I was so excited when I saw a promo for Fresh from the Market: Seasonal Cooking with Laurent Tourondel. I’m always looking for seasonal cookbooks to add to my collection. After all, one can never have too many cookbooks.
The first thing I notice when it arrives is its heft. Nice big hardcover, with gorgeous photos on the front cover. Inside as well. You can almost taste the freshness of the dishes.
I always open to the table of contents straight away. The back cover rarely tells me anything I didn’t read in the advertisement. I notice that it’s divided into spring, summer, fall, and winter. I love these kinds of books! Then I notice that within each season are the following subsections:
- Market (a list of what’s in season)
- Cocktails
- Appetizers
- Main Courses
- Desserts
- Breakfast
And then two special event menus. In the back are supplementary recipes and charts, sources, and a recipe and subject index. Wine suggestions are sprinkled throughout. I can tell that if I ever want to recreate a pricey farm to table menu, this would be the book to start with!
One of the things that annoys me, though, is that they suggest specific brands of cheese and wine, which are two items that I love t get locally. Luckily they do give a hint about what flavor profiles they like about their chosen brand, so you can look for something similar in your area.
I’m also sort of dubious that I’ll make many of the main courses, as some include ingredients such as octupus and foie gras. Although if I ever decide to expand my repertoire to more “fancy” things, I know where to look! Other dishes I can’t wait to make, such as the Homemade Gnocchi, Lamb Sausage, & Swiss Chard with Fennel Beurre Blanc or the Coffee Cake with Espresso Glaze & Cardamom Crumble.
Be sure to check out my review of the Pumpkin Patch cocktail recipe from this book!
Overall, I rate this book very high if you are looking for a “special occasion” sort of cookbook. It’s not your everyday cooking sort of book, but hey–we all need to dress up now and then, and our tables are no different!
Disclosure: The publisher sent me a complimentary review copy. I was under no obligation to review it and all opinions are my own. I did not receive any other compensation. If you’re interested in purchasing Fresh from the Market: Seasonal Cooking with Laurent Tourondel please start here as I do get a teeny bit of commission from Amazon.
And now I’m wondering when, precisely, octopus is “in season”! (I’m a vegetarian, these things are lost on me…..)
I know, right? Makes no sense to me either. I know that some fish are caught at certain times of the year, but I have not heard of “octupus season” LOL
This book sounds great and I really appreciate that you rate it as a special occasion book. Cookbooks definitely fall into categories for me. I love all types, but some I’ll use almost everyday and others for a special meal. The recipes you mentioned sound so good!