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French Cooking Academy 100 Essential Recipes for the Home Cook
Stephane Nguyen with Kate Blenkiron
Page Street Publishing Co, 224 pages
Regretfully my enthusiasm in the kitchen somewhat exceeds my ability, but, as Alexander Pope told us, hope springs eternal in the human breast and I am no exception.
A serendipitous encounter with Stephane’s YouTube videos led to the discovery that he and his wife recently published a recipe book, which I promptly ordered from Amazon.
After a get-to-know-us introduction, three pages give readers tips on how to improve their cooking, followed by the main sections:
French staples such as stocks and sauces, dressings, crêpes and so on. The demiglace in particular is a treasure and I use it at every opportunity;
Small bites for all occasions, eg tapenade, Greek mushrooms, tomato and mustard feuilleté and what not;
Salads, soups and appetizers, including spring leeks with homemade vinaigrette and celeriac salad with homemade mayonnaise.
In the list of mains we find braised lamb shanks in port wine, braised chicken in tarragon sauce, a rather imaginative pork chops with mustard and gherkin sauce, fish with saffron and velouté sauce and many other delectable recipes.
Part four is devoted to treats, tarts and desserts. Since I am not really a dessert lover, cheese and crackers (not in the book) suit me just fine, should I feel like something to round off a fine dinner, but I did notice my wife eying the artisan crustless cheesecake recipe, so who knows?
The recipes are clearly presented, a short description of aspects of the dish is followed by a list of ingredients, the mise en place and the instructions. The majority of recipes fit comfortably on one page, an indication that no great difficulty or expertise are involved. Each recipe is faced on the verso by a photograph by Kate Blenkiron.
The recipes I have sampled so far were easy and very successful. This book is highly recommended, both for beginners and for those more skilled in the kitchen.
The French Cooking Academy also presents cooking courses, the costs of which vary according to the contents of the course itself.
Stephane’s videos are a pleasure to watch, his enthusiasm is infectious and here are links to two of his videos. The dishes prepared there are not in his recipe book.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
