Bistro Cooking
by Patricia Wells
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Book Reviews of Bistro Cooking
Book Review: Absolutely the best
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I own many cookbooks, but none has come close to giving us the pleasure we have found in so many of the recipes in Bistro Cooking. We are both rank amateurs in the kitchen, but we have been able to handle virtually every recipe we've tried in this book (I did give up after three attempts at the potato pie from L'Ami Louis). The book includes Ms. Wells' favorite recipes from France's great bistros. Mind-blowing potato gratins, delicious fish recipes, hearty stews, unbelievable roast chicken, a strange but fantastic dish of poached eggs served with a simple red wine sauce, winning desserts, it really goes on and on. Ms. Wells is a great writer, very entertaining, and the book is full of wonderful tips. Even seven years or so after we bought our copy of Bistro Cooking, it's always a special day at our home when we make something from this cookbook.Book Review: My go-to cookbook: everyday and special occasions
Summary: 5 Stars
I received this as a gift many years ago and didn't pick it up for a few years at first -- I assumed it was just another specialty cookbook without much relevance to the type of cooking I wanted to do. But after I started cooking from it I've never looked back. The recipes are simple, delicious, and nearly fail-proof: I finally succeeded in making pastry crust using the recipes in this book. Some have become my favorite dinner party standbys, like the roasted tomatoes provencales and tarte tatin.
This is an excellent cookbook. The recipes are well-written and easy to follow (I think, although I'm a moderately proficient cook). They don't require much special equipment or fussiness -- after all, this is bistro fare.
Book Review: A french bistro classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is great! I've lived in France and I believe this book really does deliver classic bistro fare without all the grease you can find in so many sub par Paris bistros! I agree with another reviewer that the recipes are hit and miss. For instance, the potato gratin just doesn't do it for me.
Most of the dishes require ingredients you find at the regular grocery store, are quick to make, and delicious to eat. I appreciate her complement/menu ideas. I feel that I've slightly improved on a couple of her lamb recipes and now include them in my list of recipes for entertaining.
I wish I had the same quality of book for southern French style of cooking.
Book Review: Great book....great food
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this on a lark, since I was interested in a French cookbook that served real, down to earth French food. And I found it.The section on gratins is great. The seafood section will have you screaming for more. In the book there is a recipe for a roast chicken that is covered in herbs...that one is to die for. it's been out Christmas dinner for 4 years running.
Most of the recipes are simple; many use off the shelf items you'd find in most pantries. Her instructions are a breeze to follow, and the little insights about the origin of the recipes add something to the way the book reads.
I like it and use it often. Several folks are getting this one for Christmas this year!
Book Review: Still the best
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite French cookbooks. This is not haute cuisine, but instead is the friendly family cooking of France's famous bistros. This is roast chicken and beef daube, potato gratin and vegetable tian. This is hearty, earthy delicious food to feed your soul as well as your stomach. Patricia Wells has lived long enough in France to know the ins and outs of French cooking, but still retains her American perspective. Scattered throughout the book are trucs or tips on everything from how to tell if your eggs are fresh to how to store leftover peeled garlic. Not to be missed: Sauteed Potatoes with Garlic and Walnut Oil, Bistro d'a Cotes Chicken in Wine Vinegar.