Made In Marseille [Hardcover]

For the longest time gritty Marseille suffered an image problem, but all that changed a few years ago when a whole raft of artists and intellectuals quit Paris and made the southern city their home. Having received reports that a cultural revolution was afoot, Young, a New York restaurant critic and food commentator on NPR's Weekend Edition, installed himself in Marseille to track the changes. The resulting work is a portrait of a city by way of its food. Interviewing spice merchants, fish mongers, home cooks and local chefs, Young follows the scent of the food of Marseille in all its permutations. While rooted in the Proven al tradition, the food of Marseille is spiced with the flavors of Tunisia, Senegal, Vietnam, Italy and Morocco, absorbing the influence of all the different peoples who have settled within its precincts. While the recipe selection includes many classic Proven al dishes, from anchoiade to bouillabaisse, more noteworthy are the riffs on tradition. Readers might not actually make the elaborate Napoleon of Sea Bass with Tapenade with Tomato Confit and Peas, but they will enjoy reading about it. There are also a number of wonderfully simple recipes, such as the idea of freezing extra-virgin olive oil and serving it partially thawed as a spread. Equally interesting is a section on fusion dishes, the best of which meld the tastes of France and North Africa. Enhanced by Boffredo's moody black-and-white photographs, Young's book will appeal to cooks and Francophiles alike. (Sept.)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Young's first book was The Paris Cafe Cookbook, a guidebook with recipes. Now he moves south to another city that has captivated him, the bustling, often mysterious port of Marseille. He describes how the city, no longer the corrupt, crime-ridden milieu depicted in films, has undergone something of a renaissance, and he emphasizes its multiethnic character a melting pot of peoples and cuisines. The recipes he presents, collected from bistros, street food stalls, and haute restaurants and from top chefs and home cooks alike, range from traditional Moroccan and other North African specialties to Asian-inspired fusion dishes to updated French and Proven‡al classics. Good headnotes offer background, and atmospheric black-and-white photographs complement the text. For most collections.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Marseille, once notorious for its assorted mischief, has recently experienced a cultural renaissance, establishing it as a Mediterranean capital of film, fashion, music, literature, and, most assuredly, cuisine. From the city's beloved, world-famous bouillabaisse to enticing émigré flavors to venerable street treats to classic and contemporary Provencal bistro fare, this culinary crossroads, the Paris of Provence, offers an exciting array of tempting foods that, while global in scope, have a folksy, made-in-Marseille personality. Join Daniel Young, author of The Paris Café Cookbook, as he explores the authentic flavors of France's oldest city, its great southern gateway, extending from the Marseille of antiquity, found intact in the limestone cliffs of the rocky coastline, to the Marseille of romantic intrigue, still apparent in the labyrinthine passageways of the historic Panier quarter, to its storied center, the Vieux Port. Of course there's bouillabaisse: an entire chapter on this legendary fish stew-soup, including rustic, home-style Marseille recipes adapted so they can successfully be made with North American fish -- not entirely authentic but wholeheartedly delicious. There are many other definitive fish recipes from this seafood lovers' paradise as well, including the legendary pan-fried calamari with parsley and garlic from Chez Etienne and the foolproof formula for grilling fish from the Restaurant L'Escale. In addition, there are aromatic appetizers, traditional and newfangled desserts, savory pastries, meat and chicken dishes, and hearty vegetable stews, all prepared with the building blocks of the healthful, French-Mediterranean diet: olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, fennel, eggplant, artichokes, olives, basil, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, almonds, figs, and honey.

It's a full cookbook, offering 120 recipes and also a remarkable portrait of France's "Second City." With evocative black-and-white photographs by Marseille native Sébastien Boffredo, Made in Marseille is a lively panorama of the food, flavors, culture, and mystique of France's vital and fascinating cosmopolitan seaport.

Daniel Young divides most of his time and meals between his hometown, New York, where he was restaurant critic of the Daily News. and Paris, where he wrote The Paris Café Cookbook. He has written about French food and culture for Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, and the Los Angeles Times.