Synopsis
Recipes by Lulu Peyraud, matriarch of the family vineyard in Provencal, for a variety of splendid French dishes are matched with Peyraud's personal reminiscences, family history, and reflections on the village way of life. $50,000 ad/promo. Tour.
Reviews
Lulu and Lucien Peyraud, who own the noted Domaine Tempier vineyard in Provence, not far from Marseilles, are well known among the culinary-minded--he for the quality of his wine and she for the forceful, classically regional food served at the vineyard. Olney, a prize-winning cookbook writer ( The French Menu Cookbook ; Provence the Beautiful ) and longtime friend of theirs, here offers a graceful history of the unpretentious Peyraud dynasty, beginning with their acquisition of the domaine in 1940. After Olney, and Alice Waters, tantalize readers with descriptions of meals at the domaine, Lulu's recipes begin, starting with aperitifs and amuse-gueles and finishing up with fruit desserts. Hers is classic French country cooking, featuring everyday ingredients (often including anchovies and wild fennel), cooked with respect for their nature and flavor. Meats range from a simple beef tenderloin through tripe and tongue to an array of lamb and rabbit dishes; much of the fish is grilled; the vegetable recipes don't range too far beyond squashes, peppers and tomatoes. Throughout the 150 recipes, Olney demonstrates an abundant low-key charm as he engages in the game of "Trying to Pin Lulu Down," recording her often changing responses to his questions about amounts of ingredients and timing. Olney's comments on wines served with meals and courses, included throughout and in the section at the end, are an education in themselves. With good-humored admiration, sharp-eyed description and lucid instruction, Olney--and Lulu--bring readers traditional Provencal cooking at its finest. Photos not seen by PW . $50,000 ad/promo; author tour; first serial to Grand Street; Homestyle Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This is a wonderful book, pairing one of our best food writers with a talented and charming Provencal cook and wine expert. Olney, a wine authority himself and author of many books on food and wine (most recently, Provence the Beautiful, LJ 9/15/ 93), has lived in Provence for many years; Lulu is Lulu Peyraud, proprietor with her husband of a family vineyard that produces highly regarded Bandol wines. She is an expert in la cuisine de bonne femme, and Olney has managed to capture both her recipes and her essence in his evocative prose. Many of the dishes will be familiar to anyone who loves Provence's sunny cuisine, but Lulu is both opinionated and creative, and each recipe has her personal stamp. There are aperitifs and amuse-gueules (which might be loosely translated as "jaw pleasers"), fish soups, hearty stews, sparkling vegetable dishes and salads, and "celebrations"-bouillabaisse, the grand aioli-all set in the lively context of a large and successful family that happens to be wine making. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Famed chef Alice Waters introduces Olney's latest foray into the territory of French cuisine, and both pay homage to "Lulu"--Madame Lucien Peyraud--a doyenne of Proven{‡}cal cooking and matriarch of the family responsible for the wines produced by the Domaine Tempier vineyards. Along with Lulu's classic Proven{‡}cal recipes and special holiday menus, Olney provides delightful descriptions of Peyraud family history, including the life and times of generations of vintners and their wines. Industrious individuals (with the patience for pondering specific directions) can turn here for those elegant, exalted meals meant to challenge the most accomplished cooks and please the palates of connoisseurs. Black-and-white and color photographs illustrate Olney's intimate visits with one very special French family. Alice Joyce
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