't have the brightness I often associate with Provencal art as done by, for example, Cezanne, who was famous for appreciating the bright sunlight of Provence in contrast to the darkness of Paris and the Beaux Arts school.

The book was translated from a French text and I can find virtually no trace of gaffes in the translation. It seemed a bit odd to instruct us to heat honey until liquid, but I understand what is meant here.

If you want a manual on Provencal food, see Elizabeth David or Patricia Wells. If you already have these works and are simply in love with Provencal style and cooking, then this is the book for you. It is doubly attractive if you are the kind of bookworm who gets a thrill from works with unusual illustrations such as the `Griffin and Sabine' series of illustrated / constructed books.