A Chef's Tale: A Memoir of Food, France, and America

By Richard Flaste, Pierre Franey, Bryan Miller

Book Overview

The embodiment of the art and pleasure of French cookery, Pierre Franey (1921-96) was one of the most influential and beloved of America's culinary figures. Before creating his "60-Minute Gourmet" column in the New York Times, writing his celebrated cookbooks, and entering our homes via television, Franey presided over the cuisine at two of the greatest French restaurants in America: the legendary Le Pavillon, then La Cote Basque. With style, charm, and affection for his native France and adopted America, Franey takes us into his life in the world of food, interweaving his story with irresistible recipes and, here and there, impulsively giving away a chef's secrets. He takes us into his childhood in Burgundy, where the bountiful produce and the high respect accorded to the preparation of food grounded Franey in a tradition that would serve him well when he began his apprenticeship at age fourteen in Paris restaurants. In A Chef's Tale, Franey relives the days of America's French food revolution and adds immeasurably to our sophistication about the great world of French cooking--and about cooking itself.

Richard Flaste has collaborated on three previous books with Pierre Franey, including Pierre Franey's Cooking in America. Bryan Miller is the author of The New York Times Guide to Restaurants in New York City and has collaborated on books with Pierre Franey. Eugenia Bone is the author of three cookbooks, of which the most recent is Well Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803234694
• ISBN13: 9780803234697
• Release Date: December 2010
• Publisher: Bison
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Why can't eating be an adventure like this anymore?????

If you're rushing through meal preparation with one eye onthe clock, or if you're picking up greasy bags of fast foodon your way home, this book will give you, pun intended, foodfor thought. The astounding thing about Pierre Franey's account of growing up in rural France is the obssessive,hands-on, all-encompassing effort to make the best use ofavailable resources to produce wonderful meals. Don't missthe tale of rabbit hunting with a secret weapon -- a petferret, or the story about stealing the pear. This is sobittersweet, it's unforgettable. AND it has recipes!!!