The Paris Cookbook [Hardcover]

I would place this book as my third or fourth French cookbook after Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking', Richard Olney's 'Simple French Food', and Madeline Kamman's 'The New Making of a Cook'. While these are some of the best texts on the principles and techniques of French cooking, this book by Wells is real world application of the principles. As it looks at the real world, it offers the reader some pretty unusual dishes in giving us a variety you may not find in a single restaurant cookbook, even one so good as the recent 'Balthazar Cookbook' from the chefs at the New York restaurant of the same name.

While this book is not a teaching book, it is still true to the style of cooking you will find in Paris and, as such, it is primarily a book for the gourmet, the entertainer, the traveler to Paris, and the wine lover. Like 'Simply French', the book gives wine suggestions for all savory courses. These wine suggestions are a bit more generic than those in 'Simply French', so it will be easier to find something to match, even in the oenologically backward state of Pennsylvania.

Before you get the impression that none of the recipes in this book have any general currency for the average cook, I must say that many are really very easy, especially the salad, vegetable, and soup recipes. Even some meat recipes are fairly simple, such as the braised lamb shank recipe Wells did on 'Emeril Live' when she made a promotional appearance after the book first came out. Everyone does braised lamb shanks, but Wells does it just a little differently, and offers some good suggestions on choosing the best cuts. But, there are some real novelties, such as the Arpege Eggs with Maple Syrup. I will be content to simply read about these dishes.

The organization of recipes is classic, following almost exactly the same chapter headings as in 'Simply French'. These are:

Appetizers, Starters, and First Courses
Salads
Breads
Vegetables
Potatoes
Pasta, Rice, Beans, and Grains
Soups
Fish and Shellfish
Poultry
Meats
Desserts
The Pantry

The first two chapters plus the third and fourth are real gems. At the $30 list price of this book, they are worth the price of admission. The Breads chapter is a little teaser with only six recipes, each fairly complicated, but very rewarding. Just enough to whet your appetite for a book by a bread heavyweight such as Nancy Silverton or Peter Reinhart. The chapters on protein dishes are surprisingly simple. They are certainly less complicated than the soups and desserts. The desserts chapter is quite large, with many recipes for apples, cherries, and ice cream. The Pantry chapter gives all the expected recipes for vinaigrettes, mayonnaise, spice mixes, stocks, and sauces. This is somewhat better than average.

In spite of the utility of cookbooks that organize by menu for occasions and themes, this is still my favorite organization for a cookbook covering many types of dishes. One entertains once a month, maybe. One cooks for your small family in a single household every day. This is better for the latter situation.

I am not a fan of splashy color photography in cookbooks. When it is there, I rarely look at it except to judge its quality for a review. To my mind, the photography in this book is just right. Its occasional black and white pictures of people and places have informative captions and decorate the book with views of Paris and its people.

If you are traveling to Paris or love French food or need new recipes for entertaining with a lot of ta-da, this is the book for you. Be aware, however, that basic cooking skills and a well-equipped kitchen are a must in order to accomplish many of the recipes in this book.

You may also find yourself developing irrational urges to visit your favorite travel web site for plane tickets to Paris. Highly recommended.