Ethnic Paris Cookbook

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Eating in Paris means French food, right? Wrong. To prove it Charlotte Puckette and Olivia Kiang-Snaije have written The Ethnic Paris Cookbook: Bringing the French Melting Pot Into Your kitchen (DK 2007). That's right: eating in Paris means eating the food of France's former colonies, from Senegal to Morocco to Vietnam. This book is a guide to the food of these various cuisines as they are recreated in Paris, and a guide to the restaurants, shops and cafes in Paris. Out task was to go out and get people from a broad ethnic swath to give us delicious recipes that they cooked here in Paris, even if they had invented them or if they weren't exactly traditional. (p. 9) If you are planning to be in Paris for a vacation or work, this book is the perfect companion to Paris: The Secret History (click here to read the review). The authors group the food of different colonies and protectorates together, with the addition of the cuisine of Japan for which the French have a huge affinity. The first chapter covers the Maghreb: Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia mixing the recipes with stories of restaurants, cooks and chefs, and where to get ingredients. There is a wonderful recipe for Moroccan Eggplant Salad (p. 20) from Oum El Bonine Restaurant followed by the story of Argan Oil (p. 21). The authors point out that the ingredients are the same as for the French dish ratatouille, but with different spices. Couscous Royal (p. 36) is inspired by Taghit restaurant in Paris' 14th district. They also list a take out shop, Atlas Couscous (p. 37). Their recipe for Chicken Tagine with Prunes and Almonds (p. 42) comes from Le Numide restaurant. The next page has the story of Le Numide's chef Ghenima Agaoua. The following chapter is on the foods of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China, Crepes are a ubiquitous French food. The book contains a recipe for Sizzling Crepes (p. 86) inspired by Nhu Yen restaurant. The crepes are made from a batter of rice flour, and filled with pork and shrimp then dipped in Nuoc Cham. There is a recipe for Pho on page 92, followed by a guide to eating Pho, the Vietnamese soup on page 95. They also profile Thanh Binh Grocery Store, a source for Vietnamese products. The last chapter on the food of Lebanon and Syria reflects the huge influx of Lebanese who fled the civil war in the 1970s and 80s. The book is illustrated by Dinah Diwan, herself from Lebanon. Her art work resembles at time political posters of Berlin in the 1920s, full of collage, color and energy. Her maps of each arrondissement may not be the easiest to read, but each block is a different color, evoking the patchwork of cultures intersecting in the city. There are guides to Lebanese Fast Food (p. 228), Middle Eastern Shops (p. 231), and restaurants like Liza, an innovative Lebanese restaurant serving dishes like Tabbouleh Sorbet (p. 215). This is an intimate guide of Paris by two women who shop, eat, and tell the story of immigrants and their food. It is easy to think that French food is wonderful enough that a visitor to Paris would never bother eating anything else. However, this is the food that Parisians of every stripe eat themselves. To eat in Paris is to eat ethnic Paris and observe the changes immigrants have made to French food and their own. Previous articles: Valentine's Day Book - Paris: The Secret History [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbook reviews, Paris --> back to Super Chef