Les Liaisons Delicieuses: Breaking the French Culinary Code (B & W)

Imagine cooking with some of the greatest chefs in France. Facing fascinating challenges, Patti Ravenscroft developed a French culinary tour business, discovering 10 starred provincial chefs who took her groups into their kitchens to do hands-on cooking, and explore provincial France with them. Along the way, many remarkable things happened with chefs and clients as they sought out the best France had to offer. Visiting markets, farms, artisans and wineries, they also hunted mushrooms, digging for truffles with a pig, and pursuing the best artisans in the area. Though she became discouraged at one point for business and world event reasons, the French Embassy in Washington restored her confidence by awarding her the L'Ordre de Merite Agricole. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part culinary tour adventure, the book contains descriptions of cooking, eating and wine tasting with outstanding chefs; included are 27 of their best recipes adapted for the American cook.