Bisous and Brioche

November 16, 2020
Chef Bradbury (The Grape Series) shares stories of her life in Burgundy, France, and time-tested recipes from her French husband’s family in this charming debut. The recipes are for some of the greatest hits of French cuisine: beef bourguignon, coq au vin, salade Niçoise, and bouillabaisse among them. She updates dishes without making them difficult to cook, such as suggesting that vegetables be roasted before being added to a broth to deepen flavor. Her cassoulet takes a few hours to prepare instead of a few days, thanks to the use of gelatin to thicken a liquid base that begins with store-bought stock. The ingredient primer is key to achieving the best results and keeping readers’ pantries stocked with the right foods and spices (such as the French version of allspice called quatre épices, for which a recipe is included). Between Wellman’s lovely photos and Bradbury’s strong storytelling skills (“The full glory and versatility of dijon mustard didn’t reveal itself to me until I arrived in Burgundy, but when it did it was like a religious conversion”), this book is sure to satisfy those hungry for scenic beauty as well as accessible, unfussy French cuisine.