Anthony Bourdain's "Les Halles Cookbook". Classic bistro food - pretty simple, robust, hearty. Thus, a little different from the French cuisine of Julia, at least I don't remember a recipe for frites in "Mastering". I also like the earthy editorializing.

Agree with John, Bourdain's cookbook is a lot of fun. I've posted the 'gigot a sept heures' from it a few times on the forum.

Classic French, well, you can't do better than Julia's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking', and a great recipe from it is 'Poulet Poele a l'Estragon' (Casserole-roasted Chicken with Tarragon)--it comes out juicy, rich and flavorful. It's reprinted at many sites all over the Internet, and I've linked to one. This recipe alone is worth going out and getting a nice Le Creuset enameled cast iron French oven (although a $40 Lodge or Target one will work 95% as well at 20% of the cost).

Finally, a sentimental favorite, the book from which I taught myself to cook: 'The New Orleans Cookbook' by Richard and Rima Collin. First came out in 1975, I've cooked with it for 37 years. It's not strictly a French cookbook, although it has a lot of classic French dishes as well as classic Creole dishes. If you are remotely interested in Louisiana cuisine, this is a tremendous reference, as well as being a steal; it's available at Amazon for around $13 and change. Highly recommended.

Here is a link that might be useful: poulet poele a l'estragon

Thanks...have several Julia books....just ordered the Les Halles book, La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange and will check out the New Orleans Cookbook.

More suggestions - keep them coming.

;-)

I've enjoyed recipes from Dorie Greenspan's "Around My French Table." It's not a classic French cooking primer, but her interpretation of many dishes she came to know & love while living in France.

Our favorite is the meal featured on the cover, Chicken in a Pot: the Garlic & Lemon Version.

I test drove this book from the library before purchasing and found the recipes delicious and doable. And most all ingredients are readily available.

@amck - Last year I joined a cooking group - French Fridays w/Dorrie. We cooked from Around My French Table and agree, while not classic French recipes, there were some excellent recipes in the book. I picked the book up used and probably would have paid full price - the pictures are beautiful!

If you have not tried Gnocchi a la Parisienne yet, put that at the top of your list. Do a double or triple work out that day - it is rich BUT but ohhhh...heaven on a plate.

Cheers,

M

You'll enjoy La Bonne Cuisine. It's fascinating to see how people cooked a century or more ago. She's pretty thorough--takes three pages to discuss how to beat egg whites. Still, that book inspired both Julia Child and the founder of Chez Panisse, so it must have some validity.

I've never run across anything by Jacques Pepin that wasn't at least worth taking a look at. This recipe is from one of his books (Fast Food My Way). I have tried it and it's very good. The technique for cooking the thighs yields really good crispy skin with a lot of the fat removed. I often cook thighs that way without bothering to make the sauce (that is, I omit everything but salt & pepper and stop after step 2 and serve the chicken). It's fast and delicious. While it's not as fat free as completely removing the skin, you'd be amazed at how much fat is eliminated--and you still have some of that crunchy 'mouthfeel' of fried chicken with a lot less fat. Even if you never bother making the complete recipe (i.e., with the sauce), it's definitely worth learning this technique and adding it to your repertoire. The slashes in step 1 help to flatten the thigh. What you're doing, from a food-science-geek perspective, is rendering the fat from the skin, and that side of the thigh fries in that fat, while the liberated water vapors steam the flesh side.

Crusty Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine

- serves 4 -
Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin on
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 cups white mushrooms, washed and diced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
Procedure

1. Set the chicken thighs skin-side down on a cutting board. Cut a 1/2 inch thick slash on either side of the thigh bone. Season the thighs on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

2. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down on non-stick skillet. Only then turn the heat to high. When the chicken starts to sizzle, turn heat to medium and move the thighs around to make sure they aren't sticking to the skillet. Cover the skillet and cook for 16 to 18 minutes. Check the chicken occasionally to keep it from sticking. If the skin is browning too much after 10 minutes, then turn the heat to low. When done, transfer the thighs to a warm oven.

3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat in the skillet. Turn the heat to high and then add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the remaining salt and pepper. Then pour in the wine. Continue to cook for one minute over high heat until the sauce reduces.

4. Spoon some of the sauce onto a plate and top with one of the chicken thighs. Sprinkle on some chives and serve.

Notes and Variations: If the flesh side doesn't quite look cooked after 18 minutes, just flip the thighs and allow the flesh side to fry in the oil for a minute, uncovered. And if you want a real no-brainer no-fuss way to cook a bunch of chicken thighs quickly, slash the thighs as in step 1, put them skin side down in the nonstick skillet (they can touch--they'll shrink a bit), put whatever seasoning you like on the flesh side (I've made it with lemon pepper--pretty good--or chipotle powder--very good--or Penzeys spice mix 'Arizona Dreaming'--excellent) then cook them as directed in step 2. If you're making them this way, though (without a sauce) allow two thighs, at least, per adult.

You know, I would like to mention Madeleine Kamman's wonderful "When French Women Cook". Part memoir of learning to cook in 1940s to 1960s France, part paean to six (?) remarkable women, and part cookbook with 200+ recipes from French women cooks, some professional chefs and some beloved tantes, who were important in her life. It is only $10 on Amazon and is worth more.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Madeleline Kamman

Oh, I like When Frenchwomen Cook too, John. One of my favorite breads ever is the Cracked Wheat Bread (Pain au BlÃcrasé) from Savoie. I do use the book more as a gastronomic memoir than as a cookbook, though.
By the way, Madeleine Kamman wrote a whole book about Savoie, which is fascinating. She starts with a chapter on the complicated geology of the French Alps!

Oops, I should have written "French Women." When I think of this book I hear that as one word.

Thanks so much....that chicken recipe sounds fabulous! Pepin fast food - YUM!

I love gastro memoirs. I have an Italian memoir/coobook very similar to the Frencwomen book and love the stories and pics of each of the women profiled. The recipes are good too.

Just ordered the Pepin and When Frenchwomen Cook.

Mouthwatering times ahead.

Cheers!

M

One of my favorites is Julia Child's Kitchen Wisdom. It is a small book. Rather than a true cookbook, it is more of a book of techniques.

Johnliu, thanks for recommending When French Women Cook. I just bought it!