Mouthwatering reading...

I was looking through my books today and realized, not surprisingly, that I have an awful lot of books about France and French food. I also have alot of books on Russia and the cold war, but that's a whole other obsession....

I came across one of my all-time favorite books about French food, 'The Elusive Truffle' (originally published under the name 'A Spoon for Every Course'). I remember reading this book on a train from Worcester to Manchester and getting off the train feeling like I'd been transported to a different world. Exactly what a good book should do, but I was also ravenous, which is exactly how a great food book should make you feel.

The book is a mix of old-fashioned travel narrative, recipes and sweet illustrations. It follows the English author, Mirabel Osler, as she journeys through the country, searching for the legendary food of France. She meets restaurant owners and chefs, country folk and businessmen, all sharing the same passion- good food, where to find it, how to make it, and how to eat it.

The book evokes a sense of nostalgia for good French country cooking, served in rustic auberges, little cafés and road-side restaurants. They still exist in France, but now you have to look a little harder behind all of the Thai, tapas and 'trendy' restos that are so prevalent today, even in the French countryside.

If you enjoy reading about French cooking and could do with a little escapism, then this would be a good read for you. Unfortunately it looks like it might be out of print now, but seems like there are a few used copies going on amazon.