Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An American cook and a French gardener..., 12 Sep 2003
By A Customer
When I first read about this book, I did not realise that the cook was american, whilst the gardener was French. This mix of cultures is actually what makes the book so interesting, and I am glad I bought it.
An American cook (the author) takes on a job cooking for a French family at their chateau. As the previous inhabitants have done for hundreds of years, the owners employ a gardener to keep them supplied with vegetables, fruit and herbs. The book is all about this gardener, his work, and his produce, and how the cook is allowed to share in his knowledge of farming by slowly gaining his trust.
I would say the book is more about cookery than it is about gardening, but the details on how things grow, when they grow, and how they grow best are what gives the book that little extra.
Every chapter equals a month in the year, and it starts with a story about what went on in the garden in that particular month. It also describes how the the author and the grumpy old gardener get to know and respect each other. I guess their mutual love of what grows in the walled vegetable garden helps!
My main reason for buying the book was the fact that it is a cookery book, and I really like what I found. The recipes are all seasonal and they are reasonable when it comes to ingredients and techniques. They all have an introduction explaining how the French eat this particular dish or whatever. The nice thing is that they often contain footnotes on what to eat with what, on what fresh vegetables should look like and why, how you should prepare vegetables and so on.
If you like to cook and the idea of growing your own vegetables and fruit appeals to you or you are generally interested in gardening, this book is a good choice. As the book does not give you much information on the author or what goes on in the chateau, you have a chance to fill the details in for yourself and dream about cooking in your own chateau someday with supplies from your own walled garden...
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The epitome of classy cosiness, 30 Sep 2005
By A Customer
Wonderful, innovative recipes - try the red grape and rosemary bread, the excellent apple and walnut bread - and a fund of lovely, funny, witty stories. Yes, Hesser is a bit of an ingenue, but her tales are funny, warm, and heartening because they chart respect and its growth - respect for another culture, but also respect for the earth and its produce. Practised cooks will learn a few new tricks, but novices will cope because of the wonderfully clear US-style directions. It's also a beautiful book - not many glossy photos, but lovely clear type and elegant layout. The spine is weak, for a cookbook, but no-one shoudl be deterred by this. It's a rich celebration of seasonal cooking and growing, of cooking that respects the year. Quietly, this book refutes those who eat ready meals and pile up food miles, arguing instead for the clearness and freshness of cooking what grows with love.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A perfect journey through kitchen and garden., 27 Sep 2006
This is a wonderful insight into the relationship between a cook and a gardener. The nostalgic references to gardening in a time gone by give a wonderful view of the life of a 'Big house' gardener and the 'house' cook. It is wonderful to see the grumpy Frenchman warmt to the young female cook. The collection of both recipes and gardening techniques makes for a fascinating read, and a very pleasureable one too. I loved the techical information for growing fruit and vegetables and can't wait to try many of the recipes, discovering new ingredients not often found in modern cookbooks. This is a must for any cook/gardener.
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