Bistros and Brasseries: Recipes and Reflections on Classic Cafe Cooking

by John W. Fischer and Lou Jones

Book Overview

With this inaugural Dining Series title, the CIA takes a more personal approach to its traditional cookbooks. Many classic French recipes are now offered to modern readers. In addition, the chefs... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0867309245
• ISBN13: 9780867309249
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Lebhar-Friedman
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.6" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A delicious set of bistro-style dishes paired with culinary comments on different regional cuisine o

BISTROS AND BRASSERIES offers a delicious set of bistro-style dishes paired with culinary comments on different regional cuisine origins and spiced with color photos throughout in this artistic, appealing guide. From Baked Potatoes and onions and White Veal Stew to Peach and Goat Cheese Tarts, dishes come with extensive introduction and culinary notes and reflect classic cafe cooking. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

A must for any serious lover of food, French or otherwise!

The Culinary Institute of America (or "The CIA") is a prestigious, not-for-profit, culinary college founded in 1946 in New Haven, CT. This book is a part of their Dining Series and was written by two CIA professors, John W. Fischer and Lou Jones, both of whom possess the passion and knowledge necessary to take on a subject as broad and as endearing as this, the quintessential French institutions of bistros and brasseries. As the book explains in the beginning of the first chapter, the term "bistro" is generally meant to be applied to restaurants that are "unpretentious, uncomplicated, casual, comfortable and relatively affordable" (it should be mentioned that much of the world, especially Europe, spends a great deal more of their income on food than do Americans, so the word "relatively" is important here). The word Brasserie comes from a Middle French word for brewery and usually refers to "a casual restaurant that serves more beer than wine". If the definitions seems rather plebeian consider the fact that casual food in France includes dishes such as Ragout de Champignons, Coq au Vin and Steak Tartare. Fischer and Jones compiled recipes from bistros and brasseries both in France (several stories include accounts of their dining experiences during their "Tour de France Gastronomique" in 2004, a 2000 kilometer, seven day culinary sojourn) and the US, including the Blue Ribbon Brasserie in New York. Scattered throughout this small but beautifully designed book are informational sections that enlighten the reader and add to their overall understanding of this culinary genre. French wines are discussed and suggested for the corresponding dishes; there is an introduction to the world of French cheeses; the phenomenon known as "The French Paradox" (why the French can eat the way that they do and not die from a massive, national heart attack) is explained; cooking techniques are shared; and ingredients are examined (such as the lovely ode to the Brussels sprout). The authors live up to what I would expect from a pair of experienced culinary academics. The chapter titles are written in both French and English. Here is the English list: 1. An introduction to the Pleasures of Casual French Dining * Here the authors discuss French Wines and Cheeses. 2. Appetizers and Soups * Recipes are included for classic French dishes such as Escargot, Frog Legs and Onion Soup. 3. Pancakes and Egg Based Dishes * Recipes include those for Spinach and Cheese Crepes, Raclette and Ham and Gruyere Omelet. 4. Side Dishes * In this chapter is a great recipe for Oignons Farcies (Stuffed Onions) as well as those for Tartiflette, Pomme Frites and five others. 5. Main Dishes * This is by far the largest chapter in the book, with well over two dozen recipes, such as: Butter Roasted Capon; Sliced Duck Breasts with Cherries; Duck Confit; Rabbit Stew; garlic Sausage on Green Lentils; Braised Lamb Shanks with White Bean Puree; Steak au Poivre;