Book Reviews: Recipes From My French Kitchen

After moving to a rural corner of south-western France, despite her initial concerns, this Kiwi food writer and her clan soon settled into enjoying the myriad aspects of village life in Caixon. The year that followed provided Gofton not only with recipe inspiration – some of the most important traditional Basque dishes were gleaned from local chefs and new acquaintances – but, more crucially, also the raw material for this inspirational read detailing the joys of expat life.

Among the delicious recipes are Gofton’s canny twist on French classics – including her sweet potato-topped duck confit cottage pie – and such regional stunners as Basque beef and capsicum pie, and axoa de veau, a veal stew which uses a peppery local ingredient, piment d’Espelette.

This book features sparkling tales of interaction with intriguing local folk and highlights the shifting seasonal tones of rural life – it’s enough to make anyone pack up and head to France today!

Recipes From My French Kitchen, by Allyson Gofton. List price: $30. Published by Penguin

From France Today magazine